Table of Contents

Set up and manage meter points

Important

Draft documentation
This content is a draft version of the SkyBill documentation and is subject to final review. Some information may be incomplete or inaccurate. Features, terminology, and procedures may change before the official release.

A meter point is the physical connection where services like electricity, water, or heat are delivered to a property. Each meter point has a unique identifier that distinguishes it from other meter points in the system.

You can think of a meter point as a pipe or connection through which the utility flows. While you can replace meters at the meter point over time, the meter point itself remains constant. It defines the location where consumption is measured rather than the measuring device itself.

The primary purpose of meter points is to enable meter replacement without affecting the supply address or the customer's contract. When you replace a meter, the new meter is linked to the same meter point, ensuring continuity in consumption tracking and billing. In most cases, there is only one meter at a meter point.

The meter point concept is essential, especially for electric utilities. They operate in a competitive market where customers can change electricity suppliers. To make this possible, every supply point has a unique identifier that remains constant regardless of which supplier provides the energy. This identifier, often known as a Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) in the United Kingdom or by similar names in other countries, is managed by an official registry. These organizations maintain a centralized database of all supply points within the network. When a customer switches suppliers, the registry ensures that the new supplier can take over the correct meter point without physical intervention or data loss. This structure ensures uninterrupted energy delivery and guarantees that both suppliers and distributors refer to the same metering location.

To create a new meter point

  1. Select Search (Alt+Q) Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature. in the upper-right corner, enter Meter Points, and then choose the related link.
  2. Select New to create a new meter point.
  3. On the Meter Point page, fill in the fields as necessary. Hover over a field to read a short description. The following table describes some of the key fields on the General FastTab.
Field Description
Supply Address No. Select the supply address where this meter point is located. This field is mandatory.
Type Select the type of utility that this meter point measures, such as electricity, gas, water, and so on. This field is mandatory.
Bulk Meter Point No. This field displays the bulk meter's point number if the meter point is a submeter linked to a bulk meter. By entering this number, you establish the relationship between the submeter and the bulk meter.

You can check the history and readings for both the meter point and the meter in the same way. To learn more, go to the Review meter point history and readings.

To install a meter at a meter point

  1. Select Search (Alt+Q) Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature. in the upper-right corner, enter Meter Points, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the Meter Point page, choose the Meters action.
  3. On the Meter Point Meters page, select the Install Meter action.
  4. On the Change Meter Wizard page, in the Meter No. field, choose the meter that you want to install at this meter point. When you open the list of meters, you see only meters that are not currently installed.
  5. In the Installation Date field, enter the date when the meter was installed at this meter point.
  6. In the Reading on installation field, enter the reading that was displayed on the meter at the time of installation. In some cases, a new meter may already show a small initial reading above zero. This happens because meters are typically tested and calibrated before installation, and those factory or lab tests can record a minimal amount of consumption.
  7. Select Finish to install the meter.

To remove a meter from a meter point

  1. Select Search (Alt+Q) Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature. in the upper-right corner, enter Meter Points, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the Meter Point page, choose the Meters action, and then select the Remove Meter action on the Meter Point Meters page.
  3. On the Change Meter Wizard page, enter the date of the meter removal in the Change Date field, which can be a past, current, or future date depending on when the change takes effect.
  4. In the Reading on change field, enter the reading that was displayed on the meter at the time of removal.
  5. Select Finish to remove the meter.
Note

After you remove a meter from a meter point, the meter is no longer associated with that meter point, but you can still see the special record associated with the meter in the Meter Change Log. To learn more, go to the To review meter installation and replacement history section.

To replace a meter with another meter

You can remove a meter from a meter point and install a new meter in a single process.

  1. Select Search (Alt+Q) Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature. in the upper-right corner, enter Meter Points, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the Meter Point page, choose the Meters action, and then select the Replace Meter action on the Meter Point Meters page.
  3. On the Change Meter Wizard page, in the Change Date field, enter the date of the meter replacement.
  4. In the Reading on change field, enter the reading that was displayed on the old meter at the time of replacement, and then choose Next.
  5. On the next page, enter the relevant information about the new meter and finalize the replacement by selecting Finish.

To review meter installation and replacement history

  1. Select Search (Alt+Q) Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature. in the upper-right corner, enter Meter Points, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the Meter Point page, select the Meter Change Log action.
  3. On the Meter Change Log page, view information about the installation and replacement dates, as well as the current supply address. The following table describes the fields.
Field Description
Meter Point No. Displays the meter point where the meter is installed.
Old Meter No. If the meter was replaced, this field displays the previous meter that was installed at this meter point.
Old Meter Serial No. Displays the serial number of the previous meter that was replaced.
New Meter No. Displays the SkyBill's unique identifier for the meter that is currently installed at this meter point.
New Meter Serial No. Displays the serial number of the currently installed meter.
Actions Date Displays the date the meter installation or replacement occurred.
Customer No. [Add description]
Supply Address No. Displays the supply address associated with this meter point.
Meter Installed Backward [Add description]
Note

The entries differ depending on whether the meter was installed, replaced, or removed. When a meter is installed, the Old Meter No. and Old Meter Serial No. fields are empty. When a meter is removed, the New Meter No. field is empty. When a meter is replaced, all three fields are filled in.

Design details
Create and manage supply addresses
Create meters and validate meter data
Create utility contracts
Landlords and tenants
Work with Business Central

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