Meter readings

Before you start#

A reading can only be recorded when the meter exists and is attached to the room.

• The meter is created in Settings → Operations setup → Finance → Meters. See Meters.
• The metered service (electricity, water) exists and is attached to the lease. See Services.
• You have permission to read and create meter readings. See Roles.

Enter readings before generating the cycle's invoices. An invoice line for a metered service cannot be saved without a reading selected, so a missing reading blocks the whole invoice.

Recording the cycle#

1. Open the meter readings screen

   Go to Finance → Meter readings. The screen opens on the current month; change the month selector if you are entering a past cycle.

2. Filter to one building

   Filter by building, and by floor if the building is large. Entering a whole building in one pass is faster and makes a missing room obvious.

3. Enter the new index for each meter

   For each room the screen shows the previous index. Enter the index you read on the device.

   Consumption is calculated as new index − previous index, then priced by the service unit price, applying usage tiers when the service has them.

4. Check the outliers before saving

   • A new index lower than the previous one is almost always a typo, or a replaced meter.
   • Consumption far above the room's normal range is worth checking on site before it is billed.
   • A room with no reading entered will block its invoice later.

5. Save, and approve if approval is on

   Save the batch. If automatic approval of meter readings is turned off in General settings, the readings stay pending until someone with the approve permission confirms them.

Replacing a meter#

Do not overwrite the old meter with the new device's number: the next reading would be billed as if the difference were consumption.

1. Close the old meter

   Record the final index on the old meter and deactivate it.

2. Create the new meter

   Create it in Settings → Operations setup → Finance → Meters with its own opening index and attach it to the same room.

3. Verify the first invoice

   Check that the first invoice after replacement charges only the consumption since installation.

Shared meters#

Where one meter serves several rooms, decide the split rule before the first invoice: evenly, by number of occupants, or by a fixed ratio.

Changing the split rule later does not recalculate invoices that have already been issued. Those have to be corrected with an adjustment line.