Managing Utilities - Expert Agent Documentation

You can configure as many utility types as you want to - gas, electric, cable tv, phone, LPG, Oil etc etc.

Set them up in Tools>Configuration>setup prompts - see the Utility Types setup article.

You then need to set up the Utility Companies themselves. These are general contact records - go to tool>Contacts to see the grid and add options - the Contacts article gives you more information.

When you've done all this, you are now ready to start entering Utilities and meter readings onto your property records and/or tenancies.

Utility details are stored on the property records because the the meters are physical devices bolted to the property. The meters and meter readings transcend individual tenancies. So, you can edit utilities in the property form or the tenancy for. We think the only time you'd use the property's utilities page tab is when you have a void. All the main functionality relating to utilities is in the tenancy form.

The utilities page tab in a tenancy is just a mirror of the utilities page tab in a property.

However, a tenancy has record meter readings tab in the tenancy's right-click action menu

That displays the same form that is displayed if you edit a Utility via the property or tenancy's page tab but with one big difference - the Create a letter option which as with all such options in Expert Agent permits a letter and/or email to be sent.

If you change the meter readings, previous meter readings will get logged in the property's events (so therefore show in tenancy events) with the event type set to meter reading. This gives you an ongoing snapshot record.

If you tick the Create a Letter option you will be presented with the usual tenancy letters form. Choose a suitable output - probably an HTML one these days, suitable for emailing. If you need to set it up, you'll find a meter reading section in the merge fields list. Generate your output, click email - make sure you choose the correct recipient - the required utility company - and send it. It will be logged in events in the usual way.