Automatic remote meter reading: putting your water meter on-line.Water cost management and conservation are emerging issues of particularly critical concern in the context of today's high Today's High The intra-day high trading price. Notes: In other words, this is the highest price that a stock traded at during the course of the day. More often than not this is higher than the closing price. See also: Today's Low water/sewer costs (which can sometimes exceed annual heating costs) and in view of anticipated future rate increases. Some building owners and managers are now making use of a new technology to increase the water efficiency of their properties and cut annual water/sewer expense dramatically. An additional benefit is that the data provided by these systems can also be used to eliminate DEP DEP Deposit DEP Deputy DEP Department of Environmental Protection DEP Dependent DEP Departure DEP Depot DEP Deposition DEP deployed (US DoD) DEP Data Execution Prevention (computer security) billing errors and to generate bills for commercial submeters. What It Is A monitoring device called a probe is attached to the wire connections of the meter. This device is then simply connected to any regular telephone line. What It Does The probe can be programmed to read meters at selected and variable intervals, and to phone these readings into a central station computer automatically. It does this late at night only, when the line is clear, and will not interfere with regular phone service in any way. Typical calls are placed once or twice a week and last only 30 seconds. Special software then compiles the readings and calculates consumption. Monthly summary reports of consumption and projected costs are then provided automatically, enabling you to closely track water/sewer expense. Warnings of leak/waste situations are also provided automatically as soon as any are detected. What It Can Do For the Bottom Line Automatic remote meter reading does all of the following: * Eliminates the need for your staff to read the meter and check consumption. * Provides a database of readings for comparison to utility bills - avoiding bill errors and disputes. * Monitors consumption regularly to provide automatic calculation of anticipated expense. * Provides reliable methods for quick detection of leaks and waste. * Detects and eliminates unnecessary expense - automatically. For example, if a 200-unit complex's water/sewer budget exceeds $ 60,000 per year, and if an Automatic Meter Reading Automatic meter reading, or AMR, is the technology of automatically collecting data from water meter or energy metering devices (water, gas, electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing and/or analyzing. (AMR (1) (Adaptive Multi-Rate) A variable rate speech codec selected by the 3GPP for the 3G evolution of the GSM cellphone system (WCDMA). Using the Algebraic CELP (ACELP) compression technology, AMR provides toll quality sound at transmission rates from 4.75 to 12. ) system enables the property to find savings of only 15 percent, that equals $9,000 per year (after year after year ...)! And just think what $9,000 in additional net income does for the value of that building! What It Costs The typical building with 50 to 100 units and one meter can receive basic monitoring services The general surveillance of known air traffic movements by reference to a radar scope presentation or other means, for the purpose of passing advisory information concerning conflicting traffic or providing navigational assistance. for a cost of only $50 to $60 a month. The probe unit is free, and installation is inexpensive - typically about $450. All that's needed is a standard telephone line and an extension jack within 10 feet of the meter remote. The property's net expense is zero, because the data provided will enable the building to save more that its minor cost every year. Remember that one moderately leaky leak·y adj. leak·i·er, leak·i·est Permitting leaks or leakage: a leaky roof; a leaky defense system. Adj. 1. toilet can cost more than $150 a month under today's high water/sewer rates. The AMR probe units will detect these leaks within days. A hidden boiler water leak or hot water leak can cost many hundreds of dollars a month. Automatic Meter Reading will indicate these problems within a week. Hidden uptrends in consumption can easily increase costs by 10 to 20 percent or more. This can amount to $1,500 to $3,000 per year in the typical 50- to 100-unit building. Automatic Meter Reading detects and reports these uptrends quickly, enabling you to take corrective action A corrective action is a change implemented to address a weakness identified in a management system. Normally corrective actions are instigated in response to a customer complaint, abnormal levels if internal nonconformity, nonconformities identified during an internal audit or long before DEP generates an unexpectedly high bill. Erratic er·rat·ic adj. 1. Having no fixed or regular course; wandering. 2. Lacking consistency, regularity, or uniformity: an erratic heartbeat. 3. billing cycles Billing cycle The time elapsed between billing periods for goods sold or services rendered. , estimated readings and erroneous erroneous adj. 1) in error, wrong. 2) not according to established law, particularly in a legal decision or court ruling. charges can cost you much needless aggravation Any circumstances surrounding the commission of a crime that increase its seriousness or add to its injurious consequences. Such circumstances are not essential elements of the crime but go above and beyond them. , and plenty of money. Automatic remote metering enables you to avoid these problems today. Commercial submeters can also be wired into the system. Then these costs can be easily tracked and automatically billed. Automatic remote meter reading is like having an insurance policy against leaks and bill errors. Information from the probe units indicates the exact status of your water and sewer SEWER. Properly a trench artificially made for the purpose of carrying water into the sea, river, or some other place of reception. Public sewers are, in general, made at the public expense. Crabb, R. P. Sec. 113. expense, and current consumption efficiency, and will enable the property to effectively manage and control this important budget item. There is probably a great potential treasure in cost savings hidden in many properties. This new technology is a valuable tool to help owners and managers locate and exploit potential savings. Putting your water meter on-line may enable your property to reduce water/sewer costs by 20 to 30 percent or even more; eliminate DEP bill errors, and control commercial costs. Alan Rothschild, President, Vantage Group Inc. |
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