The purpose of the GAS MANager software program is to generate Gas Bills based on the amount of gas consumed, either actual or estimated, over a billing period.  Since the initial release of GAS MANager in 1997, the software has been expanded to allow for the management of additional information that is not directly required in the preparation of Gas Bills, but is important in the operation of a natural gas co-op.

The best way to learn about GAS MANager is to download the Evaluation Version of the software.  The evaluation version of GAS MANager is available, free of charge.  This version of the software will operate only for a limited time, but any information that is added to the database can be retained in the event that you decide to purchase the software.  The evaluation version of the GAS MANager is fully functional and has not had any  features disabled.  An evaluation version of GAS MANager can be obtained from the GAS MANager Downloads page.  To obtain a CD containing an evaluation version of GAS MANager, send us a completed order form and indicate "Evaluation" as the desired version. 

If you would prefer to get more information about the software before trying it, then browse through the GAS MANager User Guide.  This document contains all of the information that is necessary to begin using GAS MANager.

The GAS MANager User Guide. is in PDF format so you will need a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader in order to view the tutorial.  If you don't already have Acrobat Reader installed, you can download the free reader from Adobe. 

Although it was initially developed for use by natural gas co-ops, GAS MANager can be used as a billing system for any metered consumption based utility, such as water.

GAS MANager has been constructed on the theory that there are several related entities, or pieces of information, that must be combined in order to produce the gas bill.

Customer - A customer is any person or company who requires an account and/or who is a landlord of an account holder.

Meter - A list of all meters owned by the Co-op regardless of whether they are located at the Co-op or are installed at a service location.

Service Location or Utility - The service location is the physical location where a meter will be or has been installed. In GAS MANager the service location is referred to as the Utility.

Billing Information or Profile - The billing information includes all charges and penalties that are applicable to a single customer or a group of customers. In GAS MANager the billing information is referred to as a Profile.

A/R Account - The Accounts Receivable account brings together the above entities. It links a customer to a specific billing profile and can link a customer to a Utility.

Easy Customer Maintenance - Since the customer record is separate from the A/R Account, only one customer record needs to be created. The customer can then be linked to one, or more, A/R Accounts. When a customer changes their mailing address, only one customer record needs to be updated.

Complete Meter Listing - Because the meter is considered to be a separate entity from the Utility information, a complete listing of all meters can be maintained.

Complete Utility Listing - Since the utility is separate from the meter and A/R account, a complete listing of all utilities can also be maintained. As soon as a service location is established, a utility record can be created. Then, when an A/R account is set up, the utility can be linked to it. Similarly, when a meter is installed at the service location, it can also be linked to the Utility.

Grouping of Billing Information into Profiles - A group of customer accounts that are subject to the same charges and penalties can be grouped under a single profile. A customer who is subject to unique billing charges and penalties can be setup under a separate profile. When a change to a billing rate is necessary, a single change to the profile affects all accounts that are members of that profile.

 

Estimating Consumption - Consumption can be manually estimated, or the billing program can estimate consumption using the following methods:

Balanced (Budget) Billing - The Balanced Billing amount includes the monthly billed consumption, operating charge plus applicable taxes. During each billing, the equalization amount is calculated and printed on the bill. On the annual anniversary of the Balanced Billing start date, any outstanding equalization is applied to the account and a new budget amount is calculated based on the past year’s consumption.  The budget billing payment calculator provides a means of determining a reasonable budgeted payment amount based on the customers consumption history.  

Security Deposits - Security Deposits can be recorded on the customer’s account. An interest rate is specified in the account’s profile. During each billing, the accrued interest is calculated and stored in the account. The deposit and/or interest can be applied to the customer’s account at any time using the Apply Security Deposit option.

Multiple Billing Cycles - This allows customers to be processed in different billing cycles. The last billed date is maintained for each cycle.

Penalties - Penalties are defined by Billing Profile. Penalty types include a fixed dollar amount, a monthly percentage rate or a monthly percentage rate with a minimum penalty charge. The penalty can be compounded and a minimum account balance to charge penalty on can be specified. The penalty period can either be since the last bill date or a specific number of days prior to the current billing date can be entered.

Material Sales - The sale of merchandise can be recorded in GAS MANager and either shown on the Gas Bill or on a separate statement.

AMR Interface - Import meter readings from an AMR service provider.

Prorating of Consumption - GAS MANager satisfies the requirements of the Alberta Natural Gas Rebate Program by providing the ability to prorate month-end consumption on consumption per day basis, or on the basis of heating degree days.

Gas Bill features:

Patronage Rebate Invoices - A rebate can be applied to gas customers based on consumption over a specified period of time. The rebate invoices are calculated, and upon approval, are posted to the customer accounts.

Gas Contracts - The sale of gas to large commercial users with price changes at pre-defined consumption thresholds is accommodated.