Online Metering

Present Day Scenario

Over the past 20 to 25 years all municipalities have concentrated their energies into the prepayment market and/or electrification with their respective drives for electrification on residential houses, aimed mainly at the previously disadvantaged segment or low income areas. During this time most commercial and industry (C&I) segments and large power users (LPU) have been left to ‘defend’ for themselves and this despite the fact that they still generate on average 60% of a municipality’s electrical income.

Over the last 10 years Power Measurement & Distribution cc have embarked on a direction change to tackle this shortfall within the market by starting with onsite audits utilising NLA traceable portable sub-standards. In almost all cases the costs of the audit have been recovered by the extra income generated from the faults found and rectified. Through this it has become abundantly clear that this market is in bad shape and is adversely affecting the municipal income. With this in mind we have taken a further step to help municipalities with both ensuring that all metering points in the C&I and LPU segment within their jurisdiction are measured correctly, and that the income cash flow is speeded up dramatically by offering Automated Meter Reading (AMR). The information is posted on the World Wide Web (WWW) for municipal downloads directly into their billing system..

Most municipalities are utilising manual meter readers to read the bulk metering points which is costly and slow. Eskom normally read their meters automatically and have the bill through to the municipality within 5 days from being read. The municipality then have up to ten days to pay the account. While this is happening, the municipality (in most cases) is only recovering their money over a period of 65 days average after the Eskom account has been paid. With the interest lost, due to the late recovery of moneys owed, it is now more important than ever for the municipalities to collect their dues as soon as possible to help with the interest recoveries and their cash flow.

Below is a sample of how this affects the municipality :

Offer Criteria

Power Measurement & Distribution (PMD) offer a complete solution where we carry out a complete audit and upgrade of the site to enable AMR. We then read the meter’s load profile hourly and the billing information once a month with all information being posted to the web hourly and monthly. The Municipality then have access to the meter information, which they can utilise for costing, efficiencies etc. At the end of each month all billing information is sent through to the municipal billing system for seamless and transparent insertion allowing the bills to be printed and despatched timeously. The information posted on the web is for the last three months. Any data required prior to this is available via zipped files for any further manipulation required by the client.

All billing information is vetted prior to posting and any problems are discussed with the municipality prior to posting/withholding. In todays world the customer is requiring more information with regards to his electricity usage and the municipalities are suffering with increasingly fewer resources available to supply the necessary information. By opting for AMR the pressure is removed from the municipality by allowing the customer almost instantaneous access to the required information.