Frequently
Asked Questions
Utility
Billing
Click on one of the questions below to find the answer.
Our “IN Process Amounts” are disappearing after Clean Up Database ran in Night Process, Why?
WARNING! – If you do not follow these steps exactly, you could lose important data.
Cleanup Database clears all in process amounts and reads the Utility Billing packets and Point of Sale sessions to rebuild the in process amounts. The cleanup database was not reading the Point of Sales sessions to rebuild the in process amounts.
To fix this from the Utility Billing main menu select option 8 “Office Manager” and press enter.
Once in the Office Manager menu select option 1 “Client Parameters” and press enter.
Once in the Client Parameters menu select option 1 “Names and Addresses and press enter.
Type a "U" when the "Functions" selection screen is displayed. The “System Name and Address” screen will display and you will see the following fields:
The Number field - This is assigned by TVA and is 3 digits or left blank if TVA has not assigned you a number.
The Name field – This field is the name of your site and it will also print on every report.
The Address field - This field is your street address the next field is for your city and state.
The City/ST field – This field is your city, state.
The Zip field – This is your zip code
The Display Name field – This field is name you want to be displayed at the top left hand corner of every screen.
The
Business Phone field – This field is your business phone number.
The
After Hour Phone field – This field is you’re after hours phone number
where Zortec personnel and customers can reach your site after normal business
hours.
The Site Specific Abbr field – This field is an abbreviation of your site assigned by Zortec personnel and MUST Not be changed for it will affect you data.
The G/L Division field – This field identifies the division set up in general ledger system to track and post your utility’s financial transactions.
The Display Frequency field – This field is the number of records that will be processed before the display changes. This field is usually set to 100 so that every 100th record number looked at by the system will be displayed.
The
Current Fiscal Year field – This field is set up as the fiscal year in
General Ledger module. Since the two
modules communicate with each other the fiscal years need to match.
The Pos Application Code field – This field should have UB in this field so that Cleanup Database starts reading the Point of Sale sessions.
The
field you want to update is the “Pos Application Code”.
It is probably blank or has the wrong code in the field. Type in UB
and then press your F8 key making sure that at the bottom of the screen it
displays “Message: Record has been Updated”
What step do we need to run before Calendar Year End?
WARNING! – If you do not follow these steps exactly, you could lose important data.
From
the Utility Main menu select option 10 "Period-End Process" and
press enter. Once in the Period End Process menu select option 7 "Calendar
Year-End Process". This option will keep you from getting that
error message that
UBREAD and UBTRAN files do not exist for the
New Year.
Below
is an example of the screen. In the field “Create empty transaction files
for year” enter the 2 digit year (2005 would be 05).
Warning: Use
Caution when using this option for it will create EMPTY “Ubread and Ubtran”
for the calendar you enter in the field.
My customer’s balance has changed since sending my ACH file to the bank what do I do?
WARNING! – If you do not follow these steps exactly, you could lose important data.
If
the customer’s balance change in between the time that the billing is updated
and the ACH file is sent to the bank, the ACH amount record and the packet
need to be updated to reflect the difference so that the customer’s bank account
will be drafted for the correct amount.
This
how you updated ACH Amount Records:
From the Utility Main menu select option 75, “ACH Bank Drafts” and press enter. Once in the ACH Bank Drafts menu select option 3, “Bank Draft Pre-Not/Amounts” and press enter.
Type a "U" when the "Functions" selection screen is displayed.
In the search Parameter screen enter A for Amount entries in the “Record Type” field.
Then enter the customer's account number in the “Acct (Direct)” field and press enter.
The below screen will display.
Press
enter to the Bill Amount field and type in the correct amount
to be drafted and then press your
F8 key making sure that at the bottom of the screen it display “Message: Record
has been Updated”.
Do not enter a negative number in this field. The customer will now be charged the correct amount at the bank.
You will then have updated your Payment Packet Entries
Type
a "U" when the "Functions" selection screen is displayed
Enter the packet ID that contains the other entries for the cycle and press enter. If you do not remember the packet ID you can press F3 to search and select. After you enter the packet ID the below screen will appear.
The cursor will stop in the “Starting Record Number” field. You can press enter to get a scrolling list of the accounts in the packet or if you see that the “# of entries” in the packet is 300 and you know that the account you want to change is near the end of the packet, you can enter 200 in this field to start scrolling with the 200th entry in the file. You can use F1 and F2 to scroll through the list until you find the entry that needs to be changed.
Once you find the account number that needs to be changed, press enter to see the detailed Transaction Information as shown below.
Press enter to get to the Amount field and enter the correct amount to be drafted. Do not enter a negative amount.
Press
your F8 key making sure that at the bottom of the screen it displays “Message:
Record has been Updated”.
When all changes are made, escape to the menu.
Do not enter a Control Total since you do not
want the packet to balance until you are ready to process it.
How do I print Address Labels from Utility Billing?
WARNING! – If you do not follow these steps exactly, you could lose important data.
From the Utility Main menu select option 7, “Miscellaneous Reports” and press enter. Once in the Miscellaneous Reports menu select option 15, “Address Labels” and press enter. Once you press enter the below screen will appear.
The fields described below will assist you in filling out this screen to print your labels
Lines per inch to print field – This field can be either 6 or 8. This setting must match the setting on your printer. If you unsure about this setting check your printer setup or contact Zortec Support for assistance. If 8 lines per inch is selected, the address lines print closer together but you can fit more lines on a label.
Postnet Barcode Label Line # field – This field can be 1 through 6 if printing at 6 lines per inch or 1 through 8 if printing at 8 lines per inch. Use zero to not print a postnet barcode. This question controls where the barcode prints on the label. If printing at 6 lines per inch, it is recommended that you use a 5 in this field. If printing at 8 lines per inch, it is recommended that you use a 7 in this field. The barcode will print on the line specified here regardless of any other data that should print on that line. In other words, if the city, state and zip will print on line 5 and this question is answered 5, the postnet barcode will print on line 5 in place of the city, state and zip. For this reason, it is recommended that you print at 8 lines per inch.
Postnet Barcode Position Adjustment field - This field is used for 2, 3 or 4 up labels. This is the number of characters to slide the postnet barcode to the right so that it will line up on the label correctly. Use different values in this field until the postnet lines up correctly on the 2, 3 and 4 up labels. Make a note of this value so that you will know what value to use the next time labels are printed. If you are printing at 10 characters per inch, try starting with 13 in this field and add or subtract on as needed.
Beginning and Ending Route to Print field - This field can be 001 and 999 to print all routes or you can specify individual routes or a small range of routes to print.
Status to Print field - This field can include up to 5 account statuses. To print labels for all active accounts, enter A, N, C, D, and F in these fields. To print labels for only new accounts, enter N and C in these fields.
Print Account Number field - This field asks whether the customer’s account number should print on the label. If set to Y, this may require that you print at 8 lines per inch to have room to print everything on the label.
Exclude Zero Balance Accounts field - This field if answered Y will not print labels for customers with a zero balance. It will only print labels for accounts with a balance other than zero. If answered N labels will print for all accounts regardless of balance due.
User Codes to Exclude field - This field is used to keep labels from printing for accounts with a particular user code on screen 2 of their account. Up to 5 User Codes can be entered.
Enter Service/RatesTo Include field - This field is used to only print labels for accounts with a particular service that has the specified rate codes. The first field is for the service number. The other ten fields are for rate codes. Leave these fields blank to include accounts regardless of service or rate code.
Inside City Only field - This field if answered Y will only print labels for accounts whose “In City” flag on screen 2 is set to Y, or If answered N labels will print for all accounts regardless of the in city flag.
Print Alignment Labels field - This field if answered Y will print 4 labels with Xs in place of the address. These are used to get the labels lined up in the printer before actual addresses start printing.
Select TURN ON Date From and Thru Range field - This field is used to only print labels with a turn on date on screen 1 that is within the specified date range. Leave these fields blank to print labels regardless of turn on date.
Select TURN OFF Date From and Thru Range field - This field is used to only print labels with a turn off date on screen 1 that is within the specified date range. Leave these fields blank to print labels regardless of turn off date.
Sort Sequence field - This field is used to determine in what order the labels will print. Use A to print the labels in alphabetical order. Use N to print the labels in UB account number order. Use Z to print the labels in zip code order (required for postnet barcodes). Use C to print the labels in carrier code order. Carrier code order is no longer used by the USPS.
Enter a Printer Number field -. This field if printer 99 is used, the labels will be in a file called UB1700LS in the user’s home directory.
Warning: If you will be using a Laser Printer keep in mind that they will heat up causing the labels to come off the page and jam the printer. This is not a software issue.
The handheld is beeping when I enter a reading. How do I limit the beeping?
WARNING! – If you do not follow these steps exactly, you could lose important data.
High/Low
The actual calculations are contained in each
program used to build the handheld file. These
calculations are based on criteria from the handheld vendor. Most programs use the same basic formulas for
calculating the high/low readings.
HIGH current reading + (percent-average
+ (percent-average * hold percent))
if consumption for same month, last year
is zero, current consumption
If current consumption is zero, average
consumption from service history screen
LOW current
reading + (percent-average - (percent-average * hold percent1))
·
percent-average =
consumption for the same month, last year
If consumption for same month, last year
is zero, current consumption
If current consumption is zero, average
consumption from service history screen
·
hold percent
= low limit in Office Manager, Control Percentages
(express as percentage)
Example
1: current
reading is 1345, consumption same month last year is 95, high limit is 100,
low limit is 50
HIGH 1345 + (95 + (95 * 100%)
LOW 1345 + (95 - (95 * 50%)
1345 + 190
1345 + 47.5
1535
1392.5 (rounded to 1393)
Example
2: current reading is 1345, consumption same month last year is 95, high limit
is 150, low limit is 75
HIGH 1345 + (95 + (95 * 150%)
LOW 1345 + (95 - (95 * 75%)
1345 + 237.5
1345 + 23.75
1582.5 (rounded to 1583)
1368.75 (rounded to 1369)
Control
Percentages:
The
Control Percentages are defined in Office Manager, Control Percent.
Percentages are defined for each metered service. They may be entered for all services but only
the meter services using these percentages.