The next issue will mark the completion of one full year of publishing the Utility Information Pipeline. In looking back on the past year, and realizing that the last issue for the year won’t arrive…
The Edmunds GovTech Blog
Year: 2011
In my experience, most utilities review their rates regularly – in many cases, every year. While they may not conduct a full rate study each year, utilities that review their rates annually are best prepared…
The last Utility Information Pipeline dealt with the difference between billing in thousands of gallons and gallons. After analyzing billing in both units, I concluded, “If you’re billing in thousands and considering changing to gallons,…
Utility Information Pipeline #20 dealt with meter reading best practices. So what if your utility can’t afford the move to automated meter reading and you’re trying to cut costs? Every now and again I encounter…
Last week I had an interesting conversation with a customer who was dealing with an irate customer of hers who had taken his complaint before the board. It seems that this gentleman was upset because…
If you’ve read past issues of this newsletter, it should be obvious by now that I firmly believe utilities should accept credit cards. If you missed them, please see Issue #4 or Issue #7 for past discussions about accepting…
Some utilities wait for their annual audit to be complete and then adjust their accounts receivable based on the auditor’s adjusting entries. Their general ledger accounts receivable balances then remain static for the next twelve…
Many utilities are moving to automated meter reading systems such as drive-by and fixed base reading, but most still use handheld meter reading devices. If your utility is still using handhelds, this issue will examine…
Do you send second notices to delinquent customers? If your answer is “Yes”, do you have a statutory requirement that requires you to send a second notice to accounts before you cut them off for…
Do you offer bank drafting to your customers as a way of paying their bill each month? If your answer is “No”, my next question is “Why not???”. If you don’t offer bank drafts, you…