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Functions Of Utility Billing Systems In A Company

By Nancy Gardner


Utilities are services consumed by the public and are provided by a public service. Organizations that maintain the infrastructure for the aim of providing a public service are referred to as public functions. These services include water, sewage, natural gas and electricity. Utility billing systems can really reduce labor cost as this system is automated and does not require a lot of manpower.

Manual gauge reading has been widely used but is being replaced by automated meter readers. The personnel employed by these service companies are exposed to risks where the meters are in dangerous locations. Moreover, not all meters are located in areas where they are readily accessible. The meter readers in some instances have to deal with hostile owners and restricted access of other areas. This makes the process of meter reading lengthy such that the bills are not mailed to the customers in time. It also results to increased costs.

Manual meter reading has been used for a long time in most countries. However, there are cases especially in the rural areas where it may be very difficult to access the meter in order to read. This makes manual meter reading time consuming.

The calls made to the center are analyzed and those that can be avoided with automation identified. Utilities that have adopted a utility invoicing software have reported substantial decrease in customer complaints and increased customer satisfaction.

The justification for the automatic meter reading systems are that some meters are located in hazardous areas which pose a risk to the workers of this service company who are sent to read them. Some meters are also located in areas which are hard to access such as behind locked gates or harsh terrain, this makes manual gauge reading time consuming and costly to this service firm. Inaccurate meter readers also cause disputes with customers which cost time and money to resolve.

Automated invoicing software enables the utilities to avoid negative lawsuits. Utilities should strive to minimize the risks of lawsuits from an injured worker or customer. The security of the employees is threatened when they have to read meters located in dangerous areas or areas with difficult terrain.

They may also have to face owners of the homes who are hostile and prevent them from acquiring the data. There is also the danger of people who may pose as employees of such company illegally and gain entry into peoples homes to cause harm. Automatic meter reading minimizes these risks by minimizing the number of workers being sent to read meters.

Automated meter reading enable flexible schedules for reading these service usage thereby avoiding delays in summary billing of accounts. Summary billings are usually for customers who have multiple businesses within the area. Therefore, it necessitates the utility to hold bills of the individual businesses until all of their accounts in the summary billing are read. With automated billing software, all the accounts can be read on time enabling the summary bills to be provided to the customers promptly.

The utility will have to analyze the customers reason for calling from the call logs in the call centers. Automated meter readings have reduced the customer calls and led to an increase in customer satisfaction.




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