diff --git a/pyshbundle/reader_replacer_csr.py b/pyshbundle/reader_replacer_csr.py
index c60fe032..e28a4d60 100644
--- a/pyshbundle/reader_replacer_csr.py
+++ b/pyshbundle/reader_replacer_csr.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def reader(file_name,line_num,degree,order,clm,slm,clm_std,slm_std,start_date,en
         year_start (_type_): _description_
         time_axes (_type_): _description_
     """
-    with gzip.open(file_name,"r") as file:
+    with gzip.open(file_name,"r", encoding='utf8') as file:
         stuff = file.readlines()
         stuff
         for i in range (0,len(stuff),1):
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def reader_replacer_csr(path, path_tn14, path_tn13):
    # ''' Replace deg 2,3 '''
     new_file_TN14 = path_tn14
     rep_start_date, rep_end_date, c20, c30, c20_sigma, c30_sigma = [], [], [], [], [], []
-    with open(new_file_TN14,"r") as file:
+    with open(new_file_TN14,"r", encoding='utf8') as file:
         stuff = file.readlines()
         for i in range(0,len(stuff),1):
             line_num = str('not found')
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def reader_replacer_csr(path, path_tn14, path_tn13):
     #''' Replace deg 1 '''
     new_file_TN13 = path_tn13  
     rep_start_date_deg1, rep_end_date_deg1, c1m, s1m, c1m_sigma, s1m_sigma = [], [], [], [], [], []
-    with open(new_file_TN13,"r") as file:
+    with open(new_file_TN13,"r", encoding='utf8') as file:
         stuff = file.readlines()
         for i in range(0,len(stuff),1):
             if  stuff[i] == str('end of header ===============================================================================\n'):