Smart Revenue Enhancement

  • Deployment of Smart Metering Infrastructure with Vending and Revenue Management Software

Fast track utility cashflow cycle to Day

1 with M3 Holdings’ Smart Revenue Enhancement solution, today!

Electricity metering, billing, collection and maintenance of utility customer accounts have been difficult to manage using a manual post-paid principle. The result includes inability to read meters effectively, inaccurate electricity bills with delayed processing and prolonged timelines of monthly utility collections. Utilities expose themselves to payment risk by falling into arrears with Electric Power Generation Companies (e.g., Eskom) while collections are slow and not 100% from their customers, increasing overall cashflow and budget pressures.               

M3 Holdings (Pty) Ltd will provide the integration, deployment and maintenance of smart meter assets and software as well as vending services to the utility. The proposed solution will drastically improve revenue collection and prevent electricity theft in the identified areas.

Our pre-payment Smart Meters using STS encryption method assure a substantial reduction in revenue loss due to non-technical issues and contains a Comprehensive Theft Prevention Solution that includes:

  • Tamper Detection
  • Bypass and Leakage Detection
  • Physical separation of meter and display (tampering prevention)
  • Energy balance – Comparison of energy supplied vs. energy billed
  • Remote disconnection / power limitation when customer fails to pay or when tamper and bypass is detected

System architecture

The system comprises of the following three layers: –

  1. Applications which are installed at the customer;
  2. The meter management system; and
  3. Data collection
smart_revenue_enhancement

The Benefits of Using a Smart Metering System

Additional Delivered Benefits

M3 smart revenue enhancement solution will benefit the utility with: –

  • Increased revenue collections for the utility, and optimize cash-to-cash cycles as revenue is received upfront and not +60 days post statements.
  • Collection of bad debts in arrears and keep on top of recoveries going forward using M3 Smart Prepaid Metering.
  • Improved credit rating.
  • Improved credit control and revenue management.
  • Identification and reduction of technical losses due to real-time utility management such as Power-Quality, Phasor Diagrams for load balancing and transparency of costs and tariff applications.
  • Zero-Upfront Cost of hardware, software, management and maintenance with minimum standard financial guarantees being required
  • Reduction in customer complaints due to estimated meter readings, as readings are real-time and based on actual readings for the hour/day/week/month.
  • Increased customer satisfaction as customers will get access to a utility branded web-portal for user-friendly energy management and prepaid electricity credit purchases.
  • Unlocking business intelligence for the utility by using meter data and client collections for reporting, forecasting and planning.

List of Advance Metering Technologies available for each Project

  • Single phase M1100R Smart pre-payment meters with associated Meter Enclosures
  • Three phase M3100R Smart pre-payment meters with associated Meter Enclosures
  • Three Phase M3020CTL CT Connection with associated Enclosures
  • C3020CTL concentrators with associated Enclosures
  • Customer Interface D121KPL Unit (CIU)
  • Smart pre-payment vending software (at the vending office level only)
  • Installation kits

Please note:

  • The above Technologies Data Sheets are readily available
  • Since the solution will be integrated with existing utility systems and managed from the utility’s offices, we recommend that the utility dedicate offices and computers for this purpose.
  • M3 will manage the entire implementation of the project at NO COST to the utility
  • As a result, M3 will be responsible for all installations, communication, IT and software, back-office management and maintenance for the duration of the contract.
  • Upon each project economics and in lieu of the proposed service fee, we suggest that the utility receives 80% of the recovered electricity sales on a monthly basis to secure / protect its electricity revenue. M3 in turn receives 20% of the sold and secured electricity revenue over a negotiated predetermined period / term

Critical Success Factors

  • Successful vending by customers using M3 smart meters and smart pre-payment vending software.
  • Remote reading of electricity meters.
  • Receive remote alerts from electricity meters (tamper, bypass, and leakage).
  • Remotely disconnect and reconnect electricity meters.
  • Remote power limitation.
  • >97% two-way communication with the meters

NB:

Each project will be deemed a success if the utility successfully attain the above milestones.

Conclusion

Effective Utility Management is a journey not an end-point. Proper revenue collection and asset management is an increasingly vital component within utilities – for reasons relating to cash-flow collections, operational and maintenance efficiencies.

M3’s Smart Revenue Enhancement Solution entails a total turnkey approach to hardware, software and related services to ensure a reliable, robust and future proof solution for the utility, which can even be expanded to smaller commercial and industrial customers.                  

We are able to assist each utility in both the short and long term to achieve the utility’s revenue collection and load reduction strategy.