Metadigm Services has announced a one-year partnership with Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) to provide MetaTest Revenue Site Maintenance or current transfer (CT) meter testing services to its 51 municipal electric utilities in Georgia.

Billing accuracy and lost revenue are primary drivers for CT meter testing. Metadigm Services' MetaTest Revenue Site Maintenance program has recovered more than $12 million in annualized revenues for electric utilities since 1990. Metadigm's MetaTest program identifies lost revenues and ensures system accuracy.

Metadigm's MetaTest program is based on a number of comprehensive and specialized tests performed and developed specifically by Metadigm to uncover hard-to-find problems.

"Many test companies perform a simple burden test. In contrast, Metadigm technicians perform a 'Ratio Burden Test' which can detect burden errors with much greater accuracies," Steve Hallock, Senior Vice President Marketing and Product Innovation, Metadigm Services, told FierceEnergy. "This difference of testing philosophy and procedures, among others, are what set Metadigm's MetaTest testing program apart from all other testing services. Metadigm technicians take great pride in going 'out-of-the-way' to look for and identify actual or potential revenue loss problems. Finally, the MetaTest program represents a complete package which includes testing and corrective actions whenever possible."

Accuracy in customer billing is essential both to the utility and utility customer. CT meter testing involves a utility's most important commercial and industrial customers and it is imperative that proper metering for actual usage is being applied.

"There is tremendous focus on the electrical industry around creating a smart grid and ensuring that the heaviest users of energy are being properly monitored is a first step towards making a utility's grid more energy efficient. Metadigm's MetaTest allows the utility to be smarter regarding management of end-user metering assets," Hallock said. "A more efficient energy system starts with proper monitoring and billing. Any savings resulting from recovered revenue loss represents real savings to all customers of a utility system."

Reducing lost revenue and creating a more efficient distribution system puts utilities in a positive light with local government and business.

"Competing for new business in any market is tough in the current environment and doing everything you can to position yourself as a proactive and responsible utility in front of new business prospects benefits the utility, local businesses and the consumers in a local community," Hallock said.