Energy utility companies offer great services to the community by ensuring that there is an adequate supply of power, but they must also be sure they are preventing revenue loss. One of the most challenging tasks they have to undertake is to ensure that the infrastructure through which the supply of power is done is in good condition, thus guaranteeing quality supply. Once power has been delivered to the consumer, there are a number of things that need to be done to ensure that the supply is of the right amount and that there are no leakages of the power.
Power leakage is one of the major causes of loss of revenue by utility companies. To remain competitive and still make a profit from the venture of supplying energy, meter testing is important to prevent these losses. In this post, we will look at some of the functionalities of energy meter testing equipment and how it could be of use to a utility company.
Preventing Revenue Loss
This is a very disturbing topic that virtually every utility company has to deal with. This is not only in the energy industry but even in communication. For every dime that the company is unable to collect for the service rendered, it implies that the margins of the firm have to be affected, and this reduces the ability of a company to compete effectively.
When it comes to dealing with the loss of revenue, there are a number of things that can contribute to this in an energy utility company’s point of view and this is where energy meter testing equipment can be of help.
Installation error
If the proper installation procedures are not adhered to, there is the possibility of experiencing power loss and as a result, loss in revenue. Some of the popular causes of this problem are missing commons and grounds, incorrect wire gauge, improper connections, and incorrect wiring. For residential units, the loss of power may have little significance, but in an industrial setting, this is a point of concern.
Meter malfunction
Utility meters are also electrical components, and the fact is that they too can fail. When this happens, it can lead to loss of revenue for the utility company or if the malfunction is on the reverse, excessive bills to the customers. Since they are both undesirable, it is important to deploy energy meter testing equipment to eliminate these occurrences by testing energy meters.
Billing error
Billing can also be an avenue for power loss when dealing with utility companies. Should there exist an incorrect formula or even a simple multiplier in the billing with the wrong value, it would lead to significant losses considering the number of clients being dealt with and the time it might take for this to be established. As a result, when energy meter testing equipment to check on the consumption, this can be compared with the revenue to tell if there is any possible error in billing.
Theft
Though this is done on a small scale in most areas, it is still one of the avenues through which utility companies lose revenue. Theft is mostly through meter diversion, test meter tampering, and CT tampering. However, CT testing using energy meter testing equipment would be able to capture these and prevent this theft.
When proper equipment for testing energy meters is used, there is a better audit by the utility company to establish the avenues through which revenue is being lost. With this done, it is then easy to come up with measures that will be able to address the situation. With all the major channels for revenue loss addressed, the company can offer better services.
Conclusion
The highest percentage of revenue loss happens with the commercial set up being served by 3-phase lines unless in the areas where electricity theft is rampant. The typical energy supply to your house is a single-phase connection and is generally referred to as household electrical service and comes in 120 volts AC. As a result, meter testing is mostly done on the commercial meters being served by 3-phase lines as this is where most optimization needs to be done. For administrative accountability, the test database is compared with the billing database to give areas where billing errors are experienced. Contact Powermetrix today and make sure your utility is preventing revenue loss.
