Utility Billing

Utility Billing System Integration for ERPNext

Overview

The Utility Billing application provides a robust solution for managing utility billing processes within the ERPNext framework. This integration streamlines the billing lifecycle for utilities such as water, electricity, and sanitation, ensuring accurate billing.

Summary of Main Features:

1. Service Request Management:

   • Streamline handling of customer service requests related to utility issues, ensuring prompt responses and efficient resolutions.

2. Meter Reading:

   • Facilitate accurate meter reading processes for the collection and recording of consumption data, supporting billing accuracy and efficiency.

3. Flexible Tariff Structures:

   • Define and manage various tariff plans, allowing customization for different customer types and consumption levels to optimize billing accuracy.

4. Bulk Billing:

   • Enable bulk billing capabilities for processing multiple invoices at once, improving efficiency and reducing manual workload in the billing cycle.

Key Features

1. Setup

I. Utility Settings Go to the Utility Settings doctype to configure your utility provider details and settings.

II. Customer Groups: Use Customer Groups to categorize customers, enabling specific tariff setups for each group.

III. Price List and Item Prices

• Define Price List: Create a price list associated with the relevant Customer Group, specifying the pricing strategy for different utility services.

• Item Prices: Within the Item Prices doctype, configure the tariffs captured in the tariffs table. This ensures that each Customer Group has tailored pricing based on consumption patterns and service types.

2. Billing Management

Meter Reading

Utilize the Meter Reading doctype to record periodic meter readings for each customer.

Mass Billing

Process bulk invoices efficiently using Sales Orders. Generate a single invoice for each unique customer, improving efficiency and reducing manual workload in the billing cycle.

Doctypes

The Utility Billing application includes several key Doctypes essential for managing the utility billing process:

Core Doctypes

1. Utility Service Request

• Description: Manages initial service requests for utilities, capturing essential details about the customer and type of service. It includes customer type, request type, and geographic identifiers like territory.
• Key Fields:
  • Customer Name: The full name of the customer initiating the service request.
  • Customer Type: The type of customer (Company, Individual, or Partnership).
  • Request Type: Specific type of utility service requested, linked to the service type.
  • Date: Date of the request, shown in list view and filters.
  • Company: Company handling the request.
  • NRC/Passport No: Unique ID for identification (NRC or Passport number).
  • Tariff: Rate group associated with the customer.
  • Territory: Customer's territory for service allocation.
  • Utility Service Request Item: Childtable to record the request services.

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2. Meter Reading

• Description: Documents meter readings, linking them to utility requests and customer data. Supports periodic data capture for utility billing.
• Key Fields:
  • Customer: Reference to the customer account for which the meter reading is recorded.
  • Date: Reading date for data accuracy and billing cycle linkage.
  • Price List: Helps identify and calculate tariff rates.
  • Meter Reading Item: Childtable to record the meter readings.
  • Rates: Associated rates for this reading, drawn from applicable tariffs and meter reading items table.

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3. Utility Billing Settings

• Description: Configures the default operational settings for the utility billing system, including invoice options and notification configurations.
• Key Fields:
  • Sales Order Creation State: Defines whether a sales order is in 'Draft' or 'Submitted' state by default.
  • Individual Invoices for Multiple Sales Orders: Checkbox setting for managing how invoices are generated per sales order.

Customizations

1. Sales Order & Sales Invoice

• Rates (Sales Order Meter Reading & Sales Invoice Meter Reading) child tables to track and calculate charges based on the meter readings associated with each sales order.
• Block field to link each item in the items child tables to a specific tariff block.

2. Item

• Is Utility Item (is_utility_item) to identify items that should be processed as utility-related.

3. Item Price

• Is Fixed Meter Charge - When checked, this field indicates that the item has a fixed rate, and the rate applies as a static charge regardless of the meter readings.

Manual/Self-Hosted Installation

1. Install bench

2. Install ERPNext

3. Once bench and ERPNext are installed, add utility-billing to your bench by running:

$  bench  get-app  --branch  {branch-name}  https://github.com/navariltd/utility-billing.git

Replace {branch-name} with the desired branch name from the repository. Ensure compatibility with your installed versions of Frappe and ERPNext.

4. Install the utility-billing app on your site by running:

$  bench  --site  {sitename}  install-app  utility-billing

Replace {sitename} with the name of your site.

Frappe Cloud Installation

• Sign up with Frappe Cloud.

• Setup a bench.

• Create a new site.

• Choose Frappe Version-14/Version-15 or above, and select ERPNext, and Burundi Compliance from the available Apps to Install.

• Within minutes, the site will be up and running with a fresh install, ready to explore the app's simple and impressive features.

If assistance is needed to get started, reach out for consultation and support from: Navari.

License

GNU General Public License (v3). See [license.txt](https://github.com/navariltd/utility-billing/blob/master/license.txt) for more information.