1. Import meter reads from a CSV file

Import meter reads from a CSV file

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Besides the Manual Read App, you can add manual reads to a property by importing a CSV or XLSX file, whatever reading method you use. Imported reads get the same alerts and consumption reports, and they're stored in the NextCentury Cloud with up to 6 months of history.

This article covers importing reads into an existing manual read property. To create one, see Set up a manual read property.

Import a read file

Format the file

Put the reads in a CSV or XLSX file, with one unit on each row and one kind of data in each column. Every row needs the same columns.

Required Optional
Serial number Read date Meter read Read time Multiplier
BF058335 04/02/25 2891 14:30 10
BF058379 04/02/25 2120 14:32 10

Required columns

  • Serial number: the device serial number or the meter serial number. The device serial number starts with BF and is created by the Web Portal when the manual read property is set up. The meter serial number is the submeter's own serial number, and only works if it's been entered in the Web Portal.
  • Read date: MM/DD/YY, MM/DD/YYYY, MM-DD-YY or MM-DD-YYYY.
  • Meter read: the read itself.

Optional columns

  • Read time: HH:MM or HH:MM:SS. Times are saved in UTC.
  • Multiplier: the meter multiplier, for your reference.

A read file open in a spreadsheet, with no column headers. Column A has the device serial numbers (BF058335, BF058379 and so on), column B the read date (04/2/25 on every row) and column C the meter read (2891, 2120 and so on), one unit per row in rows 1 to 12.

A read file in a spreadsheet. Column headers aren't needed.

Upload the file

Open the property in the Web Portal and drag the file onto the page.

Animation on a property's Equipment page in the web portal (Windhelm in this example), on the Units tab. A CSV file (Windhelm_10-05-2020.csv in this example) is dragged from a Finder window onto the page, and a blue upload icon appears. Then the Upload File window opens, asking whether to upload the file as a file containing meter reads or as some other document, with Other Options and Upload Reads buttons.

Select Upload Reads.

The Upload File window: Would you like to upload Windhelm_10-05-2020.csv as a file containing meter reads? Or upload it as some other document? Other Options (gray) and Upload Reads (blue) are at the bottom right.

Check the reads

The file opens in the Import Reads window. Select each column's header and choose what it holds.

The Import Reads window after uploading. A yellow banner says to identify the needed columns by clicking on the column headers. Below it: Required (Date, Meter Read, Meter Serial / Device Serial) and Optional (Time, Multiplier), each with an empty checkbox, and Info (the file name, 12 Reads Found, 0 Issues Found). The first column's Select header is outlined in red, and its menu is open, also outlined: Date, Time, Date & Time, Meter Read, Meter Serial, Multiplier and Device Serial. The file's reads are in the table below.

A column turns green once it's named, and its box is checked at the top of the window.

The Import Reads window with the first column named Device Serial. The column is green and outlined in red, and Meter Serial / Device Serial is now checked under Required, also outlined in red. The other two columns still say Select.

Reads with a problem are highlighted in a different color. Hover over one to see what's wrong.

The Import Reads window with all three required columns named (Device Serial, Date and Meter Read) and checked. The banner reads Ready to import reads, but please notice the warnings that have been identified, and 1 Warnings Found under Info is outlined in red. One read, 1776, is highlighted in yellow, and its tooltip, also outlined in red, says: Meter read of 1776 is less than the last read recorded on Unit 103 (2120 recorded on Mon Mar 31 2025 12:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)).

Save the reads

When the required columns are named, check the reads and select Import Reads.

The Import Reads window ready to import. The green banner reads Ready to import reads, the three required columns (Device Serial, Date and Meter Read) are green and checked, and Info shows 12 Reads Found and 0 Issues Found. The Import Reads button at the bottom right is outlined in red.

After the import

The reads show on the property. On a unit, select the blue file icon next to a read to open the file it came from, with that unit's row highlighted.

A unit's details window in the web portal (Unit 101 in this example), on the Cold Water tab. The current read is 2,891. Imported Read is outlined in red: Imported from (the file name, as a link) a few seconds ago. Below the usage chart, the read history headings and first row are outlined in red: Check In, Serial Number, IMR, Multiplier, Meter Read, No Read Reason and File. The first row is the imported read (4/2/25, 2,891), with a blue file icon in the File column.

The imported file open in a window, with the file name at the top and Imported by (an email address) a few seconds ago, then a Download Original link. The file's reads are listed under Device Serial, Date and Meter Read, and the unit's row (BF058335 in this example) is highlighted in blue. Close is at the bottom right.

To get the original file back, select Download Original.

Top of the imported file's window: next to Imported by (an email address) a few seconds ago, the Download Original link is outlined in red.

Due to updated regulations and product improvements, Next Meters reserves the right to change the product specifications without notice.