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Defining Utility Accounts

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  rev. 2014-09-12        

Select either a Facility or an Account node in the Facility Tree to Add or Edit a Utility Account.  Each Account Definition includes links to a Utility Provider and a Tariff.

 

                                                            A good practice for Account Naming is to embed the facility code and Account Number in the name; e.g. one account for Facility 0016 could be 0016 45164-45-4562.  We advise to not imply a utility type in the account name (e.g. do not name an account 0016 ELE  45164-45-4562).  Some utilities supply and invoice more than one utility type under a single account, so this could create confusion.

 

Account Basic Settings

Description

Account Name

A user-defined descriptive name for the account.  Does not need to be unique.

Account Number

Used by the Utility Provider.  This is the identifying code used to identify and place incoming invoices.

Utility Provider

Pick from a list of pre-defined Utility Providers.  The list consists of standard providers provided within ManagingEnergy and any user-defined providers.  User-defined Utility Providers are specific to the Portfolio they are created in.

Utility Tariff

Utilities have more than one standard rate plan, depending on the size and profile of the load, or on customer preference.  The available rate plans, or Tariffs, are available from a pull-down.

 

Tariffs are listed that have been set up for the Utility Provider selected in the above drop down list.  If the drop down is blank then Utility Tariffs need to be created under the Utility Provider Button when a Portfolio is selected.

 

 

                                                                Changing Account Number.  Utility companies often change the number on an existing account for their own internal purposes.  MEC uses the account number as the primary link to invoices, so if you change the account number or create a new account to hold future invoices, you will lose the link from the old account number to the new one.  This might not be a problem for you, but normally you will want reporting continuity through the change.  To handle the situation, leave the account number alone and create an alternate identifier on the account containing the new account number.  Spreadsheet import or web service data transfers will then understand that both the old and new account numbers are associated with the same account.  Any number of account number changes can be handled this way.

 

 

                                    Standard Notation for Account Numbers

Account numbers typically include unnecessary characters, including leading zeros, spaces, and dashes.  The Account Numbers on incoming invoice records have to match Utility Account Numbers exactly, otherwise the invoices will not be correctly identified.

It is sometimes, but not always, advisable to remove those characters when defining Utility Accounts and entering Utility Invoices.

Option 1 - Include All Unnecessary Characters - Incoming electronic invoice records will match account numbers without modification, but there will be more keystrokes required for each manually-entered invoice.  Account numbers displayed in the user interface will more closely match the invoice.

Option 2 - Remove Unnecessary Characters - Save keystrokes on manual entry.  Incoming electronic invoice records will not match without modification.

You will want to pick one of the two approaches as a standard and stick with it for all accounts and invoices.  Invoice mismatch under Option 2 really only becomes a concern where users are collecting invoice records into spreadsheets and importing the spreadsheets as batches.  Where Managing Energy Inc. is providing a custom integration with another information system, account numbers can be interpreted and matched automatically during transfer.

 

Related Topics

Invoice Validation

Defining a Meter

 



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