METRO Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) will be implementing an innovative Spot Utility Billing System (SUBS) which marks a significant transformation in the company’s billing process. Initially tested through a parallel run since September of this year, the SUBS technology will be implemented full-scale in all MPIW service areas starting Jan. 2, 2024.
Using a cutting-edge device, MPIW aims to revolutionize the billing system by promptly generating bills using a handheld device installed with software for reading and computing the water consumption and printing the bill. With the printing feature of this device, MPIW customers would be given their bills on the spot or immediately after their meters have been read.
The SUBS technology will significantly ease the workload of field personnel and substantially reduce paper-based tasks by approximately 90 percent.
“This accelerated billing process, moving from the manual to automated system, not only offers our customers real-time insights into their water consumption patterns but also minimizes incidences of delayed or no bill delivery which streamlines the overall customer experience,” said MPIW Chief Operating Officer Robert Cabiles.
In comparison, the present manual process includes meter reading by a meter reader on-site, encoding and uploading of meter readings of water consumption, printing of water bills in the office, and delivery of the water bills by field personnel. The entire process takes 15 days to complete with a 30-day billing cycle.
Cabiles reiterated the system’s robustness, assuring that it is resistant to manipulation. He emphasized that the primary objective of the SUBS system is to improve billing efficiency and to address any discrepancies within MPIW’s billing process by enabling timely detection for further investigation.
While SUBS technology currently focuses on spot billing, the long-term vision includes the incorporation of paperless billing through a web and mobile app for customers to access their accounts in real-time.
Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) chairman Rebecca Maravilla has expressed appreciation for this innovation, commending MPIW for its forward-thinking approach.
“This transformative step not only enhances billing efficiency but also marks a significant leap toward modernizing and optimizing the Metro Iloilo Water Utility System,” Maravilla said.
MPIW is regulated and monitored by MIWD./PN
