Method for collecting data in connection with a consumption, a physical or physico-chemical parameter and/or an operating state during operation of a local sensor, preferably a sensor for a consumption meter, as part of a supply network comprising at least one local sensor, preferably a plurality of local sensors, and intended to distribute a consumable, wherein the sensor contains a measurement element, the measurement element of the respective sensor provides elementary measurement units, which correspond to at least one physical or physico-chemical variable or at least one physical or physico-chemical parameter, as raw measurement data, and the sensor comprises communication means and storage means or is locally connected thereto, wherein in order to determine the measurement resolution of the sensor, the conditions for generating time stamps are predefined using a correlation model, time stamps of successive raw measurement data are generated in the sensor on the basis of the correlation model, the time stamps are transmitted via a wired connection and/or via a radio path, with the result that the raw measurement data captured by the measurement element are reconstructed and evaluated on the basis of the time stamps using the correlation model, wherein the sensor is connected to a data collector via a primary communication path, a tertiary communication path is provided between the data collector and a head end, and the time stamps transmitted by the sensor are collected, stored and/or evaluated in the data collector and/or in the head end, characterized in that an operating state of the sensor is monitored by comparing current time stamps with historical and/or empirical time stamps, wherein a plurality of time stamps are each transmitted as a data packet (17 i, 17 i+n) along the primary communication path, wherein a data packet respectively contains a plurality of time stamps (TS1-TSn), and the stipulation of when a new data transmission should be performed in the form of a data packet depends on whether a predefined quantity of time stamps, in particular compressed time stamps, has been reached since the previous transmission. the sensor contains a measurement element, the measurement element of the respective sensor provides elementary measurement units, which correspond to at least one physical or physico-chemical variable or at least one physical or physico-chemical parameter, as raw measurement data, and the sensor comprises communication means and storage means or is locally connected thereto, wherein in order to determine the measurement resolution of the sensor, the conditions for generating time stamps are predefined using a correlation model, time stamps of successive raw measurement data are generated in the sensor on the basis of the correlation model, the time stamps are transmitted via a wired connection and/or via a radio path, with the result that the raw measurement data captured by the measurement element are reconstructed and evaluated on the basis of the time stamps using the correlation model, wherein the sensor is connected to a data collector via a primary communication path, a tertiary communication path is provided between the data collector and a head end, and the time stamps transmitted by the sensor are collected, stored and/or evaluated in the data collector and/or in the head end, an operating state of the sensor is monitored by comparing current time stamps with historical and/or empirical time stamps, wherein a plurality of time stamps are each transmitted as a data packet (17 i, 17 i+n) along the primary communication path, wherein a data packet respectively contains a plurality of time stamps (TS1-TSn), and the stipulation of when a new data transmission should be performed in the form of a data packet depends on whether a predefined quantity of time stamps, in particular compressed time stamps, has been reached since the previous transmission.