Meter Read - Main

To add a meter read, open Menu > Meter Read > Meter Read > Add.

Note: There are 4 ways to add meter reads. You can add meter reads using any of the following methods: A) open Menu > Meter Read > Meter Read > Add, B) add the read using the Meter Read Upload Staging page, C) populate the Meter Read Upload Staging using SQL, and D) you can add a reading using Field Activity Upload Staging. Both options B and C rely on the subsequent execution of the Meter Read Upload Background Processes to create the reads in the system.

Description of Page

Meter Read is a concatenation of summary information about the meter read.

Meter Read ID is the system-generated unique identifier for the meter read.

Enter the Meter Configuration ID of the meter that was read. Adjacent to the ID is summary information about the configuration. This field is protected if the meter read is used on an SP/Meter Installation history record.

Premise is a display-only field that shows the information about the premise at which the meter configuration was installed when it was read.

Enter the Read Date/Time. This field is protected if the meter read is used on an SP/Meter Installation history record.

Turn off Use On Bill if the meter read should not be used by billing. You'd typically turn this off if a meter failed high / low checks and you don't want billing to use it to calculate a customer's consumption.

Use Meter Read Source to define the source (e.g., the reader, the reading agency, etc.) of the read. If the read was uploaded with the reader id, Meter Reader is displayed.

The Reread Meter button can be pressed to create a field activity to reread the meter (note, the field activity type is defined on the field activity type profile associated with the service point at which the meter configuration is currently installed). This button is disabled if the meter configuration is not currently installed at a service point. If there is a Pending reread field activity for the service point, information about the field activity is displayed adjacent. If multiple such field activities exist, information about the earliest activity is displayed.

The scroll that follows contains one row for every register linked to the meter configuration. You cannot insert or remove entries in this scroll because a reading must be entered for every one of the configuration's registers.

Note: Register reads may not be entered for interval registers. Refer to The Big Picture of Raw Data Collection and Aggregation for more information.

The remaining fields are entered for each register.

Sequence is a display-only field that controls the order in which a register is read.

Register Information consists of the unit of measure, time of day (if any), the format of the register, and the register's constant.

Use Read Type to define WHO made the read and HOW the read was made. The value of this field is important because it affects which meter read will be used by billing if multiple reads exist during a billing period. The following table lists the read types and describes how a read with this value typically enters the system.


Read Type	Description
Billing Force	Meter reads with this value are entered by a billing administrator who wants to force billing to bill a customer for a given amount of consumption.
Verified	Meter reads with this value are recorded by a meter reader using a handheld device. The handheld device deems a read as "verified" if the meter reader typed the same dial reading in twice. Some organizations have their handhelds programmed to require the double entry of dial readings when they entered value is outside normative values (i.e., the resultant consumption fails high / low checks).
Regular	Meter reads with this value are recorded by a meter reader using a handheld device. See the description for "verified" above for the difference between a "regular" and a "verified" reading.
Customer Read	Meter reads with this value are made by a customer.
System Prorate	Meter reads with this value are created by the system automatically when prorating normal cycle-based reads for use with an off-cycle start service or stop service.
Office Estimate	Meter reads with this value are informed guesses of consumption. These would be used when there was no real reading (i.e., a regular or verified reading), and the system was not allowed to estimate consumption (for whatever reason). This value is rarely used.
Service Provider Estimate	Meter reads with this value are estimates of consumption made by a 3rd party service provider, such as an MDMA, the distribution company, or an energy supply company.
System Estimate	Meter reads with this value are created by the billing process when a reading cannot be found and the service agreement allows estimation.
No Read	Meter reads with this value are entered to indicate that a read was purposefully not performed (for whatever reason - mad dog, nasty rose bush, deep snow, etc.). A read with this value is not a read at all, it's just an audit trail.

Note: Default note. If the meter configuration has multiple registers, the read type defined for the first register will be defaulted on the remaining registers when you add a new meter read. You can always override this defaulting.

The Message column highlights the following:

The resultant usage. For subtractive registers, this is the difference between this read and the prior read. For consumptive registers, this is the register reading.
The valid usage. This is the range of usage that won't trigger a high / low failure. These values are not shown if the read was not subject to high / low checks when it was added.
The valid readings. This is the range of readings that won't trigger a high / low failure. These values are not shown if the read was not subject to high / low checks when it was added. Note, these values are only calculated for subtractive registers as the valid usage is the same as the valid readings for consumptive registers.

The message column is red for those readings that have failed high / low checks.

Fastpath: Refer to High / Low Checks for more information.

Register Reading contains the dial reading.

The Previous Reading Information column contains information about the read that precedes this read (note, meter reads where Use on Bill is turned off are ignored). The reading's read type, read date, and register reading are displayed.

The Review High / Low switch indicates if this register read has been flagged for consideration by the high / low review background process ( TD-HILO). If a register read has been checked, you may reset the switch so that the register read is no longer considered for the high / low review background process.

Note: Marking a Read for High / Low Review. Only the system can mark a register read for high / low review. Refer to High / Low Checks for more information.

Register ID is the unique identifier of the register. This information is shown for informational purposes.

Register Reading Id is the unique identifier of the register read. This information is shown for informational purposes.

The Meter Reader Remark grid is used to define anomalies associated with the reading. For example, you can indicate if a read wasn't possible because there was a dangerous situation at the premise.

The Meter Read Remark Status is only relevant if a Meter Read Remark code has algorithms associated with it. Algorithms are associated with meter read remarks if additional activities should occur after a meter read with such a remark is added. For example, you could create a field activity if a "seals broken" remark is specified on a meter read. The execution of the algorithm is performed by a background process called MRRA (meter read remark algorithm activator). The Meter Read Remark Status indicates whether the algorithm has been executed:

When you add a remark that has an algorithm, the status will be Pending. It will remain in this state until the MRRA process next runs.
When the MRRA process next runs, if the system is successful in executing the algorithm, the status of the meter read remark will become Complete. If the system is not successful in executing the algorithm, the status becomes Error.
Note: Remarks that are in error. Meter reads that contain meter read remarks whose algorithms could not be successfully executed by the MRRA background process are written to the Meter Read Remark Exception table. To correct errors, you may have to delete and re-add the meter read's remark code if the error is impossible to fix (e.g., if the remark causes a customer contact to be generated and there is no customer at the meter's premise).

Fastpath: Refer to Meter Reader Remarks for more information.