Structure of a metering scheme

Your organisation operates at various locations, at each of which there are meters, each with one or more registers. A 'register' is a readout; most meters only have one (e.g. volume of water) but some may have more. Electricity meters might have 'day' and 'night' kWh readouts, for instance.

In a MeterPad scheme, there will be one person designated to represent the organisation and act as 'scheme owner'. He or she has authority to define locations, meters, and registers, and also to nominate 'users'.

A general user is allowed to

enter meter readings (but only from a particular location or locations);
record 'walk lists' which define the order in which meters are recorded;
amend their own profiles

They do not normally have any other authority. However, the scheme owner can promote a user to 'administrator'. Administrators are allowed to

enter meter readings from any location;
edit or even delete readings;
request downloads of stored meter readings;
register new locations, meters, and users;
mark locations and users as inactive

Only the scheme owner can grant or remove administrator privileges.

Entering meter readings

Basic points to note:

A meter usually has only one 'register' or readout, but some may have two or more

Readings can be recorded at intervals down to one minute

If you are an administrator you can input meter readings from any of your organisation's locations

If you are a general user, you are only allowed to input readings from selected locations (set by an administrator)

A general user is allowed to create sequence lists to guide them through the available meters in a chosen 'walk order'
Only an administrator can edit or delete readings

Readings can be taken direct from the meter if you have a portable computer with internet access. Otherwise, you can enter readings in batches from hand-written records taken earlier. There is also a facility to enter one or more readings for an individual meter.

You can leave a comment against any reading you take. This is useful if, for example, a meter has gone round the clock, or been exchanged. An administrator can edit the record based on your comments.

Taking readings direct from meters

After logging in, go to the Input tab and select the option 'Take readings direct from meters'.

You will be asked to select first the location of the meters in question. If you are a general user, there may be only one choice, depending on the permissions that have been set for you.

After selecting the location you must choose which sequence you would like to read the meters in (view help on sequence lists).

You will then see an input form for the first reading in the sequence. Points to note:

The starting point may not be the first meter in sequence. If the system detects that the previous meter-reading round was interrupted, it will start with the next expected meter
If necessary, use the First, Prev, Next, and Last buttons to move to a different meter
The form accepts input for one register at a time
Pressing the Store button records the reading and moves you to the next meter (or the next register in the case of a multi-register meter)
Readings are automatically date-stamped as they are stored
On a multi-register meter, a delay between readings exceeding 10 minutes will cause problems with output. Inform an administrator.
Click the History? link to see earlier readings from the current register or the Details? link to confirm the meter's position, serial number, etc..

When you reach the end of the sequence, you will be returned to the start. Click Exit or log out.

Transcribing a batch of readings taken earlier

After logging in, go to the Input tab and select the option 'Enter a batch of readings taken earlier'

You will be asked to select first the location of the meters in question. If you are a general user, there may be only one choice, depending on the permissions that have been set for you.

After selecting the location you must choose which sequence you would like to enter the meters in (view help on sequence lists).

You will then see an input form for all the meters in your selected list. Points to note:

The first date and time-stamp will have been set automatically. Alter them as required.
You can make all dates and times the same as the first one by clicking the button marked Ok>>
When you select a Reading box, you will be shown the previous three entries for comparison
Use the Add note link to leave a comment
Click the Store button to commit the new readings to the database

Transcribing readings from an individual meter

After logging in, go to the Input tab and select the option 'Enter a reading for one meter'

You will be asked to select first the location of the meter in question. If you are a general user, there may be only one choice, depending on the permissions that have been set for you.

Next you will be invited to select a meter at that location.

A data-entry form for that meter will appear. Points to note:

The date and time-stamp will have been set automatically. Alter them as required.
On a multi-register meter, there will be a separate box for each reading
When you select a Reading box, you will be shown the previous three entries for comparison
Use the Add note link to leave a comment
Click the Store button to commit the new readings to the database

Controlling the sequence of meter readings

After logging in, go to the Management tab and then select the Lists tab.

You will be asked to select first the location of the meters that you wish to organize. If you are a general user, there may be only one choice, depending on the permissions that have been set for you.

After selecting the location you must choose which existing sequence list you would like to edit (if there are any), or select the Define new walk-list option. Points to note:

If you are a general user you cannot edit or delete lists created by other users
An administrator can edit or delete anybody's lists

If you are creating a new sequence list, you must give it a Description (for example, "Caretaker's round" or "Month-end routine") that will enable you to recognise it among other available lists.

The setup screen contains two lists: Available meters and Selected meters. To add a meter to the 'selected' list, highlight it in the 'available' list and use the Add-> button. Use the <-Remove button to take a highlighted meter out of the 'selected' list, or the Move up or Move down buttons to change its position in the sequence.

Click the Save list button to store your list for future use.

To remove an existing list from the system, retrieve it and click the Delete button.

Editing your personal profile

After logging in, go to the My profile tab.

Points to note:

If you don't want to change your password, leave both password fields blank.
You must provide a security question and answer. Think of something that other people cannot easily guess. The system may ask you to answer your security question to verify your identity.
You must provide a valid email address so that administrators can contact you if necessary.

Click Store to commit any changes to the database.

Logging out

MeterPad can remember your login credentials to make it easy to get back in and resume work after logging out. There are three options:

Leave no trace is the most secure choice and is recommended if you are using a shared or public computer. If you choose this option, you will have to give both your ID and password next time you log in.

Remember my login ID for next time is secure because you have to enter a password to resume work.

Remember my login ID and password for next time turns off your security as user. When you (or anyone else) visits MeterPad from this computer, you (or they) are allowed straight in without challenge. For this reason, the option is denied to administrators and owners. When you leave with this option set, MeterPad will try to close the window and you may get an alert message from your browser. Your logout preference is stored between sessions but you can change it as you leave, before you press the 'Finish' button.