Meter Reading Control 
During meter reading order creation, you control the sequence of meter readings of different categories. You have the following options:
You can enter a fixed schedule in the schedule master record for the meter reading unit. When you create orders, select the Use MR cat. from sched. rec. field. The system then creates meter reading orders for meter readings in the category you have entered.
Example
You want to read meters every month. To reduce the number of meter readers, you allow for two estimations and one subsequent reading by a meter reader. You enter meter reading dates for each month with the corresponding schedule meter reading categories in the meter reading unit. The sequence of the dates is retained even if the customer moves out, for example.
You can define meter reading control settings in Customizing under Device Management -> Meter Reading -> Basic Settings . During mass order creation, you enter a scheduled meter reading category. The system checks whether meter reading control settings permit this meter reading category for the installation and then creates meter reading orders for the installations accordingly.
Example
You want to allow each installation to be read by the customer twice and then once by the meter reader. You define meter reading control settings accordingly in Customizing and enter them in the installation. You perform mass order creation twice for each meter reading, the first time with customer reading as the scheduled meter reading category, and the second time with meter reading by the utility as the scheduled category.
Meter reading date |
30.09. |
30.10. |
30.11. |
Installation 1 |
MR by customer |
MR by customer |
MR by utility |
Installation 2 |
MR by customer |
MR by utility (move-in/out) |
MR by customer |
One order each is created for 09/30 and 10/30 during the first order creation run for installation 1. Meter reading control settings no longer allow this for 11/30, however. A meter reading order is not created for the installation until the second order creation run.
The utility company reads meters on 10/30 for installation 2 because the customer has moved out. A meter reading order is created for 11/30 during the first order creation run as permitted by meter reading control settings.