How do I generate a tenant invoice from meter data instead of uploading a PDF?

Instead of uploading utility invoices as PDFs, you can generate tenant bills directly from your meter readings and energy spot prices. This is the meter data billing flow.

Prerequisites — what needs to be configured first

1. Analytics must be enabled — your account needs the Analytics extension active (either via subscription or free trial). Check Settings → Subscription → Extensions.

2. Meters must have data flowing — your building's meters need active data imports (via API connection, webhook, email, or file upload). Verify in Analytics → Data Import.

3. Meters must be linked to locals — building-level meters need distribution rules, or meters need to be directly assigned to locals. Check Buildings → Meters tab → verify assignment type and distribution.

4. Building must have a price zone — for electricity spot pricing. Check Buildings → edit building → Energy Price Zone field.

5. A billing template must exist — with billing source set to "meter_data" and surcharge configured. Go to Tenant Billing → Templates.

The system validates your setup

Before generating a bill, the platform checks each tenant's meter configuration:

• ✅ Tenant has assigned locals (units)
• ✅ Locals have meters (direct, allocated, or distributed)
• ✅ Meters have recent readings (last 90 days) If any check fails, the system reports specific issues so you can fix them.

Generating the bill

Go to Tenant Billing → Create Bill. Select the building, billing period, and template with meter_data source. The system:

1. Fetches consumption from each tenant's meters for the period
2. Applies allocation percentages (direct, local_allocation, or distribution)
3. Gets the spot price for the building's price zone (electricity) or unit price (other types)
4. Applies the surcharge percentage from your template
5. Calculates the total cost per tenant
6. Generates the bill with detailed line items showing consumption, rate, and cost

Where to start: Tenant Billing → Templates (create a meter_data template). Then Tenant Billing → Create Bill.