Additional Meters (Add / Subtract)
Some services need more than one meter to calculate consumption correctly. Additional Meters let you attach extra meters to a metered service, and choose whether each one adds to or subtracts from the primary meter's reading when the bill is calculated.
A common use case is an irrigation meter: its usage should count toward water charges but not toward sewer, since that water never goes down the drain. Attaching it as a Subtract meter on the sewer service backs that usage out of the total before the bill is calculated.
How to Add One
- Go to the location and open the metered service you want to configure (Services > select the service > Edit).
- Make sure a Primary Meter is already selected.
- Click Add Additional Meter.
- Select the meter from the Additional Meter dropdown.
- Set the Purpose:
- Add: the meter's consumption is added to the primary meter's consumption.
- Subtract: the meter's consumption is subtracted from the total.
- Repeat to attach more meters if needed.
- Save the service.
A meter already in use as the primary meter or as another additional meter on this service won't show up again in the dropdown.
How It Affects Billing
When a bill is generated, total consumption for the service is calculated as the primary meter's reading, plus every Add meter's reading, minus every Subtract meter's reading. That combined total is what gets billed against the rate structure, not each meter individually.
FAQ
Can I remove an additional meter later? Yes. Open the service, and use the delete icon next to the meter in the list.
What happens if an additional meter doesn't get a read for a billing cycle? It's treated as zero consumption for that meter for that cycle.
Can the same meter be used as an additional meter on more than one service? No, a meter can only be assigned once, either as a primary meter or as an additional meter, on a given service configuration.
Does this show up on the customer's bill as separate line items? No. The primary and additional meters are combined into a single consumption total for the service, so the customer sees one usage figure, not a breakdown per meter.