Charge calculation system

Abstract

To provide a technique for reducing the risk of fluctuations in electricity charges for electricity users.SOLUTION: A charge calculation system 16 according to the present invention acquires information relating to an amount of electricity used by a customer. The charge calculation system 16, based on a market price and a used amount of electricity according to the time point at which the electricity is used, calculates a charge of electricity used by a customer in a unit period. The charge calculation system 16 calculates, as a charge amount to the customer in a certain unit period, the amount obtained by dividing and summing the charges of electricity used in each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the unit period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to data processing technologies, and more particularly to a fee calculation system.

Background Art

[0002] With the full liberalization of retail power, many operators (so-called retail electricity operators) have entered the retail electricity business. Among the electricity rate plans offered by retail electricity operators to consumers, there are rate plans linked to the wholesale power trading market. Among such market-linked rate plans, for example, there is a rate plan in which the per-unit price (in other words, the electricity rate per unit) for every 30 minutes fluctuates in linkage with the market price in the wholesale power trading market, and the fee corresponding to the electricity consumption is calculated (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of a market-linked unit price for electricity, for users, there is a risk that the electricity fee will fluctuate significantly due to seasonal fluctuations in usage and fluctuations in market prices (typically, electricity fees in summer and winter soar). One object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for reducing the risk of fluctuations in electricity fees for electricity users.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, a charge calculation system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a customer's electricity consumption, and a usage charge calculation unit that calculates the electricity usage charge of the customer for a unit period based on the market price and consumption of electricity according to the time when the electricity is used, and a billing amount calculation unit that calculates, as the billing amount to the customer for a certain unit period, the sum of the amounts obtained by dividing the electricity usage charges for each of a predetermined number of unit periods before the said unit period.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention is a charge calculation method. This method includes acquiring information regarding a customer's electricity consumption, calculating the electricity usage charge of the customer for a unit period based on the market price and consumption of electricity according to the time when the electricity is used, and a computer executing the operation of calculating, as the billing amount to the customer for a certain unit period, the sum of the amounts obtained by dividing the electricity usage charges for each of a predetermined number of unit periods before the said unit period.

[0007] In addition, any combination of the above components, and the expression of the present disclosure converted between an apparatus, a computer program, a recording medium in which the computer program is readably recorded, etc., are also effective as aspects of the present disclosure.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the technology of the present disclosure, the risk of electricity charge fluctuations can be reduced for electricity users.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted as appropriate. Also, when terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used in this specification or claims, they do not represent any order or importance unless otherwise specified, and are for distinguishing one configuration from another.

[0011] The outline of the embodiment will be described. In the embodiment, a tariff calculation system for a retail electricity provider is proposed. The tariff calculation system of the embodiment realizes a tariff system that is fully market-linked and seasonal-variation smoothed.

[0012] The fully market-linked tariff is a consumption-based tariff system without a basic charge. The electricity usage charge for each month is obtained by the following formula (1). Electricity usage charge for the Nth month = Σ{(Market price × Usage + Network usage charge for each region + Profit) every 30 minutes in the (N - 1)th month} ···(Formula 1)

[0013] The market price of Equation 1 is the trading price of electricity in the wholesale electricity market (Japan Electric Power Exchange: JEPX). Specifically, it is the previous day's spot price every 30 minutes. Also, the market price of Equation 1 is the market price when electricity is used. The network usage fee can also be said to be the entrusted fee, which is the amount set by the general power transmission and distribution business operator as the usage fee for the power transmission and distribution network used by the retail electricity business operator. The profit is the amount set by the retail electricity business operator. The profit may only occur when electricity is used.

[0014] The advantages for users under the fully market-linked tariff are that they only pay for the electricity they use, which is transparent, and there is no basic fee that had to be paid even when not using electricity before. On the other hand, the disadvantages for users under the fully market-linked tariff are the risk that the electricity bill fluctuates greatly due to seasonal variations in usage and market price fluctuations (typically, the electricity bills in summer and winter soar).

[0015] The seasonal variation leveling tariff is a tariff system that bills the monthly electricity bill in multiple installments (for example, 3 to 6 times). When billing the monthly electricity bill in 6 installments, the billed amount of the electricity bill for a certain month (month N) is obtained by the following Equation 2. Billed amount for month N = 1 / 6 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 6 + 1 / 6 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 5 + 1 / 6 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 4 + 1 / 6 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 3 + 1 / 6 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 2 + 1 / 6 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 1 ··· (Equation 2)

[0016] When billing the monthly electricity bill in 3 installments, the billed amount of the electricity bill for a certain month (month N) is obtained by the following Equation 3. Billed amount for month N = 1 / 3 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 3 + 1 / 3 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 2 + 1 / 3 of the electricity usage fee for month N - 1 ··· (Equation 3)

[0017] By introducing a seasonal fluctuation leveling charge, as an advantage for users, it is possible to reduce the risk that the electricity bill burden temporarily increases due to an increase in electricity consumption in summer and winter or a soaring market price of electricity.

[0018] However, with the seasonal fluctuation leveling charge, as a disadvantage for users, the settlement amount at the time of contract termination may increase. Also, with the seasonal fluctuation leveling charge, as a disadvantage for retail electricity suppliers, outstanding receivables may accumulate and the collection risk may increase.

[0019] Therefore, the charge calculation system of the embodiment introduces a "settlement adjustment amount". The settlement adjustment amount is money for offsetting the outstanding electricity usage charges remaining when electricity usage is terminated in the future (or the number of split payments is changed). Specifically, the user is made to bear the settlement adjustment amount in months when the electricity bill burden at the start of use is low, and at the time of future contract termination or change in the number of split payments, the paid settlement adjustment amount and the outstanding receivables are offset.

[0020] By introducing the settlement adjustment amount, as an advantage for users, it is possible to reduce the risk that the electricity bill burden increases at the time of contract termination. Also, as an advantage for retail electricity suppliers, it is possible to reduce the risk of not being able to collect outstanding receivables.

[0021] In the embodiment, both the unit period for calculating the electricity usage charge and the unit period for calculating the billing amount are set to 1 month. As a modification, the unit period may be a predetermined period. For example, the unit period may be a period shorter than 1 month (e.g., 20 days), or a period longer than 1 month (e.g., 2 months).

[0022] The system of the embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the electricity supplier system 10 of the embodiment. The electricity supplier system 10 is an enterprise information system of a retail electricity supplier. The electricity supplier system 10 includes a customer management system 12, a power wide - area institution system 14, a charge calculation system 16, an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) server 18, and a web system 20.

[0023] The customer management system 12 is an information processing system that manages information about a plurality of customers of a retail electricity provider (in other words, a plurality of users of electricity sold by the retail electricity provider). The power wide-area institution system 14 includes a system for smoothly implementing the switching of electricity, a system for providing meter reading information provided by a distribution electricity provider, and a system for providing the market price of electricity.

[0024] The charge calculation system 16 is an information processing system that calculates the electricity usage charges and billing amounts for each of a plurality of customers of a retail electricity provider. The details of the charge calculation system 16 will be described later.

[0025] The EDI server 18 is an information processing system that executes the billing process for electricity charges. The web system 20 is an information processing system that provides a customer portal site and transmits and receives data to and from customer terminals. In the embodiment, the web system 20 provides a web page showing detailed information regarding electricity charges to the customer terminals.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional blocks of the charge calculation system 16 in FIG. 1. A plurality of functional blocks shown in the block diagrams in this specification can be configured, in terms of hardware, by circuit blocks, memories, and other LSIs, and, in terms of software, can be realized by a computer processor (such as a CPU) executing a program loaded in a memory, etc. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof, and are not limited to any of them.

[0027] The processing unit 30 executes various data processes related to charge calculation. The processing unit 30 may be realized by a processor of a computer constituting the charge calculation system 16. The storage unit 32 stores data to be referred to or updated by the processing unit 30. The communication unit 34 communicates with an external device according to a predetermined communication protocol. The processing unit 30 transmits and receives data to and from the customer management system 12 and the web system 20 via the communication unit 34.

[0028] The storage unit 32 includes a customer attribute storage unit 36, an electricity consumption storage unit 38, a usage charge storage unit 40, a billing amount storage unit 42, a settlement amount storage unit 44, and a detail storage unit 46. All the data stored in these storage units includes a customer ID and is associated with each other by the customer ID.

[0029] The customer attribute storage unit 36 stores attribute information regarding each of a plurality of customers. This attribute information includes at least a customer ID, the number of times of charge billing division, and the start month and year of use (or the month and year of division number change). In an embodiment, the customer can select any one of a plurality of predetermined patterns for the number of times of charge billing division. For example, it may be configured such that the customer can select any one of 0 times of division (billing in a lump sum without division), 3 times of division, and 6 times of division. The charge calculation system 16 may receive, via the web system 20 and the customer management system 12, the number of times of division selected by the customer transmitted from the customer terminal and store it in the customer attribute storage unit 36.

[0030] The electricity consumption storage unit 38 stores data indicating the electricity consumption of each customer each month (every 30 minutes in the embodiment). The unit of electricity consumption is, for example, kilowatt-hour (kWh). The usage charge storage unit 40 stores data indicating the electricity usage charge of each customer each month. The billing amount storage unit 42 stores data indicating the billing amount of the electricity charge for each customer each month.

[0031] The actuarial amount storage unit 44 stores data indicating the actuarial amount associated with contract cancellation for each customer. The actuarial amount is the amount obtained by subtracting the paid contract adjustment amount from the outstanding amount of the electricity bill. The detail storage unit 46 stores the detail information of the electricity bill for each customer. The detail information includes the billing amount for a certain month, and the electricity usage fees and electricity usage amounts for a plurality of months included in the billing amount.

[0032] The processing unit 30 includes an electricity usage acquisition unit 50, a usage fee calculation unit 52, a billing amount calculation unit 54, an actuarial amount calculation unit 56, a detail generation unit 58, and a fee information output unit 60. The functions of these multiple functional blocks may be implemented in a computer program (hereinafter also referred to as the "fee calculation program"). The fee calculation program may be installed in the storage of a computer constituting the fee calculation system 16 via a recording medium or a network. The processor (such as a CPU) of the computer may read the fee calculation program into the main memory and execute it to exert the functions of the above multiple functional blocks.

[0033] The electricity usage acquisition unit 50 acquires information regarding the electricity usage of each of a plurality of customers of a retail electricity business operator. The usage fee calculation unit 52 calculates the electricity usage fee of a customer for a unit period (the unit period in the embodiment is one month) based on the market price of electricity and the electricity usage amount according to the time when the electricity is used. In the embodiment, the usage fee calculation unit 52 calculates the electricity usage fee of each customer according to the above formula 1.

[0034] The billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates, as the billing amount to a customer for a certain unit period (in the embodiment, a certain month), the amount obtained by dividing and summing up the electricity usage fees for each of a predetermined number of unit periods before the said unit period. For example, the billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates the billing amount to a customer who has selected 6 times of division according to the above formula 2, and calculates the billing amount to a customer who has selected 3 times of division according to the above formula 3.

[0035] The billing amount calculation unit 54 includes the early termination adjustment amount in the billing amount for each customer. Specifically, the billing amount calculation unit 54 includes the early termination adjustment amount in the billing amount for a predetermined period starting from when the use of electricity begins (for example, from the start date of use stipulated in the electricity usage contract), or for a predetermined period after the number of installments is changed, for each customer.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows an example of setting the early termination adjustment amount in the embodiment. N month is the month when the use of electricity starts or the number of installments is changed. X is the number of installments in the billing of the electricity charge. The early termination adjustment amount is set from the (N + 1)-th month to the (N + X - 1)-th month. For example, when April is the start month of use and the number of installments is 6, the early termination adjustment amount is set in the billing amounts from May to September. Also, when April is the start month of use and the number of installments is 3, the early termination adjustment amount is set in the billing amounts for May and June.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, the billing amount calculation unit 54 sets the early termination adjustment amount such that the month following the start month of use (the start month of billing) is the largest and gradually decreases. In other words, the billing amount calculation unit 54 reduces the early termination adjustment amount included in the billing amount as the elapsed time since the customer started using electricity becomes longer. Since the installment billing amount of the electricity usage charge is small for several months after the start of use, such a setting of the early termination adjustment amount makes it easier to equalize the billing amount for each month.

[0038] Note that 2000 yen in FIG. 3 is a predetermined early termination adjustment unit price. The early termination adjustment unit price may be determined based on the attributes of the customer. Also, the higher the assumed monthly electricity usage charge, the higher the unit price of the early termination adjustment amount may be set. For example, the early termination adjustment unit price for a general household (such as a household with two or more members) may be set to 2000 yen when the number of installments is 6 and 6600 yen when the number of installments is 3. On the other hand, the early termination adjustment unit price for a single-person household may be set to 800 yen when the number of installments is 6 and 2640 yen when the number of installments is 3.

[0039] As a modification, the charge calculation system 16 may further include a unit price determination unit that automatically determines a cancellation adjustment charge unit price according to the customer attribute information input from the customer terminal. The customer attribute information may include information for estimating the amount of power used by the customer (for example, the types of household appliances the customer owns, the number of air conditioning units, etc.). The cancellation adjustment charge unit price may be increased as the estimated value of the amount of power used by the customer is larger, for example, as the number of air conditioning units is more. The unit price determination unit may store the determined cancellation adjustment charge unit price for each customer in the customer attribute storage unit 36. The charge calculation unit 54 may calculate the cancellation adjustment charge to be included in the charge to the customer using the cancellation adjustment charge unit price of a certain customer stored in the customer attribute storage unit 36.

[0040] Returning to FIG. 2, the settlement amount calculation unit 56 calculates the settlement amount at the time of cancellation for each customer. Specifically, the settlement amount calculation unit 56 calculates the difference between the amount of the unpaid electricity charge and the paid cancellation adjustment charge as the settlement amount.

[0041] The details generation unit 58 generates details information of the charge amount to the customer in a certain unit period. The details information includes the amounts obtained by dividing the electricity charge in each of a predetermined number of unit periods (that is, a plurality of unit periods that are the targets of split billing) before that unit period. For example, when the number of splits is 6, the details information for October includes, in addition to the charge amount for October, the amount that is one-sixth of the electricity charge for each month from April to September.

[0042] The charge information output unit 60 transmits the charge amount to each customer calculated by the charge calculation unit 54 and the details information regarding the charge amount to the customer management system 12.

[0043] Note that the charge calculation system 16 may be implemented by one information processing device, or may be implemented by a plurality of information processing devices communicating and cooperating with each other. In the latter case, the functions of the charge calculation system 16 described above may be distributed and implemented in a plurality of information devices.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charge calculation system 16. Hereinafter, the operation of the electric utility system 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0045] The customer management system 12 periodically obtains data on the market price (in other words, the trading price of electricity) of the wholesale electricity trading market every 30 minutes of the previous day from the electric power wide - area institution system 14, and transmits the obtained market price data to the charge calculation system 16. The charge calculation system 16 stores data on the market price every 30 minutes of each day in the wholesale electricity trading market.

[0046] Also, the customer management system 12 periodically obtains the meter - reading information of each customer indicating the electricity consumption of each of a plurality of customers of the retail electric utility from the electric power wide - area institution system 14. The customer management system 12 transmits the obtained meter - reading information of each customer to the charge calculation system 16. The electricity consumption acquisition unit 50 of the charge calculation system 16 obtains the meter - reading information of each customer, and stores data indicating the electricity consumption of each customer every 30 minutes indicated by those meter - reading information in the electricity consumption storage unit 38 (S10).

[0047] The processes after S12 are executed when the timing of charge calculation arrives. The month for which charge calculation is to be performed is also hereinafter referred to as the "target month". The usage charge calculation unit 52 of the charge calculation system 16 calculates the electricity usage charge of each customer for the target month based on the market price every 30 minutes of the wholesale electricity trading market and the electricity consumption of each customer every 30 minutes as shown in Equation 1 (S12). The usage charge calculation unit 52 stores data on the electricity usage charge of each customer in the usage charge storage unit 40.

[0048] The billing amount calculation unit 54 of the charge calculation system 16 calculates the billing amount for each customer according to the number of divisions set for each customer stored in the customer attribute storage unit 36 (S14). The billing amount calculation unit 54 stores data on the billing amount for each customer in the billing amount storage unit 42.

[0049] For example, when the number of divisions is six, the billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates, as shown in Equation 2, the sum of one-sixth of the electricity usage charges for each month from (target month - 6 months) to (target month - 1 month) as the billing amount for the target month. When the target month is within five months from the start month of use (or the month of change in the number of divisions), the billing amount calculation unit 54 adds, as shown in FIG. 3, a cancellation adjustment amount corresponding to the elapsed time from the start month of use to the billing amount.

[0050] On the other hand, when the number of divisions is three, the billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates the sum of one-third of the electricity usage charges for each month from (target month - 3 months) to (target month - 1 month) as the billing amount for the target month. When the target month is within two months from the start month of use (or the month of change in the number of divisions), the billing amount calculation unit 54 adds a cancellation adjustment amount corresponding to the elapsed time from the start month of use to the billing amount. The billing amount calculation unit 54 also stores the amount of the cancellation adjustment amount in the billing amount storage unit 42.

[0051] The settlement amount calculation unit 56 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates the outstanding amount for each customer. For example, when the number of divisions is six, the outstanding amount is the sum of one-sixth of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 5 months, two-sixths of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 4 months, three-sixths of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 3 months, four-sixths of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 2 months, and five-sixths of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 1 month. Also, when the number of divisions is three, the outstanding amount is the sum of one-third of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 2 months and two-thirds of the electricity usage charge for the target month - 1 month.

[0052] The settlement amount calculation unit 56 calculates, for each customer, the difference between the outstanding amount and the cumulative amount of the paid (billed) cancellation adjustment amount stored in the billing amount storage unit 42 as the settlement amount at the time of cancellation (S16). The settlement amount calculation unit 56 stores the data of the settlement amount at the time of cancellation for each customer in the settlement amount storage unit 44.

[0053] Figure 5 shows the changes in the electricity usage fee, billing amount, and settlement amount of a certain customer. The record of the electricity usage fee in Figure 5 is stored in the usage fee storage unit 40 of the fee calculation system 16. The records of the partial billing, contract cancellation adjustment amount, uncollected amount recovery, and billing amount in Figure 5 are stored in the billing amount storage unit 42 of the fee calculation system 16. The record of the uncollected - adjustment amount (settlement amount) in Figure 5 is stored in the settlement amount storage unit 44 of the fee calculation system 16. The value of the uncollected - adjustment amount (settlement amount) for each month can be said to be the settlement amount billed in the current month when the contract was cancelled in the previous month.

[0054] The customer in Figure 5 signed a contract (started using electricity) in April 2022 with 6 split times. The billing amount calculation unit 54 of the fee calculation system 16 includes the contract cancellation adjustment amount (unit price 2000 yen) corresponding to 6 split times in the billing amount for 5 months from May to September 2022.

[0055] The customer changed the split times to 3 times in April 2023. The settlement amount calculation unit 56 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates 5167 yen as the settlement amount, which is the difference between the uncollected electricity fee and the paid contract cancellation adjustment amount (the contract cancellation adjustment amount corresponding to 6 split times). Also, the billing amount calculation unit 54 of the fee calculation system 16 includes the contract cancellation adjustment amount (unit price 6600 yen) corresponding to 3 split times in the billing amount for 2 months from May to June 2023.

[0056] The customer cancelled the contract in September 2023. The settlement amount calculation unit 56 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates - 3133 yen (a refund of 3133 yen) as the settlement amount, which is the difference between the uncollected electricity fee and the paid contract cancellation adjustment amount (the contract cancellation adjustment amount corresponding to 3 split times).

[0057] Figure 6 shows an example of the billing amount to the customer corresponding to Figure 5. The dashed graph shows the transition of the billing amount in the case of no split billing (no leveling). The solid graph shows the transition of the billing amount in the case of 6 split times and no early termination adjustment fee. In the case of no split billing, the billing amounts in summer and winter are high, but by setting the split times to 6, such seasonal fluctuations can be suppressed and the billing amount for each month can be leveled. However, at the time of early termination and when changing the split times, since the outstanding electricity charges are billed together, the billing amount soars.

[0058] Figure 7 also shows an example of the billing amount to the customer corresponding to Figure 5. The dashed graph shows the transition of the billing amount in the case of no split billing (no leveling), similar to Figure 6. The solid graph shows the transition of the billing amount in the case of 6 split times and with an early termination adjustment fee. By collecting the early termination adjustment fee in advance and offsetting it against the outstanding electricity charges at the time of early termination and when changing the split times, the soaring of the billing amount at the time of early termination and when changing the split times can be suppressed.

[0059] Returning to Figure 4, the detail generation unit 58 of the fee calculation system 16 refers to the electricity consumption storage unit 38, the usage fee storage unit 40, the billing amount storage unit 42, and the settlement amount storage unit 44, generates detail information for each customer, and stores it in the detail storage unit 46 (S18). In the embodiment, the detail generation unit 58 sets the billing amount and its breakdown (including electricity consumption and electricity usage fee), and the settlement amount in the case of early termination in the detail information. The fee information output unit 60 of the fee calculation system 16 transmits the fee information of each customer including the billing amount to each customer and the detail information to the customer management system 12 (S20).

[0060] The customer management system 12 transmits the data of the billing amount to each customer to the EDI server 18. The EDI server 18 executes the process of billing the billing amount to each customer. This process may include, for example, a process of transferring the amount of money corresponding to the billing amount to the customer from the account of a certain customer to the account of the retail electricity business operator in cooperation with the system of a financial institution.

[0061] In addition, the customer management system 12 stores the detailed information of each customer sent from the fee calculation system 16. When the web system 20 receives a request to view the detailed information from a customer terminal of a certain customer, it acquires the detailed information of the customer from the customer management system 12 or the fee calculation system 16, and transmits the detailed information to the customer terminal of the requester.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows an example of the detailed information. The detailed information 70 in FIG. 8 is the detailed information for June 2022 based on the data for June 2022 shown in FIG. 5(A). The detailed information 70 includes the billed amount and its breakdown, and the amount of the cancellation adjustment fee. The breakdown includes the amount of one-sixth of the electricity usage fee for each month from six months before the billing month to the billing month. The breakdown further includes the value of one-sixth of the electricity usage amount for each month from six months before the billing month to the billing month, which is the basis for the electricity usage fee.

[0063] The detailed information generation unit 58 of the fee calculation system 16 acquires the settlement amount for this month when the contract was cancelled last month from the settlement amount storage unit 44 and further sets it in the detailed information 70. For example, the detailed information for June 2022 shown in FIG. 8 shows the settlement amount (refund of 8,500 yen in FIG. 8) billed in June when the contract was cancelled in May.

[0064] FIGS. 9 to 11 also show examples of the detailed information. The detailed information 70 in FIG. 9 is the detailed information for October 2022 based on the data for October 2022 shown in FIG. 5(B). The detailed information 70 in FIG. 10 is the detailed information for June 2023 based on the data for June 2023 after the number of divisions is changed to 3 times, as shown in FIG. 5(C).

[0065] The detailed information 70 in FIG. 11 is the detailed information for October 2023 based on the data for October 2023 after the contract is cancelled, as shown in FIG. 5(C). In the detailed information 70 for October 2023, 14,533 yen is billed, which is the result of offsetting 17,667 yen for the split billing and 3,133 yen for the settlement amount obtained by subtracting the cancellation adjustment fee from the outstanding electricity fee.

[0066] According to the charge calculation system 16 of the embodiment, by setting the electricity charge as a completely market-linked type without a basic charge, an electricity charge with high transparency can be realized. Further, by setting the electricity charge to be billed in three or six installments, the risk of a temporary increase in the electricity charge can be reduced. For example, by setting the electricity charge to be billed in six installments, the increase in the payment amount in summer and winter can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, by providing a cancellation adjustment fee for offsetting the outstanding amount, the risk of an increase in the billed amount at the time of cancellation or change in the number of installments can be reduced. By providing a cancellation adjustment fee, the freedom of contract cancellation for customers and the reduction of outstanding amounts for retail electricity providers can be supported.

[0067] Also, according to the charge calculation system 16 of the embodiment, by providing customers with detailed information including the electricity charge and electricity consumption for each month that constitutes the billed amount, the breakdown of the billed amount can be presented to customers in an easy-to-understand manner. Furthermore, by including the settlement amount in the case of cancellation in the detailed information, it is possible to support the customer's decision-making regarding the cancellation of electricity use or the change in the number of installments.

[0068] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are examples, and various modifications are possible for each component or combination of each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] A modification example will be described. Here, a smart remote control with high affinity for the completely market-linked electricity charge of the embodiment is proposed. This smart remote control is a remote control that can control the operations (on / off, operation modes, etc.) of a plurality of household appliances such as air conditioners, lighting equipment, and refrigerators. Also, this smart remote control can communicate with the user's smartphone and control the operations of a plurality of household appliances in response to instructions (remote operations) from the user's smartphone.

[0070] This smart remote control periodically and repeatedly obtains the market price of the latest wholesale power market. The smart remote control may be installed in the room where the air conditioning equipment is installed and may incorporate a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the room. The smart remote control may start the cooling operation of the air conditioning equipment when the market price of electricity is below a predetermined value and the room temperature exceeds the set temperature. Also, the smart remote control may increase the set temperature of the refrigerator when the market price of electricity exceeds the predetermined value, and may decrease the set temperature of the refrigerator when the market price of electricity falls below the predetermined value.

[0071] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. The new embodiments resulting from the combination have the effects of the embodiments and modifications combined. Also, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each component recited in the claims are realized by a single one of the components shown in the embodiments and modifications or by their cooperation.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0072] 10 Electric utility system, 16 Charge calculation system, 50 Electricity consumption acquisition unit, 52 Usage charge calculation unit, 54 Bill amount calculation unit, 56 Settlement amount calculation unit, 58 Detail generation unit, 60 Charge information output unit.

Claims

**Claim 1** An acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the customer's electricity consumption; A usage fee calculation unit that calculates the customer's electricity usage fee for a unit period based on the market price of electricity according to the time when the electricity is used and the usage amount; A billing amount calculation unit that calculates, as the billing amount to the customer for a certain unit period, the amount obtained by dividing and summing up the electricity usage fees for each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the current unit period; A fee calculation system comprising the above components.

Images