Weighting Procedure
You can only extrapolate from a base period, if it is representative. Whether
a period is representative or not is a result of the original weighting
procedure.
Weighting procedures are internal procedures that are used
during extrapolation and proration of existing meter reading results or
period consumption and period demand to determine the expected values.
Features
The weighting procedure is predefined as one of the following:
Linear weighting
Weighting of energy feeding
Degree day weighting
Sprinkling water portion
General weighting
You must make the following definitions for the weighting procedures in
Customizing:
Define Weighting Keys
You define the weighting key in Customizing for SAP Utilities under
Device Management Meter Reading Weighting Procedures Define
Weighting Key(s) .
You can allocate customer-specific weighting keys to the weighting
procedures provided by SAP.
For more information, see the documentation in Customizing.
Weighting Unit
You define the weighting units in Customizing for SAP Utilities under
Device Management Meter Reading Weighting Procedures User-
Defined Weighting Define Weighting Units .
A weighting unit is a fixed value, such as a feeding volume of energy or
water delivered in the service territory during the period specified.
The periods for the distribution of weighting units are indicated by month
and day, and are not dependent on the year.
The weighting portion of a period is the result of the ratio of the weighting
units for that period to the weighting units for the year.
Example
The total of the weighting units for one year is 1,000.
Weighting units valid from 01.01. (100) : Total of the weighting units (1,000)
= Weighting portion from 01.01. to 01.02. (10%)
For more information, see the documentation in Customizing.
You must also make the following entries in the menu for the Utilities
Industry:
Minimum portion in percent
You enter the minimum portion in percent in the rate. You can find the rate
in the menu for the Utilities Industry under Billing Master Data .
The minimum portion in percent is used to determine the minimum
requirements to ensure the base period is representative.
If you enter a small minimum portion in percent, the system uses meter
reading results from a short period for the extrapolation.
If you enter the value 100 percent for the minimum portion in percent, the
system only uses existing meter reading results as the basis for the
extrapolation if they are available for a complete billing period.
Period length of portion
You enter the period length in the portion. You find the portion in the menu
for the Utilities Industry under Scheduling Scheduling Master Record .
The period length of the portion determines the interval in which the
corresponding contracts are billed.
Linear Weighting
The linear weighting procedure does not take seasonal fluctuations into
account. For linear weighting, the weighting units are distributed evenly
over the year, and the system takes one weighting unit into account for
each day. The total of the weighting values is 365 days for one year, or 366
days for a leap year.
Energy Feeding or Degree Day Weighting
This weighting procedure takes seasonal fluctuations into account.
The sum of the weightings for one year is 1,000.
The weighting portion for the month of January is 200 : 1,000 = 20%
The weighting portion for the month of February is 150 : 1.000 = 15%
.
User-Defined Weighting
You can define your own weighting procedures in addtion to those
predefined by SAP.
The sum of the weightings for one year is 1,200.
The weighting portions for the months from January to December
are : 1,200.
Mixed Weighting Procedure
The mixed weighting procedure also takes seasonal fluctuations into
account.
You enter the weighting key for an energy feeding or degree day weighting
procedure or for the sprinkling water share in the rate and enter
a consumption portion to be weighted as a linear value or
a consumption portion to be weighted as a percentage.
The consumption potion to be rated as a linear value is a fixed value for
each day, that is not weighted independently of the linear weighting
procedure for extrapolation (for example 5 weighting units a day).
The consumption potion to be rated as a percentage is a percentage share
of the total weighting units for each day, which is distributed as a linear
value for the extrapolation independently of the weighting procedure (such
as 20% of the weighting total for each day).
In the case of the water division, it specifies the absolute sprinkling water or
percentage of this not applied in the waste water calculation. The difference
between the amount of fresh water used and this sprinkling water portion
yields the portion of waste water to be billed.
If you enter a consumption portion to be weighted as a linear value, you
should also enter the period in which this portion is to be observed for the
weighting.
The sum of the weightings for one year is 1,100.
The weighting portion for the month of Januray is 150 : 1,100.
The weighting portion for the month of February is 125 : 1.100.
.
Determining Whether a Period is Representative
Whether a base period is representative or not is determined as follows:
Minimum portion in percent * Length of meter reading period
= Minimum length of base period
or
Weighting portion of period = Minimum portion
Example
The following meter reading reasons exist:
Periodic meter reading
Final meter reading
Meter reading at move-in (M)
Meter reading at installation (I)
Interim meter reading without billing (Y)
Interim meter reading with billing (Z)
Control meter reading
The period length of the portion is 1 year (365 days)
The minimum portion defined in the rate is 50%
The minimum requirements to determine whether the base period is
representative are determined in the following way:
Minimum portion in percent (50%) * Length of meter reading period (365
days)
= Minimum length of base period (182.5 days)
In the example, the previous period must be at least 182.5 days long to be
representative.
or
Weighting portion of period = Minimum portion
In the example, the base period must have a minimum weighting portion of
50%.
The period from P to Y is not representative because it does not have the
minimum weighting portion (only 20% rather than the required 50%). This
means that this period alone cannot be used as a basis for extrapolation.
The system goes back to the next meter reading (I). The period from P to I
is representative because it has a weighting portion of 20% + 60% = 80%.
The period from P to I can be used as a basis for extrapolation.
