Monday 31 August 2015

Features Of Utility Bill Software

By Daphne Bowen


Services provided by public utilities to the public are commonly termed as utilities. These services include provision of water, gas and garbage collection. Due to the necessity of these services offered by such companies, most governments put regulations on the amount of charges to be paid by consumers. This protects the public from extortion and makes sure that they can afford such vital services. Due to the large number of consumers that the companies have to provide services to, the process of billing can be tedious and complicated. Therefore, the introduction of utility bill software was a welcome advancement. The objective of automated system is to ensure that a proper track of consumption of the products or services is maintained. These companies are expected to provide clean water, gas and energy while protecting their revenue source.

One of the benefits of adopting an automated system is the improvement in the management of customer accounts. By the push of a button, the company personnel can track the usage of a product or service and even view the history of a customer. It is easier to manage the consumers in that, those who are having debts can be fined and penalties can be charged automatically. Besides, alerts and notices can be sent to the consumers through their emails and therefore reduce the customer response times.

Installing a utility bill program ensures that the customers receive a detailed statement showing their actual usage and the rates used to charge them. This has significantly reduced the amount of complaints lodged by the customers as a result of inaccurate readings if the meters were read manually.

Automation has made it possible for customers to access their bills instantly and hence more time to prepare for the payment. They are able to access all these through specialized online portals. Good automated systems may even have links for websites where the customer can make the payments.

Automated billing system has made handling of meter changes manageable by the utility companies. Some of the customers may change their residential households from time to time thereby prompting the change in meter numbers. Using an automated system allows the utility company to integrate the new and old meter bills into one bill.

In this way, the repetitive tasks can be automated. The workers are able to concentrate on other issues in the company. The company also saves money because most of the activities will be carried out by the software, hence fewer employees.

When determining the type of automated system to adopt in the operations of the company, the amount of cash flows should be considered. Most of these companies bill their customers monthly or quarterly.

It is clear that adoption of a utility billing software can benefit the firm and the consumers. Consumers benefit from timely services and constant access to their accounts while the company benefits from reduced operation costs.




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