This article is an overview of the utility billing process. Throughout the article you will find hyperlinks that will break down into more detail whatever concept you may be stuck on.
Overview
In this article you will learn the utility service setup, how to enter meter readings, how to simulate and apply charges, creating bills, and printing bills. The utility dashboard is found by going to dashboards, utility meters. The top of the screen shows you the steps in order for the utility process. The bottom portion has a lift of functions he assist you manage the account. The process begins by going through the 5 steps, then go to the utility billing to charge and print bills. Below is a detailed step by step process to more easily understand.
Setup Items for a smooth billing
1. SERVICES - Make sure your parcels have the proper services on them. PIDN home page / view Utility Services. Services need to be Active, with the correct Cycle assigned. On Water Service, enter Sewer as the Tied Service. Water Service Ask Reading field equals True. Assign a Tax Code to the services you charge tax. Most parcels would have a water, sewer and trash service.
2. Set Route / Sequence Order- Make sure your route and sequence numbers are in the order you want for your meter reading entry. Dashboard Utility Meters / Route Sequence Order.
3. Set your AMR Company- If you use a Meter Reading Device pick your brand. Settings / Organization.
4. Rate Schedule – This is the math. You must setup your rate tiers for each rate (example water residential and water commercial if the rates are different amounts) so the system can calculate the charge. Rates Schedules can be copied each year but you must have your tiers for each year or the system will calculate a zero charge. Click Settings / Rates / Rate Schedules.
5. Rate Code – Anything you want to charge for must have a rate code. Water starts with W. Sewer starts with S. Trash starts with T. Taxes start with X. A rate code is the same thing as a “service” that you assign on a parcel back in STEP 1 on this page. Click Settings / Rates / Rate Code
Utility Service Setup
Click here to watch our training video on utility service setup
Various services can be added to an account within iGov services. Navigate here by going to the desired PIDN homepage, view, and click utility services. The most common services are water, sewage, and trash. To add a service:
1. Trancode - Select the desired trancode
2. Cycle - Select the cycle you wish the account to be charged. This is how often the system is told to bill an account for the service you are creating.
Click here to watch a training video on how to set up Cycles
3. Status - Status must be active. If otherwise, the account will not be billed.
4. Service Number - Service numbers must be unique so that the system can identify what service to charge. If you have multiple water service charged, they must be identified with different service numbers.
5. Pass Readings to Tied Service - This field tells the system where to pass usage over so that it reads properly. Example: Water usage is often tied to sewer so that the system knows how much water was used.
6. Utility Tax 1 - Assign an tax to the service if necessary.
7. Utility Tax 2 - You have the capability to add another tax if needed.
8. Do you Enter Reading on this Service? - Select yes or no depending on if the service required readings.
9. Click "Add Service". You can add multiple services on one account.
Enter Meter Readings
Click here to watch our 'How to Enter Meter Reading' training video
This step focuses on the top 3 steps in the meter reading process (Dashboards, utility meters, meter reading process steps 1, 2, and 3). This portion is dedicated to meter reading.
1. Reset New Readings Field - Instructions are provided on this page. This step allows you to begin a new reading.
a. Select the status
b. Select the cycle
c. Submit
2. Export/Import/Print Routes - Choose status and cycle to see all services under those qualifications. Notice Read Date and New Read are blank for the new read to be entered.
a. Export to AMR allows you to export readings to the device the organization chooses. This would be in a excel file format that they can customize themselves.
b. Import to AMR brings the readings back into iGov when done.
3. Enter/Edit Meter Readings - Choose status and cycle to see all records that qualify.
a. Notice new reads are filled into what were blank spaces.
b. If necessary enter New Readings and use the 'tab' button to go through the other fields.
c. Change re-read to 'true' so that the mobile employees are notified to re-read a meter. Otherwise keep 'false' entered.
Simulate and Apply Charges
Click here to watch our 'How to Simulate and Apply Charges to a Utility Bill' training video
This section will focus on the 4th and 5th steps on the meter reading process. Here is where we will create and simulate charges.
1. Pass Readings to Sewer - This step is optional if you are not passing water readings through a sewer service.
a. Pick status and cycle to display records.
b. Press 'Pass Reading/Usage to Sewer Service'
c. Press Excel Edit List to check for errors
d. Press to simulate charges to push to step 5.
2. Simulate Charges - Follow steps displayed. Use meter reading entered and calculate proper charges.
a. Fill all fields in Simulate Bulk Utility Charge, preview
b. Below will be displayed a preview of the charges.
c. If charges are correct we can move to the final step by clicking 'Finalize and Move Charges to Accounts'.
d. The screen will reset. Charges that have been added can now be seen on the current charges page. To navigate here: search the account you are working in, click the PIDN, view, current charges.
Creating Bills
Click here to watch our 'How to Create Utility Bills' training video
In this step we will learn how to fill out and create bills for utilities.
1. Dashboard, billing. The actions above are to be done in order, it is important to remember that for this specific process the 'bulk charges' step was done during the meter reading charges when you ran the simulate charges steps.
a. Step 1 - In this step we find what charges we want.
i. Create Bill - select that you are doing a utility bill.
ii. Fill in the imformation to properly create your bills. There are links on the screen that can assist you in how to enter the information. Use the dates that you put on all of the charges created in the 'apply charges' stage. This will qualify the all charges that matches the date you enter.
iii. Leave the PIDN field blank to do a bulk charge. If you are looking to only do one charge enter the PIDN.
Click here for a better understanding on how to create a single utility bill
b. Step 2 - the information entered here will show up on your physical bill.
i. Enter the bill template as Utility Bill Statement, the Pay Thru Date, Past Due Date, and the rate that will be charged if bills are paid past the due date.
ii. The message file only has a maximum of 50 characters. This is because it needs to be able to fit on a post card.
iii. Submit. Below you will find the Prebill Data that shows you what you are about to charge.
iv. Create invoice
Printing Bills
Click here to watch our 'How to Print Utility Bills' training video
In this portion of the utility billing process we will go over the billing dashboard, filling out the print bill screen, and printing bills.
1. Navigate to dashboards, billing. Now you are in the billing dashboard. Like before, the steps at the top of the screen should be followed in order, however, we are on the 'print bills' step. Select that button.
a. Select the batch # that you are working on. Then select the sort order. Hit submit.
b. Below you will see the bills that we have created in previous steps. There are options available to you for deliver. For electronic delivery of your bills you may use the export bills button. Email notifications will break your bills into groups of 600, and will send out an email notification to the taxpayer that their bill is ready. The print all button will print all bills selected, again in groups of 600.
Special Circumstances
1. Meter Changeout – Click Dashboard / Utility Meters / Meter Changeout. Fill out the ending and new meter information. The system adds the used usage onto the new meter for the next bill.
2. Enter a Deposit – Make sure you have a rate code for a deposit charge. Add a Deposit charge to the parcel and receive the payment. When you want to give the deposit back to the customer, you do a Credit Memo and ADD the amount to the account as a credit. Then you can apply it against the final bill.
3. Final and Move Out – Click Dashboard / Utility Meters / Final Move Out. Enter the PIDN and Final date. Then go to the Meter Reading List, select FINAL and the cycle. This will display any Final accounts to go get a reading for. Remember to push the RESET button once per month. When you get the reading back, go to the Click Dashboard / Utility Meters / Meter Reading select Final and cycle and enter your reading. Then perform step 2 in Non Metered Match and step 3 in Simulate charges to apply the charges to the parcel. After you apply the charges, the parcel status will change to Move Out. Last go to the Dashboard / Billing / Create Bill and Print Bill Steps for that single PIDN. You are basically doing the normal reading / billing process but selecting only the Final status account.
4. Move In – Clicking Dashboard / Utility Meters / Move In will allow you to create or search for an existing Customer. Then Search for an existing Location or add a new one. Then create the New PIDN for the new record. Edit the new parcel for any data you want to change. Make sure it has the correct Route and Sequence. Make sure it has the correct services, click View / Utility Services on the parcel. If you have a meter reading device, make sure you enter the specific data for your reader. You may need to go to Dashboard / Utility Meters / Assigned Service Meters to access fields like serial numbers, handheld types, etc. The account will be included in the next reading process.
Reporting
1. Collection Dashboard – Has multiple reports and graphs with drill down detail about all payment data. Remember you must FINALIZE your payment sessions so the data shows up on these reports. Run the Deposit Distribution for a recap of the monthly deposit data organized by categories such as Water, Sewer, Trash and Tax.
2. Billing Dashboard – The applied charges report will display your billing AR data for accounting. The Fiscal YTD report is great for auditors displaying the outstanding amounts on a given day.
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