Advanced metering system enabling regulation and billing of utilities by third party interagent

A method for operating a third party utility service metering apparatus including a switch interposed between a utility company's delivery line and a customer's utility consuming facility, a local meter, at least one input device to receive signals remotely transmitted by a third party, and a controller coupled to the switch and the local meter and the input device, the method comprising operations of:

• the input device receiving the third party's remotely transmitted notifications of the customer having made payment assurances of a prescribed character to the third party, and forwarding each said notification to the controller;
• the controller recalculating a utility service balance to reflect each said notification;
• the local meter measuring delivery of utilities to the customer's facility, and the controller reducing the utility service balance in accordance therewith;
• and
• the controller configuring the switch to enable delivery of utility services to the customer's facility whenever there is a positive utility service balance, otherwise configuring the switch to disable delivery of utility services.

A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for operating a third party utility service metering apparatus including a switch interposed between a utility company delivery line and a customer's utility consuming facility, a local meter, at least one input device to receive remotely transmitted signals by a third party, and a controller coupled to the switch and the local meter and the input device, the method comprising operations of:

• the input device receiving the third party's remotely transmitted notifications of the customer having made payment assurances of a prescribed character to the third party, and forwarding each said notification to the controller;
• the controller recalculating a utility service balance to reflect each said notification;
• the local meter measuring delivery of utilities to the customer's facility, and the controller reducing the utility service balance in accordance therewith;
• and
• the controller configuring the switch to enable delivery of utility services to the customer's facility whenever there is a positive utility service balance, otherwise configuring the switch to disable delivery of utility services.

A logic circuit of multiple interconnected electrically conductive elements configured to perform a method for operating a third party utility service metering apparatus including a switch interposed between a utility company delivery line and a customer's utility consuming facility, a local meter, at least one input device to receive signals remotely transmitted by a third party, and a controller coupled to the switch and the local meter and input device, and input device, the method comprising operations of:

• the input device receiving the third party's remotely transmitted notifications of the customer having made payment assurances of a prescribed character to the third party, and forwarding each said notification to the controller;
• the controller recalculating a utility service balance to reflect each said notification;
• the local meter measuring delivery of utilities to the customer's facility, and the controller reducing the utility service balance in accordance therewith;
• and
• the controller configuring the switch to enable delivery of utility services to the customer's facility whenever there is a positive utility service balance, otherwise configuring the switch to disable delivery of utility services.

A third party utility service metering apparatus, comprising:

• a utility service delivery path interposed between a utility company delivery line and a customer's utility consuming facility, the path including a switch and a local meter to measure delivery of utilities to the customer's facility;
• at least one input device to receive remotely transmitted signals;
• and
• a controller coupled to the switch, the local meter, and the input device, the controller being programmed to configure the switch by performing operations comprising:
• receiving via the input device remotely transmitted notification of the customer having made payment assurances of a prescribed character to the third party;
• recalculating a utility service balance to reflect each said notification;
• reducing the utility service balance in proportion to the delivery of utility services as measured by the local meter;
• and
• configuring the switch to enable delivery of utility services whenever there is a positive utility service balance, otherwise configuring the switch to disable delivery of utility services.

A third party utility service metering apparatus, comprising:

• a utility service delivery path interposed between a utility company delivery line and a customer's utility consuming facility, the path including a switching means and a means for measuring delivery of utility services to the customer's facility;
• input means for receiving remotely transmitted signals;
• and
• controller means, coupled to the switching means, means for measuring delivery, and input means, for configuring the switching means by performing operations comprising:
• receiving via the input means remotely transmitted notification of the customer having made payment assurances of a prescribed character to the third party;
• recalculating a utility service balance to reflect each said notification;
• reducing the utility service balance in proportion to delivery of utilities to the customer's facility as measured by the means for measuring delivery;
• configuring the switching means to enable delivery of utility services whenever there is a positive utility service balance, otherwise configuring the switching means to disable delivery of utility services.