ADDERRA is an individual sub-metering system for measurement of electricity and water consumption with integrated billing and payment platform. The solution is designed for use by landlords and hotels. The solution involves the use of certified hardware (electricity and water meters) and an online marketplace with smartphone application as an interface.
ADDERRA as SaaS
ADDERRA is a Software as Service that digitalized the complex vending system and integrated it into online platform. It provides possibility for:
- Generation of tokens for water and electricity
- Automatic billing
- Payment processing
- Refunding of unused money on credit card
- Real-time usage monitoring
Thus landlords/hotel administrators will not need any servers and head-end software, complex communication infrastructure, points of sales or any 3rd-party vending and billing software.
Bluetooth low energy interface (BLE)
ADDERRA submeters include BLE interface that serves to connect users directly to a submeter and transmit the consumption data to billing and payment platform.
Moreover, BLE excludes the necessity to implement complex infrastructure that will include meters with RF or PLC communication, communication equipment (like concentrators or gateways), servers and head-end software for meter reading.
Configuration modes
ADDERRA provides three modes of payment, where landlord can choose one of them and change if necessary:
- Post-payment mode. Tenants/consumers pay for the utilities after receiving Adderra’s billing at the end of billing period.
- Preset credit limit mode. Tenants/consumers pay for the utilities as they reach the pre-established limits expressed in monetary value or cubic meters and kilowatts. For example, landlord/utility can set a limit for 2 m3 of water and 100 Kwh of electricity. As tenant reaches these limits, they have to pay corresponding amount and then they can continue consuming the utilities.
- Prepayment mode. Tenants/consumers pay for the utilities before consumption. In this case, tenants after connecting to the meter pay the amount they are going to consume and only then start using water and electricity. In prepayment mode automatic interruption occurs when available credit is exhausted.
Besides, there are three ways of digital tokens generation:
- In kWh. This is the most standard way of prepayment and is widely used when there is a single-tariff for electricity. The calculation is made on the meter level.
- In currency. This is a commonly used prepayment method for multi-tariff metering. The calculation is made on the meter level.
- In time. This is a totally new approach according to which each purchased token activates the meter for a specific period of time after expiration of which the meter will disconnect the relay.
Modes for Token transmission and payment processing
ADDERRA provides two payment options for water and electricity. The first one is online payment through ADDERRA smartphone Application. The second is cash payments and use of BLE Key Fob.
- Tenants’ payments by credit card via ADDERRA application
The payment and billing process of ADDERRA system includes 4 stages and works in the following way:
- Stage 1 – Landlord on-boarding
After having registered to Adderra Marketplace with Stripe account, landlord on-boards with ADDERRA, chooses the payment configuration and sets up individual prices for water and electricity.
- Stage 2 – Tenant check-in and payments
After having scanned QR code of a submeter via Adderra smartphone application and checking-in tenant starts using electricity and water (in post-paid mode) or performs purchase of electricity and/or water to enable consumption (in prepaid mode).
- Stage 3 – Tenant check-out
After check-out by clicking on “Stop service” tenants will be refunded on their credit card with the unused amount of money, if there is such.
- Stage 4 – Cash flow
Adderra distributes water and electricity payments from tenants to the Landlord’s Stripe account excluding fees charged by Stripe and Marketplace Operator.
- Tenants’ payments by cash through Bluetooth (BLE) Key Fob
Key fob payment mode is an option for those tenants who either do not have a smart-phone or wish to pay for water and electricity by cash. This can be a convenient solution for hotels, where receptionist/cashier is always available.
In such a way tenants pay at reception certain amount of money in cash or by credit card, cashiers generate tokens for the prepaid amount via their application and transmit these tokens to the key fob via BLE interface. Then tenants activate the meter by sending the tokens from key fob to meter through BLE connection as well.
Payment in post-paid mode is also available. In this case tenants use BLE key-fob preconfigured for postpaid mode for check-in with the meters, use electricity and water and make check-out. Cashiers at the reception will download consumption information from BLE key-fob after check-out and charge tenants for the actually consumed amount of water and electricity.
ADDERRA innovation advances the efficiency of water and electricity consumption in hotels and rental property industries. The main objective of the solution is to simplify the process of utility management. ADDERRA service provides all possible ways for the most relevant and convenient interactions among all the parties involved in the process, thus, affording sustainable advantages.
