Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa July/August 2019 | Page 42

UTILITIES
Redefining
efficient utility
management
SPONSORED
Solving business utility management challenges
M
anaging a business park is like holding a thousand
threads in one hand. There are numerous complex-
ities to overcome, situations to manage and ele-
ments to control, not least of keeping all the utilities threads
untangled. Office park administration has to ensure that the
bills are paid by the right people at the right time otherwise
the lights and water go off, tenants lose money and reputa-
tions are compromised.
Disputes are expensive and time consuming, for both
parties. Prepaid meters address the issue by ensuring that both
tenant and management have a clear
view of the spend and usage, can
Citiq Prepaid works with agents, budget appropriately, and are paid
managers and owners to recover on time.
“
“Agents, managers and owners
shouldn’t have to spend time juggling
meters and rates and complex utility
payment cycles,” says Michael Franze,
Managing Director, Citiq Prepaid. “They
need a platform that helps them to
build resilience by managing costs and
payment cycles more efficiently,” he adds.
prepaid funds and to ensure that
the lights and water are always
on,” says Franze. “Our prepaid
meter solutions track per unit
purchase patterns and alert
the relevant people should any
issues arise. Prepaid removes the
threat of any unexpected invoice
– there’s no nasty surprise at the
end of the month.
For organisations located in business parks, the variable
billing cycles and monthly amounts make budgeting difficult,
and this can have a knock-on effect with regards to timeous
and accurate payments. If these aren’t made, then services
can be withheld by both the business park and the municipal
service provider. Ultimately, the business park still has to pay
the monthly bills to ensure that all tenants are provided with
ongoing services.
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JULY/AUGUST 2019 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
“This transparency builds trust
between the business park and its
tenants,” concludes Franze. “We also
provide users with an online portal
that offers them data-rich insights
into purchases, costs, tariffs and more.
For both the agent and the tenant, the
portal’s reporting capabilities allow
them to analyse spend and manage
costs.”
“
The collection of electricity and
water bills is one of the most common
challenges faced by business parks.
Municipality bills are sometimes based on
estimates rather than accurate readings
and manual kw/h meter readings aren’t
aligned with billing cycles. The result
is that both payment accuracy and
collection are affected by external factors
outside of the park’s control.
“Citiq Prepaid works with agents, managers and owners to
recover prepaid funds and to ensure that the lights and water
are always on,” says Franze. “Our prepaid meter solutions track
per unit purchase patterns and alert the relevant people should
any issues arise. Prepaid removes the threat of any unexpected
invoice – there’s no nasty surprise at the end of the month.”
As more and more organisations
opt into the convenience, security
and accessibility offered by business
parks, it is becoming increasingly important that the premises
provide accurate, timeous and trackable utility billing services.
Prepaid meters not only minimise admin and stress, but
maximise efficiency, transparency and payments. With Citiq
Prepaid, business parks gain access to an ecosystem of prepaid
meters, services, support and online data that are designed to
streamline processes and transform utility management.
RESOURCES Citiq Prepaid