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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Functions Of Utility Billing Systems In A Company

By Nancy Gardner


service invoicing software calculates water, energy or sewer revenues owed by the company based on the usage of these services. Automated system has many benefits over manual meter reading both to their customers and the utility itself. This utility billing systems has reduced the physical movement of suppliers to move from their stations to the location of meters and other data recording devices to take their reading.

The existence of a way to automate billing to their clients has saved the utilities costs on having to employ more personnel to read meters which are located in remote and dangerous areas. It has minimized the risk exposure of the company to injuries of its employees and liabilities caused to customers.

Automated indicator reading saves costs on the utility customer call center. These centers receive numerous calls each day. Some customers would like to confirm their bills and others may have disputes about the amount stated in their bills. The volumes of calls to the center increase when the customer is not satisfied. If this utility adopts a utility invoicing software that suits its characteristics, it is able to reduce the volume of calls.

Automatic meter reading, on the other hand, can be done remotely without necessarily going to the customer meter. Automatic meter readers are generally regarded to as any system that makes it possible to read the meters at a distance of one hundred meters or more.

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 billing software specifically tailored for the function is a move towards improving the overall operations. To determine the potential benefits of automated billing software there needs to be a deep understanding of the operating characteristics of the utility. The utility provider should identify aspects of automation that will benefit them.

Collection of revenues and customer payments can be managed by a strong service billing software. After the invoices and bills have been delivered to their clients, the software will offer several options for managing how the user will pay for the services rendered. Utility invoicing software will track all customers with outstanding debts and automatically charge them the penalties for late payments and even print out emails issuing notices to them.

There may be a utility invoicing software which will give your customers an option to pay online which is a huge advantage. The customers will have to register on an online portal where they will have to log in with the necessary information and allow them to pay their bills online.

Automated billing software can also reduce the costs associated with re billing the accounts that are disputed. This is because the automated meter readings are highly efficient and accurate.




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