Using Average Meter Readings

There may be times when it is not practical to obtain meter readings from the field. Adverse weather conditions may make it impossible to read some or all of the meters in your district. If this happens, you can use the Readings, Average option in the main menu to have WBAR create a meter reading file for you based on the average use at each location.

Average meter readings will be created in the meter reading collection file just as if they had been entered from the keyboard or imported from a hand held. The only difference is that the current reading will be created from the formula ....previous reading  + average usage =  current reading. 

For example, if the previous reading was 125,000 and the average usage is 1850, the current reading would be set to 126,850 and the account would be billed for 1,850 gallons.

WBAR allows you to select a range of accounts to average. Each time you select a range of accounts, an average reading is created in the meter reading collection file for each account with the range chosen. Any existing meter readings remain in the collection file. In this way, you may average some of your accounts while taking readings for those you can actually read. If you begin entering meter readings and then decide to use average readings instead, you can use the Readings, Delete All option to clear the meter reading collection file before you add the average readings. (See Clearing Meter Collection File.)

You may also edit the combination of average and "real" readings prior to updating. "Real" meter readings would be those either collected from the field by hand held device of entered from the keyboard.

If you start with an average reading and then realize that you can actually read the meter, you can edit the reading and enter the correct information.

Using average meter readings may require that you adjust meter reading in the following month. This is because the meter usage estimated may be greater or less than the amount that was actually used. In the month following the use of Averaged readings, the estimated reading created by the Reading, Average option will roll over and appear as the previous reading. You may reinstate the correct reading and usage at that time by entering the current meter reading and allowing that the estimate was consumed as a part of the current reading or by adjusting the previous reading to reflect that the estimate was over the amount actually used. In this way, you can set your meters back to the correct values for normal meter reading to resume.