SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The CPS payment system comprises payment meters (CPS 05, CPS 08), payment points (DPS), data carriers (chip card, chip key) and the V 8 accounting software.

The working principle is that of the customer buying from the energy supplier on advance payment a data carrier holding his individual accounting data. If the data carrier is accepted by the payment meter, all data are transmitted from the data carrier to the payment meter, and the actual meter data are transmitted to the data carrier. The current is released and the credit is reduced subject to the accounting data. When the credit is used up, the meter will be switched off within a preset period of time. A granted credit may by activated, which will immediately be offset against the credit balance of the following data carrier. The utility may block or activate the payment meters and read out data by means of a special data carrier.


Advantages of the CPS payment meter

The payment meters are operated by means of a chip key or a chip card. A sophisticated and well-tried technology allows communication with the payment meter. The following information is exchanged between the utility and the payment meter by each customer data carrier:

From utility to prepayment meter	From prepayment meter to utility
- Customer number	- Customer number
- Meter number	- Meter number
- Mode	- Meter count high tariff, with date
- Credit balance	- Meter count low tariff, with date
- Credit reserve	- Monthly maximum consumption with time and date
- kWh rate high tariff	- Tampering information with time and date
- kWh rate low tariff	- Remaining debt amount
- Collection based on kWh rate	- Remaining credit balance
- Collection of daily rate
- Collection of daily basic meter cost
- Debt amount
- Daily period of non-disconnection
- Weekend – without disconnection
- Holidays – without disconnection   (Jan. 1st, May 1st, Oct. 10th,Dec. 24th, 25th    and 26th)
- Freely selectable days – without disconnection

                                              

Benefits for the sales accounting department

- No danger of theft, as no cash in machine
- No labour costs for emptying the cashholder
- Customer pays in advance
- Collection system (for example to collect prior debts)
- Customer will regularly call on the utility
- Permanent access to offset mode
- Issue of data carrier, e.g. by social services
- Annual settlement through integrated certified meter
- Software for WINDOWS 9X, 2000, NT, and XP
- for Access and Sybase databases


Benefits for the technical services

Payment meter		CPS 05	CPS 08	CPS 08	CPS 08M
External electricity meter		10(60)A	5(60)A	5(100)A	5//1 A
Nominal voltage		1 x 230V	3 x 230/400V	3 x 230/400V	3 x 230/400V
Switching current		1 x 60A	3 x 60A	3 x 100A
Switching capacity		13kW	40kW	65kW
Tariffs		1 and 2	1 and 2	1 and 2	1 and 2

Benefits for the customer

Easy operation High level of discretion Several non-disconnection periods Display of remaining credit balance Display of remaining debt Display of number of days of current consumption (forecast)

Accounting methods based on the CPS system

Customer-specific payment in advance

The utility will store the following data in the meter by means of a masterdisk:

Customer number Meter number Number of pulses per kWh Transformer factor Meter count (high tariff) Meter count (low tariff)

The unit will only accept customer datacarriers with the stored customer number.

The customer will purchase from the utility a customer data carrier that holds the following data:

Customer number Credit balance Credit kWh rate high tariff kWh rate low tariff Daily rate per 24hrs. Basic meter costs (per 24hrs.) Extra charge per kWh Arrears No disconnection (credit) during the time between...and No disconnection (credit) on weekends and public holidays No disconnection (credit) on the days between...and

When the customer data carrier is inserted, the customer number is verified. If it is correct, all data will be transferred from the customer data carrier to the meter, and the actual meter data will be written on the data carrier, which is then invalidated. The current is released, and the credit balance is reduced subject to the kWh rate, the electrical energy consumed, and the collection data. In case the credit balance amounts to zero, current supply will be stopped. The granted credit may be activated by pressing a button. When the new customer data carrier is inserted, the credit will immediately be deducted from the new credit balance. Thus, the payment meter will automatically regulate credit redemption..

Collection

The basic meter cost may be entered as the fixed daily payment on account, which will be debited from the credit balance every 24 hours, irrespective of the credit balance amount. If there are accounts receivable from the customer, the respective amount will be entered on the data carrier as arrears and stored in the payment meter. The CPS meter offers two options for collecting customer payments (gas and electricity).

Daily rate
This amount is deducted every 24 hours from the arrears and the credit balance, irrespective of the credit balance amount. When the arrears amount to zero, the meter will cease collecting the daily rate. The customer may at any time view on the display the remaining amount of arrears.

Extra charge per kWh
This amount is added to the low tariff and the high tariff working rates, which results in the credit being redeemed during current consumption. The total amount, kWh rate plus extra charge, will be deducted from the credit balance per kWh consumed and the extra charge will be deducted from the arrears. When the arrears amount to zero, the meter will cease collecting the extra charge. The customer may at any time view on the display the remaining amount of arrears.

 
Advantages of customer specific payment in advance

Customer number Individual accounting No increase of accumulated debts Redemption of accumulated arrears Amounts paid are payments on account Permanent access to offset mode (each customer data carrier will contain the kWh rates and the collection data). Customer will regularly call on the utility

Neutral payment in advance

In case of neutral payment in advance, the accounting data parameters are preset by means of the master datacarrier. There will be fixed-amount data carriers with different credit balance amounts, which will be offered at various distribution points.

The utility will store the following data in the unit by means of a master disk:

Number of pulses per kWh (meter parameters) Transformer factor (meter parameters) kWh rate high tariff kWh rate low tariff Meter number Meter count high tariff Meter count low tariff Daily rate Basic meter cost Extra charge per kWh Arrears No disconnection (credit) during the time between... and No disconnection (credit) on weekends and public holidays on identical dates No disconnection (credit) on the days between... and Utility number

The unit will accept any fixed-amount data carrier, which contains the following data:

Credit balance Utility number

When the fixed-amount data carrier has been inserted, all data are transmitted from the data carrier to the meter, and the actual meter data are transmitted to the data carrier, which is then invalidated. The current is released, and the credit balance is reduced subject to the kWh rate, the electrical energy consumed, and the collection data. When the credit balance amounts to zero, current supply will be stopped.

The invalidated data carriers will be returned to the utility via the distribution points for re-validation, during which procedure the meter data are read out, registered and evaluated.

Benefits

The voucher datacarrier is accepted by any meter Sale or transfer of fixed-amount data carriers possible Preprogramming of datacarriers Datacarriers for different amounts Various distribution points (e.g. social services, petrol station, bank, post office, etc.)