Entering Meter Readings from Keyboard

Entering Meter Readings from Keyboard

WBAR makes the process of entering and tracking meter readings easy by allowing you to create meter readings at any time and in several ways. You can enter meter reading data through the keyboard or through importing from a hand held meter reading device. For those times when you cannot actually read meters, you can also generate meter readings automatically based on the average usage of the customer.

It is not necessary to enter meter readings in order to bill accounts with WBAR. In some districts, flat rate billing is done without meter readings. In other districts, customers read their own meters and the district only audits the readings throughout the year. WBAR can bill these types of accounts as well.

If meter readings are entered, WBAR will automatically calculate the correct usage from the readings you enter. It can also calculate roll over meters and can warn you when the usage is higher or lower than normal.

Meter readings are collected in a temporary file which can be edited at any time. You may enter meter readings in any order and then print them out in sorted order or in the order they were entered. Meter readings may be added, deleted or edited prior to updating and are permanently stored in a meter reading history file.

To enter meter readings from the keyboard, click on Readings, Enter New Readings from the main menu. This screen will appear.

Begin by selecting the account you want to start entering meter readings for. The Select Starting Account drop down list will show all of the accounts that are coded to be billed for water service.

Initially, WBAR will filter out any accounts that are not either an A or F status (active accounts). If you want to be able to enter meter readings for accounts with other statuses, click on the Include Inactives checkbox.

If your district normally enters meter readings in increments of 100, 1000 or 10,000 gallons units, you can set the reading multiplier to automatically add zeros to the end of each reading. This would allow you to enter only a few digits of the reading and have WBAR complete the entry for you. For example, setting the multiplier to 100 would add two zeros to the end of the meter readings.

As you type meter readings into the Current field, WBAR compares the reading entered to the account's Previous reading and calculates the usage. If the Current reading is less than the Previous, it indicates a rollover situation and displays the rollover indicator. You are then asked to confirm the entry.

WBAR allows meter reading notes to be entered at the same time the reading is put in. To enter a meter reading note, click on the Reading Notes button. You can then add an additional comment or explanation to the reading which can be read when meter readings are edited. If you want WBAR to flag an account for later review, click on the Flag checkbox.

As each meter reading is entered, WBAR advances to the next account in the customer file requiring a meter reading. You may stop entering and move to a new starting point by clicking on the New Start Point button. If you want to simply skip over the account and not enter a reading, click on the Skip button. WBAR shows the number of readings entered into the temporary collection file and also shows that last account to have a meter reading entered. You may close the meter reading entry form and return at a later time to continue entering readings.

Note on Master and Slave Setups

WBAR can process Master and Slave relationships between meters. A Master/Slave relationship is when a large meter is used to record all flow and then several smaller meters are used to bill usage at different locations. The slave meters must produce separate bills and the master meter must subtract the usage of the slave before creating its bill. Master/Slave codes must be entered into the customer accounts affected for Master and Slave processing to work. (See Master and Slave Accounts)

After you have entered all of the meter readings, you will want to print out a report using one of the options found in Readings, View Print. You can use the report to find missing or inaccurate readings within the file.

If you need to change or delete a reading, go to Readings, Edit (See Editing Meter Readings). You may add, delete, or edit meter readings until the file contains all of the correct reading data.

Remeber, meter reading data is not applied to the customer accounts until you update the file using the Update option in the Readings menu.