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  3. Advanced Accounting - Best Practices

Meter readings

Buildium Support - Ned Pricket

By Buildium Support

A meter reading is a record of the amount on a utility meter as of a date.

For example

  • A natural gas company records "therms."
  • Electric company usually records kWh (kilowatt hour).
  • An oil company often records gallons.
  • Water and sewer often captures cubic feet or gallons of water.

Buildium's meter reading feature captures readings for electric, oil, gas, sewer, and water. Once the information is captured, use the information to charge a resident ledger.

Set up meter readings the first timeShowHide

To set up a meter reading for a property, add the reading from the previous period.

For example, you've just begun using Buildium and you want to charge your tenants and association owners for June's usage. Because May's readings haven't been recorded in Buildium, the software will think that your first reading all happened in June. To avoid this problem:

  1. Add May's meter reading into Buildium.
  2. Add June's meter reading into Buildium.

By adding May's reading, the software will have context for the opening balance and will be able to track the actual usage.

Add a meter readingShowHide

For rental properties:

  1. Navigate to Rentals > Rent Roll.

For associations:

  1. Navigate to Associations > Ownership accounts.
  1. Click Add meter reading.
  2. Select a property, date of meter reading and a meter type.
  3. Enter the current reading per unit. 
    • If the value is the same for all units, enter the first reading and select Use for all.
  4. Click  Create.

Edit a meter readingShowHide

  1. Navigate to the Rentals / Associations menu.
  2. Click the Properties / Associations page.
  3. Click on the Property / Association.
  4. Click on the Units tab.
  5. Click Meter readings.
  6. Select the meter reading.
  7. Click Edit reading.
  8. Click Save. 

Delete a meter readingShowHide

  1. Navigate to the Rentals / Associations menu.
  2. Click the Properties / Associations page.
  3. Click on the Property / Association.
  4. Click on the Units tab.
  5. Click Meter readings.
  6. Select the meter reading.
  7. Click Edit reading.
  8. Click Delete reading.

Charge Tenants and Association Owners for a meter readingShowHide

  1. Go to the Rentals / Associations menu.
  2. Go to the Properties / Associations page.
  3. Click on the Property / Association.
  4. Click on the Units tab.
  5. Click Meter readings.
  6. Select the meter reading.
  7. Click Charge.
  8. Select the account and date of the charge.
  9. Enter the base charge (optional) and rate.
  10. Select Charge Tenants.

 

Article #: 112406

 

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