State & local government · Moraph software

Smart Utility Metering & Billing Hub

Turn smart meter reads into checked bills, leak alerts and usage customers can see

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Overview

What you are buying

The Smart Utility Metering & Billing Hub brings interval reads from a municipal utility's water and electric smart meters into one place, validates them, and calculates bills under the rates your governing body has approved, including time-of-use and tiered rates. It flags likely leaks, stopped meters and outages from the data as reads arrive, so staff can act before a customer receives a surprise bill. Customers see their own usage and alerts in a portal, and every read, estimate, adjustment and bill keeps its history.

The problem it solves

Many cities have installed smart meters but still bill from a system built for monthly manual reads. Interval data sits in the meter vendor's head-end system, estimates and exceptions are worked by hand before each billing cycle, and leaks show up as a high bill weeks after they started. New rate designs approved by the council are hard to implement, and when a customer disputes a bill, staff piece together reads, estimates and adjustments from several screens.

  • Interval data from smart meters is collected but not used for billing, leak detection or customer service
  • Missing, estimated and unusual reads are worked by hand before every billing cycle
  • Leaks and stopped meters are found from high or low bills, long after they started
  • Time-of-use and tiered rates are difficult to configure and to explain to customers

Who uses it

  • Municipal water, electric and combined utilities and the city departments that run them
  • Utility billing and customer service managers and staff
  • Meter operations and field service teams
  • Utility finance and rate analysts who implement approved rates
  • Auditors, elected officials and residents who need clear, consistent billing records

Requirements it supports

Your utility rate ordinances, tariffs and approved rate schedulesState public utility commission billing, deposit and disconnection rules, where they apply to municipal utilitiesFTC Red Flags Rule (16 CFR Part 681) for utilities that extend credit to customersNISTIR 7628 Guidelines for Smart Grid Cybersecurity, used as a reference for meter data securityADA Title II web accessibility rule (28 CFR Part 35, Subpart H)PCI DSS, through your payment processor

The product supports these requirements; meeting them remains your organization’s responsibility.

See how it works

A short walkthrough

Illustrative screens with fictional sample data. They show the workflow, not any client’s data or configuration, and the layout of the product itself differs. A live demonstration uses the product with sample data.

  1. Step 1

    The exception queue

    Before each billing cycle, staff start from the reads that failed validation, each with the rule that caught it.

    AccountServiceRulePeriodAgeStatus
    Account 300418WaterSpike above 5x averageCycle 91 dayNew
    Account 300922WaterZero use for 30 daysCycle 92 daysField check ordered
    Account 412077ElectricMissing intervalsCycle 91 dayEstimated
    Account 412381ElectricReverse flowCycle 93 daysIn review
    Account 301655WaterMeter change mid-cycleCycle 91 dayNew
    Before each billing cycle, staff start from the reads that failed validation, each with the rule that caught it.

  2. Step 2

    A possible leak

    The Hub explains why it flagged the account, and staff decide whether to alert the customer or send a crew.

    Account 300418 · Possible leak

    Service
    Water, residential
    Lowest hourly use in 7 days
    Never below 0.4 gallons
    Average daily use
    612 gallons
    Usual daily use
    180 gallons
    Customer alert preference
    Email
    Last field visit
    None on file

    Why it was flagged

    • Continuous flow every hour for 7 days
    • Use more than three times the account's usual level
    • No similar pattern in the previous 12 months
    The Hub explains why it flagged the account, and staff decide whether to alert the customer or send a crew.

  3. Step 3

    Meters not reporting

    Meters that stop reporting are grouped by area, so staff can tell one failed meter from a wider problem.

    AreaMetersNot reportingSincePatternStatus
    Pressure Zone 3 (example)2,41018406:15ClusteredSent to operations
    Feeder 12 (example)1,9057VariousScatteredField checks queued
    Downtown district (example)3,1202YesterdayScatteredMonitoring
    Meters that stop reporting are grouped by area, so staff can tell one failed meter from a wider problem.

  4. Step 4

    Bill run review

    Bills that differ sharply from history are held for review before the supervisor approves the run.

    Bill run · Cycle 9 (example)

    Accounts in cycle
    8,214
    Bills calculated
    8,214
    Held for review
    37
    Estimated reads
    61
    Total billed
    $1,142,880
    Status
    Awaiting approval

    Held bills by reason

    • 22 above three times the prior bill
    • 9 with an open leak flag
    • 6 with a meter change in the cycle
    Bills that differ sharply from history are held for review before the supervisor approves the run.

  5. Step 5

    The account history

    When a customer calls, every read, estimate, adjustment and bill is on one timeline.

    Account 300418 · 100 Example Street (fictional)

    1. Possible leak flagged from continuous flowHub
    2. Leak alert sent by emailMeter operations staff
    3. Customer reported a repaired toilet valveCustomer service representative
    4. Leak adjustment requested under the leak policyCustomer service representative
    5. Adjustment approvedBilling supervisor
    When a customer calls, every read, estimate, adjustment and bill is on one timeline.

  6. Step 6

    Testing a rate change

    Before a proposed rate goes to council, the Hub shows what it would have done to last year's bills by customer class.

    Customer classAccountsAverage bill (current)Average bill (proposed)ChangeAccounts above 10% increase
    Residential, low use3,904$38.20$36.90-$1.300
    Residential, high use1,212$96.40$108.10+$11.70418
    Small commercial655$212.75$219.30+$6.5541
    Irrigation389$141.00$159.80+$18.80296
    Before a proposed rate goes to council, the Hub shows what it would have done to last year's bills by customer class.

Workflows

The principal workflows

  1. Collect and validate

    Interval and register reads arrive from your meter head-end systems. Each read is checked for gaps, spikes, reverse flow and stopped registers before it is used for billing.

    • Reads arrive from head-end systems by scheduled file or API
    • Validation rules check for missing intervals, spikes, zero use and meter changes
    • Gaps are estimated using the method your procedures set, and marked as estimates
    • Reads that fail validation go to an exception queue
    • Staff resolve exceptions or order a field check

  2. Detect

    As validated reads arrive, the Hub looks for continuous flow that suggests a leak, meters that have stopped, possible tampering, and groups of meters that stop reporting together, which may indicate an outage.

    • Continuous-use patterns flagged as possible leaks
    • Meters with no consumption or no communication flagged
    • Clusters of meters losing contact grouped for outage review
    • Staff review each flag and decide on customer contact or a work order
    • Outcome recorded so detection rules can be tuned

  3. Bill

    Validated usage is rated under the customer's rate schedule, including time-of-use periods, tiers, fixed charges and taxes, and the bill run is reviewed before bills are issued.

    • Billing cycle opened and validated usage locked
    • Each account rated under its schedule and any approved programs
    • Bills that differ sharply from history held for review
    • Billing supervisor approves the bill run
    • Bills issued by print, email or portal, and the ledger updated

  4. Serve customers

    Customers see their usage by day or hour, their bills and any leak or high-use alert in a portal. Staff handle disputes and adjustments from one account view.

    • Customer views usage, bills and alerts online
    • Customer sets usage or leak alert preferences
    • Disputes and adjustment requests logged on the account
    • Adjustments above the set limit approved by a supervisor
    • Payments taken through your payment processor and posted to the account

Roles and permissions

Who does what in the product

Each role below is a starting point. During implementation we set them up to match your teams, and every action anyone takes is recorded in the audit trail.

Billing specialist

Utility billing specialist, billing clerk, meter data analyst

Makes sure each bill is calculated from good data, working read exceptions and held bills.

Sees

  • Read exceptions and held bills in their queue
  • Account usage, reads, estimates and bill history
  • Validation rules that caught each exception

Does

  • Resolves read exceptions with a reason code
  • Applies estimates using the approved methods
  • Orders field checks
  • Reviews held bills and releases or corrects them
  • Makes adjustments within their limit

Cannot

  • Approve a bill run
  • Change rate schedules or validation rules
  • Approve adjustments above their limit
Approvals
Adjustments above their limit and read edits on closed cycles need a billing supervisor.
Notified about
New exceptions, held bills in their queue and field check results.

Billing supervisor

Utility billing manager, revenue supervisor, customer accounts manager

Owns the billing cycle and approves what leaves the utility as a bill or credit.

Sees

  • All exceptions, held bills and bill runs
  • Adjustments by staff member and reason
  • Billing cycle status and the audit trail

Does

  • Approves or returns bill runs
  • Approves larger adjustments and leak credits
  • Sets staff adjustment limits
  • Approves changes to validation and estimation rules
  • Reopens a closed cycle when needed

Cannot

  • Approve an adjustment they requested themselves
  • Edit or delete audit trail entries
  • Change rate schedules without the rate analyst and the approved ordinance reference
Approvals
Approves bill runs, adjustments above staff limits and rule changes; their own adjustments need a second approver.
Notified about
Bill runs awaiting approval, adjustments waiting and exceptions still open near the billing date.

Customer service representative

Utility customer service representative, call center agent

Answers customers using the full account history and logs disputes and requests.

Sees

  • Account usage, bills, payments and alerts
  • Open flags and field visits on the account
  • Customer contact preferences

Does

  • Explains bills and usage
  • Logs disputes and adjustment requests
  • Sets up payment plans under your rules
  • Updates contact and alert preferences

Cannot

  • Approve adjustments
  • Edit reads
  • See accounts outside the utility they serve
Approvals
Adjustment requests go to a billing specialist or supervisor.
Notified about
Decisions on requests they logged.

Meter operations staff

Meter services supervisor, AMI analyst, field services coordinator

Acts on leak, stopped-meter, tampering and communication flags.

Sees

  • Detection flags by area and type
  • Meter communication status
  • Work orders and field findings

Does

  • Reviews flags and closes them with an outcome
  • Sends customer leak alerts
  • Creates field work orders
  • Sends clustered communication loss to operations

Cannot

  • Adjust bills
  • Change rates
  • Edit reads on a billed cycle
Approvals
Changes to detection rules are approved by the billing supervisor and meter services manager.
Notified about
New flags, clustered communication loss and completed field work.

Rate analyst

Utility rate analyst, finance analyst, utility finance director

Puts approved rates into effect accurately and tests proposed ones.

Sees

  • Rate schedules and their version history
  • Billed consumption and revenue by class
  • Rate impact test results

Does

  • Configures rate schedules with effective dates and the approving ordinance reference
  • Runs rate impact tests on past usage
  • Prepares rate analysis for council
  • Checks first bills under a new rate

Cannot

  • Put a rate into effect without supervisor approval
  • Adjust individual bills
  • Edit reads
Approvals
New or changed rate schedules are approved by the billing supervisor or finance director before their effective date.
Notified about
Rate changes approved and test runs completed.

Auditor (read-only)

Internal auditor, external auditor, utility commission reviewer (under temporary access)

Reviews billing records and controls without being able to change anything.

Sees

  • Accounts, bills and adjustments within the granted scope
  • Rate schedule history
  • The audit trail

Does

  • Searches and reads records within scope
  • Exports records with each export logged

Cannot

  • Change, approve or delete anything
  • Keep access after it expires
Approvals
Access is approved by the billing supervisor or an administrator with a scope and end date.
Notified about
Nothing by default.

Administrator

Utility systems administrator, IT administrator

Manages users, roles, feeds and configuration without changing billing records.

Sees

  • Users, roles and limits
  • Feed status from head-end systems
  • The record of permission changes

Does

  • Adds and removes users or maps them from single sign-on groups
  • Monitors data feeds
  • Maintains reason codes and queues
  • Runs access review reports

Cannot

  • Edit reads, bills or rates
  • Grant themselves a billing role without the billing supervisor
Approvals
Role changes that grant adjustment or approval rights are approved by the billing supervisor.
Notified about
Feed failures, access reviews due and unused accounts.

Permissions at a glance

ActionBilling spec.Billing super.Customer svcMeter opsRate analystAuditorAdmin
Resolve read exceptionsOwn work onlyFullNo accessView onlyNo accessView onlyNo access
Edit reads on a billed cycleNo accessApprovesNo accessNo accessNo accessNo accessNo access
Review detection flagsView onlyView onlyView onlyFullNo accessView onlyNo access
Send customer leak alertsNo accessFullNo accessFullNo accessNo accessNo access
Request adjustmentsFullFullOwn work onlyNo accessNo accessNo accessNo access
Approve adjustments above limitNo accessApprovesNo accessNo accessNo accessNo accessNo access
Approve a bill runNo accessApprovesNo accessNo accessNo accessNo accessNo access
Configure rate schedulesNo accessApprovesNo accessNo accessFullView onlyNo access
Run rate impact testsNo accessFullNo accessNo accessFullView onlyNo access
View audit trailNo accessView onlyNo accessNo accessView onlyView onlyView only
Manage users and rolesNo accessApprovesNo accessNo accessNo accessNo accessFull
  • Full
  • Own work only
  • Approves
  • View only
  • No access

How access is controlled

  • Separation is built in: nobody approves an adjustment or rate change they prepared themselves, and bill runs are approved by a supervisor before bills are issued.
  • Roles are configured with you during implementation. You can rename them, add custom roles, set adjustment limits by role, and limit staff by utility, service type or district.
  • Every permission change is recorded with who made it and when, and access review reports list each person's roles for periodic review.
  • Staff sign in through your identity provider and roles can follow its groups. Auditors get temporary read-only access with a defined scope and an end date.

Features

What it does

Meter data validation

Rules for gaps, spikes, zero use, reverse flow and meter changes, with every estimate marked and the method recorded.

Leak and continuous-use alerts

Accounts with use that never drops to zero over the period you set are flagged for staff review and, if you choose, for a customer alert.

Outage and communication flags

Meters that stop reporting are grouped by area and feeder or pressure zone, so staff can tell a single failed meter from a wider problem.

Rate configuration

Tiered, seasonal, time-of-use and fixed charges set up from your approved rate schedules, with effective dates and version history.

Rate impact testing

Run a proposed rate against past usage to see its effect on bills by customer class before it goes to your governing body.

Bill run review

Bills that differ sharply from the account's history are held for review before the run is approved and issued.

Customer portal

Customers see daily or hourly usage, bills and alerts, set alert preferences and pay through your processor's payment page.

Account history

Every read, estimate, adjustment, bill and payment on one account timeline, for disputes and audits.

Exception queues

Validation failures, held bills and detection flags in work queues by type and age, with reason codes for each outcome.

Field work orders

Meter checks, repairs and leak visits created from an exception or alert and sent to your work order system.

Assistance programs

Discounts, payment plans and assistance program enrollments applied to accounts under the rules your utility sets.

Audit trail

Every rate change, read edit, estimate, adjustment and bill run recorded with who did it and when.

Integrations

How it connects to your systems

Connects toHowWhat flows
Meter head-end systemsInterval and register reads, meter events and communication status from your AMI or AMR head-end systems, mapped during implementation.In: reads, meter events and communication status on your schedule.
Existing customer information systemWhere you keep your current billing system, the Hub can send validated usage to it instead of rating bills itself.Out: validated usage by account and period. In: account and rate assignments.
Payment processorPayments are taken on your processor's payment page and posted to the account. Moraph does not hold funds or store card details.In: payment confirmations. Out: amounts due.
Financial systemBilled revenue, adjustments and payments posted to your general ledger.Out: journal entries by fund, rate class and period.
Work order and asset managementField checks, meter repairs and leak visits sent to your work order system, with the outcome returned.Out: work orders. In: completion status and field findings.
GISService locations, pressure zones and feeders from your GIS, so flags can be viewed and grouped on a map.In: service points and network layers.
Bill print and notificationBill files sent to your print vendor, and email or text notices for bills and alerts through your chosen provider.Out: bill print files and notification requests.
Single sign-onStaff sign in through your identity provider (SAML or OpenID Connect); customers use portal accounts with two-step verification.In: user identity and group membership for role assignment.

Each integration is confirmed in discovery and specified in the design. See how an engagement progresses.

Security and privacy

How your data is protected

Separate access for customers and staff

Customers see only their own accounts; staff see what their role allows.

Staff single sign-on

Staff sign in through your identity provider, so your own sign-in and multi-factor policies apply.

Encryption and keys

Meter, account and billing data is encrypted, with keys Moraph staff cannot use without explicit, time-bound authorization.

No card data held

Payments are taken on your processor's payment page. Moraph does not store card details, hold funds or move money.

Audit trail

Every read edit, estimate, rate change, adjustment and bill run recorded with who made it and when, and cannot be edited.

US hosting and assurance

Hosted in Moraph's United States region, under the controls covered by Moraph's SOC 2 Type II report and ISO/IEC 27001 certification.

Company-wide controls, independent audits (SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001) and data residency are described in our Trust Center, where you can request the evidence pack.

Reporting

What you can report on

10 standard reports, grouped by who uses them. Each shows who it is for, how it can be broken down, how it is delivered and what it is used for. The data behind them is also available to your own reporting tools.

Operational

Read validation and exceptions

For billing specialists and supervisor

Reads received, passed, estimated and failed by rule, and exceptions still open for the cycle.

Break down by
Cycle, Service type, Rule, Status, Age
Delivered as
Live dashboard; CSV export
Used for
Clearing exceptions before the billing date.

Detection flags

For meter operations staff

Possible leaks, stopped meters, tampering and communication losses, with status and outcome.

Break down by
Flag type, Area, Service type, Outcome
Delivered as
Live dashboard; map layer; CSV export
Used for
Prioritizing field work and customer contact.

Meter communication health

For meter operations staff

Meters reporting, late and not reporting, by area and meter type.

Break down by
Area, Meter type, Days since last read
Delivered as
Live dashboard; CSV export
Used for
Finding failing meters and network problems before they affect bills.

Billing and revenue

Bill run summary

For billing supervisor, finance

Accounts billed, held, estimated and total billed for each cycle, with approval history.

Break down by
Cycle, Service type, Rate class
Delivered as
PDF; CSV export
Used for
Approving each run and reconciling with the ledger.

Consumption and revenue by rate class

For rate analysts, finance director

Billed consumption, revenue and account counts by rate class, tier and time-of-use period.

Break down by
Rate class, Tier or period, Month, Service type
Delivered as
Live dashboard; CSV export
Used for
Revenue tracking and rate studies.

Adjustments and credits

For billing supervisor, auditors

Every adjustment and credit with its reason, amount, requester and approver.

Break down by
Reason, Staff member, Approver, Period
Delivered as
Live view; CSV and PDF export
Used for
Controlling adjustments and evidencing approvals.

Customer

Disputes and requests

For customer service and billing supervisors

Disputes and adjustment requests logged, their status and time to resolution.

Break down by
Reason, Status, Channel, Period
Delivered as
Live dashboard; CSV export
Used for
Finding recurring billing issues and keeping requests moving.

Portal and alert use

For customer service manager

Customers registered for the portal, alert preferences set and alerts sent by type.

Break down by
Alert type, Channel, Customer class
Delivered as
Live dashboard
Used for
Planning outreach so more customers see their usage and alerts.

Audit

Rate change history

For rate analysts, auditors, elected officials

Every rate schedule version with its effective dates, approving ordinance reference, and who configured and approved it.

Break down by
Rate schedule, Effective date, Approver
Delivered as
Live view; PDF export
Used for
Showing that bills were calculated under the rates in force.

Audit trail extract

For auditors

Who changed what and when for a selected account, cycle, rate or period.

Break down by
Record, User, Action, Date range
Delivered as
On request in the product; CSV and PDF export
Used for
Answering audit and public-records requests without assembling evidence by hand.

Exports, access and evidence

  • Every report can be exported to CSV, and summary and audit reports to PDF. Reports can be scheduled to arrive by email for the people entitled to see them.
  • Each report can be filtered and the filters saved, so supervisors and analysts keep their own views.
  • Usage, billing and flag data is available through the Moraph Work API for your data warehouse or business intelligence tools.
  • Reports respect each viewer's role; customer personal details are shown only to roles that need them.
  • Audit reports can be run as of a past date and give the same result each time. Running and exporting a report is itself recorded.

Deployment

Where and how it runs

Moraph cloud

Hosted by Moraph in the United States region.

Dedicated environment

Single-tenant hosting for utilities whose policies require it, scoped in the proposal.

Alongside your billing system

Used for meter data validation, detection and the customer portal, sending validated usage to the billing system you keep.

With a managed service

Optionally run with a Moraph managed service for rate changes, feed monitoring and platform administration.

Security controls, independent audits and data residency are set out in our Trust Center. Engagement models and what drives a quotation are on Working with Moraph.

Implementation

What a rollout involves

The general phases are on Working with Moraph. For this product, they involve the following.

Data mapping

We map your meter, account, premise and rate data to the Hub and agree the feeds from your head-end systems. We need sample extracts and contacts from your meter and billing teams.

Validation rules

Validation and estimation rules are set to match your procedures and meter types, and reviewed with your billing supervisor.

Rate configuration

Your approved rate schedules are configured and tested against past bills, and differences are reviewed with your rate analyst.

Detection tuning

Leak, stopped-meter and outage flags are tuned on your historical data so staff review flags worth acting on.

Parallel billing

Where the Hub replaces your billing calculation, it runs alongside your current system for the cycles you choose and differences are reconciled before cutover.

Training and launch

Billing, customer service and meter staff are trained on their own work, and the customer portal is launched with the communications you approve.

Limitations

What it does not do

Worth knowing before you evaluate it.

  • The Hub does not install, read or operate meters or their communication network. It uses the data your head-end systems provide.
  • It does not control the water or electric network, and it is not an outage management or SCADA system. Outage flags are based on meters losing contact and need confirmation by your operators.
  • Leak and tampering flags are indications for staff to review, not findings. Detection depends on read frequency and data quality.
  • Rates are set by your governing body. The Hub applies the rates you configure; it does not design or approve them.
  • Moraph does not hold funds, take payments or store card details. Payments go through your payment processor.
  • Disconnection, collections and deposit decisions are made by your staff under your policies and any rules that apply to your utility.
  • Gas metering and wholesale energy settlement are not included.
  • Customer usage and alerts in the portal are only as current as the reads delivered by your head-end systems.

Evaluation checklist

What to test in a demonstration or pilot

Questions worth putting to us, and to any other vendor you are considering.

  1. Load a sample of your own anonymized interval data and compare validation results with your current exception list
  2. Configure one of your current rate schedules and compare calculated bills with bills you have issued
  3. Review a sample of leak flags with your meter staff and judge which were worth acting on
  4. Ask a customer service representative to resolve a mock dispute from the account history
  5. Test the customer portal on a phone with a screen reader
  6. Confirm role separation: who can edit reads, approve adjustments and approve a bill run

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Who owns the meter and customer data?

Your utility does. How it is returned to you and deleted at the end of the agreement is set out in the contract.

Do we have to replace our billing system?

No. The Hub can validate meter data, flag leaks and run the customer portal while sending validated usage to the billing system you keep, or it can calculate bills itself.

Which meters does it work with?

It takes data from head-end systems by file or API. Which of your systems and formats are supported is confirmed during scoping.

How is it priced?

As a subscription, usually based on the number of metered service points, with implementation charged separately. See Working with Moraph for what drives a quotation.

Can customers get leak alerts?

Yes, if you choose. Staff review flags first, or you can allow automatic alerts for flag types you trust; customers set how they want to be contacted.

Is there an accessibility conformance report?

Ask for one through the procurement request form at /how-to-buy/request, naming the version you are evaluating.

Next steps

Evaluate Smart Utility Metering & Billing Hub

Book a demonstration

See the product working with sample data, focused on your workflows.

Request a demonstration

Request a technical briefing

Architecture, integrations, security and hosting, with our engineers and your technical team.

Request a briefing

Factsheet

This page on two sides, to share with colleagues or add to your evaluation file.

Open the factsheet

Buying through a formal procurement? See How to buy for purchasing routes, accessibility conformance reports and company information. Documentation: Smart Utility Metering & Billing Hub guides on docs.moraph.com (getting started and security guides are public; setup, administration and integration guides are for client accounts). Support: Smart Utility Metering & Billing Hub support guide.

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