System and method for providing utility consumption as shown on periodic utility bills and associated carbon emissions

• US 9,117,248 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emeter (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Emeter (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: King, Christopher Slaboszewicz
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US12/191,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/34, 705/40, 705/412, 700/291, 700/300, 700/296, 700/266, 700/288, 700/286, 700/33, 345/440, 703/6, 324/103.R, 340/870.02, 375/260, 455/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Utility usage data of a customer in numeric form provided by the utility meter data collection system in usage intervals of not less frequent than daily intervals is received, along with billing-related data of the customer. The received utility usage data of the customer is converted from numeric form to a graphical form that shows the total daily usage information for a calendar period that matches that for the printed utility bill of the customer. The graphical form is printed on the printed utility bill or on a paper suitable for use as an insert accompanying the printed utility bill to be mailed to the customer. In another embodiment, electricity usage data of the customer is received, along with electricity generation data regarding quantity and percentages of a utility'"'"'s total electricity generation attributable to at least two the following electricity generation sources: Natural Gas-Baseload, Natural Gas-Peaking, Coal, Hydro, Nuclear, and Renewable. Information is derived regarding proportion of the customer'"'"'s actual electricity usage attributable to the sources of electricity generation from the electricity generation data and the electricity usage data. Preferably, the carbon emissions attributable to the customer'"'"'s actual electricity usage is calculated and presented to the customer.

Claims

1. A data management system comprising:

a utility meter data collection system interface operative to receive utility usage data of at least one customer in numeric form provided by a utility meter data collection system in usage intervals of not less frequent than daily intervals;

a utility billing system interface operative to receive billing-related data of said at least one customer, said billing-related data of said at least one customer being suitable for use in preparation of a utility bill of said at least one customer for a calendar period;

a conversion application executable on a processor to convert the received utility usage data of said at least one customer from numeric form to a first graphical form that shows total daily usage information within each day of a billing reporting period of the utility bill of said at least one customer;

a synchronization application executable on the processor wherein meter read times of the utility usage data are synchronized via interpolation to fit time zone boundaries of the billing reporting period; and

means for delivering the first graphical form to the at least one customer.

2. The data management system of claim 1, said utility usage data of the at least one customer including electricity usage data of the at least one customer and the total daily usage information includes total daily electricity usage of the at least one customer, said data management system further comprising:

a third interface connected to an information provider and executed by a computer system for receiving from said provider electricity generation data regarding quantity and percentages of a utility'"'"'s total electricity generation attributable to at least two of the following electricity generation sources;

Natural Gas-Baseload, Natural Gas-Peaking, Coal, Hydro, Nuclear, and Renewable;

said processor executing a third application to derive information regarding proportion of the at least one customer'"'"'s actual daily electricity usage attributable to the sources of electricity generation by said utility from said electricity generation data and the total daily electricity usage of the at least one customer'"'"'s; and

said processor executing a fourth application to create from said information regarding proportion of at least one customer'"'"'s actual daily electricity usage attributable to the sources of electricity generation by said utility a second graphical form that shows the proportion of the at least one customer'"'"'s actual daily electricity usage attributable to the sources of electricity generation of said utility.

3. The data management system of claim 2, wherein said electricity generation data include data regarding quantities of carbon emissions per unit of electricity generated associated with the utility'"'"'s electricity generation sources, said processor executing a fourth application to derive quantities of carbon emissions attributable to the at least one customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage from said electricity generation data and the at least one customer'"'"'s electricity usage data.

4. The data management system of claim 3, wherein the at least one customer'"'"'s electricity usage data and said electricity generation data are for time intervals not less frequent than daily intervals, and said fourth application generates said quantities of carbon emissions attributable to the at least one customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage in a third graphical form.

5. The data management system of claim 4, wherein the third graphical form is in one or more colors, shadings or markings to indicate the quantities of carbon emissions attributable to the at least one customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage.

6. The data management system of claim 2, said interface connected to a utility meter data collection system receiving natural gas usage data of the at least one customer, said processor executing a fifth application to derive in graphical form quantities of carbon emissions caused by the at least one customer'"'"'s daily natural gas usage from the at least one customer'"'"'s natural gas electricity usage data.

7. The data management system of claim 2, wherein the second graphical form displays the proportion of the at least one customer'"'"'s actual electricity usage in one or more colors, shadings or markings to indicate the proportion of the at least one customer'"'"'s actual daily electricity usage produced by the sources of electricity generation of said utility.

8. The data management system of claim 1, utility usage data of said at least one customer including one or more of the following:

water, electricity and natural gas, said processor executing a third application to convert the received utility usage data of said at least one customer from numeric form to a second graphical form, wherein said delivering means prints said second graphical form on a printed utility bill or on paper.

9. The data management system of claim 1, said processor executing a third application to produce an electronic copy of the first graphical form and provides the electronic copy to said at least one customer electronically.

10. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the first graphical form displays data differently for weekdays compared to weekend days.

11. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the first graphical form displays data differently for holidays compared to other days.

12. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the first graphical form displays daily cost of the utility usage data of said at least one customer in one or more colors, shadings or markings to indicate portion of cost occurring at different prices for the utility used.

13. The data management system of claim 1, wherein said processor is adapted to execute the conversion application to synchronize the utility usage data to the daily intervals in the calendar period of the printed utility bill to obtain said total daily usage information.

14. The data management system of claim 1, wherein said processor is adapted to execute the first conversion application by employing interpolation in the synchronization.

15. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the delivering means includes a printer printing the first graphical form on a printed utility bill or on a paper suitable for use as an insert accompanying said printed utility bill to be mailed.

16. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the delivering means includes means for delivering the first graphical form with the utility bill electronically to the at least one customer.

25. The data management system of claim 1, wherein a processor executes the conversion application to interpolate the utility usage data so as to synchronize the utility usage data to the daily intervals in the calendar period of the printed utility bill to obtain said total daily usage information.

17. A data management system comprising:

a utility meter data collection system interface configured to receive electricity usage data of at least one customer;

an information provider interface configured to receive from a provider electricity generation data regarding quantity and percentages of a utility'"'"'s total electricity generation attributable to at least two of the following electricity generation sources;

Natural Gas-Baseload,

Natural Gas-Peaking,

Coal,

Hydro,

Nuclear, and

Renewable; and

a usage attribution application executing on a processor to calculate one or more proportions of the at least one customer'"'"'s actual daily electricity and attribute those proportions to the sources of electricity generation from the electricity generation data and the electricity usage data.

18. The data management system of claim 17, wherein said electricity generation data include data regarding quantities of carbon emissions per unit of electricity generated associated with the electricity generation sources, said processor executing a second application to derive quantities of carbon emissions attributable to a customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage from said electricity generation data and the at least one customer'"'"'s electricity usage data.

19. The data management system of claim 18, wherein the at least one customer'"'"'s electricity usage data and said electricity generation data are for time intervals not less frequent than daily intervals, and said processor executing said second application to generate said quantities of carbon emissions attributable to a customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage in graphical form.

20. The data management system of claim 19, wherein the at least one customer'"'"'s electricity usage data contains data regarding usage data during critical peak, on peak, mid-peak and off peaks times of time periods, and the electricity generation data include data regarding which one or more of the sources of electricity generation were used for electricity generation during said critical peak, on peak, mid-peak and off peaks times, said processor executing said second application to derive quantities of carbon emissions attributable to a customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage by taking into account the carbon emissions associated with the one or more sources of electricity generation used for electricity generation and the at least one customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage during said critical peak, on peak, mid-peak and off peaks times.

21. The data management system of claim 19, said interface connected to a utility meter data collection system receiving natural gas usage data of the at least one customer, said processor executing said second application to derive in graphical form quantities of carbon emissions attributable to a customer'"'"'s daily natural gas usage from the at least one customer'"'"'s natural gas electricity usage data.

22. A data management method comprising:

receiving at a computer system utility usage data of at least one customer in numeric form provided by a utility meter data collection system in usage intervals of not less frequent than daily intervals;

receiving at the computer system billing-related data of said at least one customer, said billing-related data of said at least one customer being suitable for use in preparation of a printed utility bill of said at least one customer for a calendar period;

the computer system converting the received utility usage data of said at least one customer from numeric form to a graphical form that shows total daily usage information within each day of a billing reporting period of the printed utility bill of said at least one customer;

the computer system synchronizing via interpolation meter read times of the utility usage data to fit time zone boundaries of the billing reporting period; and

the computer system printing the graphical form on said printed utility bill or on a paper suitable for use as an insert accompanying said printed utility bill to be mailed to the at least one customer.

23. A data management method comprising:

receiving at a computer system electricity usage data of at least one customer;

receiving at the computer system from a provider electricity generation data regarding quantity and percentages of a utility'"'"'s total electricity generation attributable to at least two of the following electricity generation sources;

Natural Gas-Baseload, Natural Gas-Peaking, Coal, Hydro, Nuclear, and Renewable; and

the computer system calculating one or more proportions of the at least one customer'"'"'s actual daily electricity usage and attributing those proportions to the sources of electricity generation from the electricity generation data and the electricity usage data.

24. The data management method of claim 23, wherein said electricity generation data include data regarding quantities of carbon emissions per unit of electricity generated associated with the electricity generation sources, said data management method further comprising the computer system calculating quantities of carbon emissions attributable to a customer'"'"'s daily electricity usage from said electricity generation data and the at least one customer'"'"'s electricity usage data.