Assigning a Rate

Rates are used to calculate vendor charges. These charges are applied to bill- or channel-based meter data over specified time periods, from which resulting bill costs are calculated. In bills, a rate can be assigned to either meter- or account-level data. For additional information, see the Rate Wizard topic.

1. Select Accounting>Accounts. The Account Manager appears.

2. Navigate to the cost center under which the bill-enabled account exists.

3. Click on the appropriate account to highlight it.

4. From the Account menu, select the Assign Rate option. Or click the Assign Rate Codes hyperlink from the Account Properties window. The Assign Rates window will open, listing the account and its associated meters with their rate assignments (if any).
   
   

5. From the Assign Rates window:

   • Assign a rate to an account or meter (see topic below).

   • Change the assigned rate (see topic below).

   • Remove an assigned rate (see topic below).

   • Add a rate (see rate creation topic groups).

1. After making your selections, click OK.

Assigning a Rate to an Account or Meter

1. From the Assign Rates window, select the appropriate account or meter (ordinarily, the meter).

2. Set the rate assignment start date by clicking . The Choose Start Date window appears.

3. Enter the effective date or use the drop-down arrow to select the date from a calendar.

4. Click OK. The Rate Selection window appears. Select the desire rate from the vendor list box, or click the button and follow the Rate Wizard prompts to set up the new rate.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 as necessary to create additional assignments if desired.

Changing the Assigned Rate

1. From the Assign Rates window, select the appropriate account or meter.
2. Click the Set the rate assignment start date by clicking . The Choose Start Date window appears.
3. Enter the effective date or use the drop-down arrow to select the date from a calendar.
   NOTE: If an existing rate is in effect, the Start Date for the new rate must be after the Start Date of the pre-existing rate.
4. Click OK. The Rate Selection window appears. Select the desire rate from the vendor list box, or click the button and follow the Rate Wizard prompts to set up the new rate.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 as necessary to create additional assignments if desired.

Removing an Assigned Rate

1. From the Assign Rates window, select the rate assignment to be deleted.

2. Click . The Confirm window appears.

   • Select Yes to delete the rate assignment.

   • Select No to cancel the operation.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to delete other rate assignments if desired.

NOTE: Analysis scripts can use rates to calculate billing charges independent of rate associations, using either user-entered bill data values or meter data channel information. This activity is session-based and does not require any actual rate assignment. See the topic groups on channels and analyses for more information.