ZEFNET Billing - Advanced Costs

Overview:

This document provides instructions for setting up an advanced billing profile in ZEFNET’s Billing Module.

An advanced billing profile is one that contains one or more costs with additional complexity — including constraints, variations, or exceptions — that affect how the cost is applied.

For general information on billing profiles and costs, please see our Billing Overview article. This article assumes that you are starting from within a ZEFNET Billing Profile that you are building or editing. 

NOTE: When creating a billing profile, you are prompted to choose between Standard and Complex.
Despite the naming, you should always select Standard, even if you intend to build a profile with multiple costs, constraints, variations, or exceptions.

Review: Costs in a Billing Profile

Each billing profile can contain one or more costs. A cost can be:

• A flat dollar amount (e.g., $5.00)

• A rate (e.g., $0.35 per kWh)

Costs can also be customized to apply only under certain conditions, vary based on time or duration, or include special holiday exceptions. These enhancements are configured using the Constraints, Variations, and Exceptions features described below.

Constraints

Constraints limit when a specific cost is applied. You can apply multiple constraints to a single cost.

Types of Constraints:

1. Date Range

Applies the cost only between a defined start and end date.

2. Metric-Based Constraints

These allow the cost to apply only under certain session or charger conditions:

• Charger Capacity: Define a kW range; the cost only applies to sessions on chargers whose capacity falls within this range. (Note: Capacity is visible and editable on the device’s detail page.)

• Cost Cap: Sets a maximum amount the cost can reach during a session.

• Time Limit (hrs): Limits the duration for which the cost applies. For example, a cost may apply only for the first 2 hours of a session (based on plug-in time).

3. Time of Use

Constrains the cost to specific days and times. This is best used for simple recurring schedules (e.g., 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Monday to Friday).

To configure a Time of Use constraint:

1. Click ‘Add’.

2. Select applicable days (e.g., M, T, W, Th, F).

3. Enter a name (e.g., Weekday Constraint).

4. Set time range using ‘From’ (e.g., 5) and ‘To’ (e.g., 22) fields.

Variations

Variations allow the cost to change dynamically based on session characteristics or calendar patterns. Unlike constraints, variations do not stop the cost from applying — they adjust its value over time.

Types of Variations:

1. By Relative Interval

Varies the cost based on elapsed session time (from plug-in).

Example: Increase rate after 4 hours

1. Select ‘Relative Interval’, then click (+).

2. Enter a name.

3. Set Value to the new rate (e.g., 0.50).

4. Set From to 4; leave To blank to apply the new rate indefinitely.

5. Set Time Unit to Hours.

2. By Recurring Interval

Varies the cost based on repeating calendar intervals, such as months.

Example: Apply higher rate April–August

1. Select ‘Recurring Interval’, then click (+).

2. Enter a name (e.g., Seasonal Increase).

3. Enter Value (e.g., 0.50).

4. Set From to 4 and To to 9.

5. Set Time Unit to Month of Year.

3. By Time of Use

This method uses Time of Use (TOU) schedules to assign different rates at different times of the day or week, including holidays.

You must first create one or more TOU schedules before using them in a cost variation.

🛠️ TOU schedules are created in the Billing module under the Time of Use dropdown. For detailed instructions, refer to the Metrology article, which uses the same scheduling tool.

Key Tips:

• Create a separate TOU schedule for each distinct rate.

• Ensure the group of schedules covers all time slots without overlaps.

To apply TOU variations in a billing profile:

1. Create and save all necessary TOU schedules in the Time of Use dropdown.

2. In the cost section, expand Variations, select By Time of Use, and click (+).

3. Use the dropdown to select a TOU schedule.

4. Enter the rate for that schedule.

5. Repeat steps 3–4 to add additional schedules and rates.

6. Review the TOU chart to ensure full coverage with no overlapping hours.

Exceptions

Exceptions apply custom pricing for holidays defined in your company’s calendar.

📅 To view or edit your holiday calendar, click your organization name (top left corner) and select ‘Calendar’.

In the Exceptions menu of the cost setup:

1. Select the holidays where this cost should not apply as usual.

2. For each holiday, enter the exception rate or amount you want applied.

    

Finalizing the Billing Profile

Once you’ve added all relevant Constraints, Variations, and Exceptions to a cost:

1. Click ‘Next’ to proceed through the rest of the billing profile setup.

2. Review your profile configuration before saving.