A simple guide to processing Meter Reads in RMS.

Overview

Utility Meters allow users to record meter readings and apply utility charges to an Area.

Meters can be configured for individual utility accounts, such as Electricity, Gas, or Water, with the option to generate meter reading charges on the Accommodation Account.

Meter Processing is a tool used to enter meter readings and apply the corresponding charges to the Reservation Accounts.

Important! Meter Reads can be entered and saved to process at a later date. The Current Read Date cannot be a future date.

Please Note! RMS is highly configurable. Some Terminology, User Access & Permissions, Images, Labels, and Functions used in these articles may differ from your setup. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Contents

This article is 1 in a series of 7

• How to Set Up Utility Meters in RMS
• How to Set Up Meter Rates for Utility Charges
• How to Set Up Meter Activation for the First Time
• How to Change the Meter Read Sequence
• How to Update the Meter Previous Read Date
• How to Process Meter Reads
• How to Import Meter Reads via Meter Processing

Processing Meter Reads

Meter Reads can be processed on mobile, tablet or desktop, including printing or emailing Utility Statements.

Important! Check in the booking before processing its meter read. Meter Processing links a read to a reservation account only after the booking is checked in. Until then, the Area shows Acc No 0 and its Utility Statement cannot be printed.

In the side menu of RMS, go to Utilities > Meter Processing > Utility Type.

1. Select a View (Show All Areas or Show In House).
   (Optional) Select a Property.
   (Optional) Select a Category.
   (Optional) Select a Rate Type.
2. Select Refresh.
   
   
   (Optional) Select the Current Read Date and press Enter on the keyboard.
   Date will default to current calendar date.
3. Enter the Current Meter Read.
4. Select Process.
   
    
5. Select the 'Apply' icon to complete the meter processing.
   
    

Meter Processing Shows Account No 0 or Print Statement Fails

Meter Processing shows Acc No 0 and no guest name for an Area when the booking on that Area has not been checked in. Printing the Utility Statement for that row then fails with the error "Letter History: You must supply a Valid Id. Either Res, Client, Dwelling, Agent Or Company", and the statement shows Account No 0 and Reservation No 0.

The View setting changes which Areas appear on the Reading List:

• Show All Areas lists every Area with an active meter, including Areas with no checked-in booking.
• Show In House lists only Areas with a checked-in booking.

To process the read correctly:

1. Check in the booking. See Reservation Check-in. RMS asks "Are You Sure You Want To Check In?". Select Yes.
2. Go to Utilities > Meter Processing > Utility Type and select Refresh.
3. Confirm the Area now shows the guest name and an Acc No, then enter the Current Meter Read and select Process.

Please Note! The booking also needs an Area allocated. If the booking has no Area, RMS warns that the reservation could not be checked in because no Area is allocated to it, and asks whether to proceed. Allocate an Area first.

Important! A read processed before check-in is still saved: the Previous Read and the Previous Read Date move forward to the processed read. After checking in the booking, review the Previous Read for the Area and, if it is wrong, correct it using How to Update the Meter Previous Read Date.

If another reservation on the same Area is still in Arrived status, for example an earlier booking that was not checked out, Meter Processing can post the charge to that reservation instead of the current one. To correct this:

1. Void the charge on that reservation account. See Incorrectly Processed Meter Read.
2. Check out the earlier reservation and check in the current one.
3. If the Previous Read or Previous Read Date is wrong, correct it. See How to Update the Meter Previous Read Date.
4. Process the meter read again.

Importing Meter Reads

If you record meter readings externally (for example, in a spreadsheet), you can import them in bulk using a two-column CSV file rather than entering each reading manually. This populates the Current Read values on the Reading List so you can then process them as normal.

For the full guide, including the required CSV format and step-by-step import instructions, see Meter Processing Read Import.

Please Note! The Meter Processing Read Import is for ongoing meter read entry only. To set up meters for the first time or migrate historical data, use the Meter Reading Import instead.

Tips & Tricks

• The Advanced Filter options can be used to display a list of Areas matching the selected date range.
• Use the 'Tab' key on the keyboard to quickly navigate to the next field when entering the Current Read on a desktop.
• Changing the Current Read Date will give the option to apply the new date to all Areas on the Reading List.
  

Utility Statements

Utility Statements are available for Utility Meters to provide a summary of utility charges. After processing the meter read, a Utility Statement can be either printed or emailed.

The Print Statement option generates the Utility Statement on-screen, allowing the user to view, export, or print it.

When printing from the Meter Processing screen, you can only print or email the most recent statement created.

The Email Statement option sends the Utility Statement directly to the email address associated with the Guest Profile.

Previous article: How to Update the Meter Previous Read Date

Next article: How to Import Meter Reads via Meter Processing