JP7682233B2 - Fee calculation system, fee calculation method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to data processing technology, and in particular to a fee calculation system, a fee calculation method, and a computer program.

Following the full liberalization of the electricity retail market, many businesses (so-called retail electricity businesses) have entered the electricity retail industry. Among the electricity rate plans offered to consumers by retail electricity businesses are rate plans linked to the wholesale electricity trading market. Among such market-linked rate plans, for example, there is a rate plan in which the unit price per 30 minutes (in other words, the electricity rate unit price) fluctuates in accordance with the market price in the wholesale electricity trading market, and the rate is calculated according to the amount of electricity used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2023-074143 A

In the case of market-linked metered rates, there is a risk that electricity bills will fluctuate significantly (typically electricity bills will rise in summer and winter) due to seasonal fluctuations in usage and fluctuations in market prices. One objective of the present disclosure is to provide technology that reduces the risk of fluctuations in electricity bills for electricity users.

In order to solve the above problem, a fee calculation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a customer's electricity usage, a usage fee calculation unit that calculates the customer's electricity usage fee for a unit period based on the market price of electricity and the usage amount according to the time the electricity was used, and a billing amount calculation unit that calculates the total amount of electricity usage fees divided for a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the unit period as the amount billed to the customer for a certain unit period.

Another aspect of the present invention is a fee calculation method. In this method, a computer acquires information about a customer's electricity usage, calculates the customer's electricity usage fee for a unit period based on the market price of electricity at the time the electricity was used and the usage amount, and calculates, as the amount billed to the customer for a certain unit period, the total of the divided amounts of the electricity usage fee for each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the unit period.

In addition, any combination of the above components, or any conversion of the expressions of this disclosure between an apparatus, a computer program, or a recording medium on which a computer program is readably recorded, is also valid as an aspect of this disclosure.

The technology disclosed herein can reduce the risk of fluctuations in electricity rates for electricity users.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric power company system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional blocks of the fee calculation system of FIG. 1. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting a cancellation adjustment fee in the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fee calculation system. 1 is a diagram showing the trends in electricity charges, billed amounts, and settlement amounts for a certain customer. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an amount billed to a customer, corresponding to FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an amount billed to a customer, corresponding to FIG. 5 . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of detailed information. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of detailed information. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of detailed information. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of detailed information.

The technology of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, when terms such as "first" and "second" are used in this specification or claims, unless otherwise specified, they do not represent any order or importance, but are intended to distinguish one configuration from another.

An overview of an embodiment is provided below. In the embodiment, a fee calculation system for a retail electricity supplier is proposed. The fee calculation system of the embodiment realizes a fee structure that is fully linked to the market and smooths out seasonal fluctuations.

A fully market-linked tariff is a pay-as-you-go tariff system with no base fee. The electricity usage fee for each month is calculated using the following formula 1.
Electricity usage fee for month N = Σ{(market price x usage amount for every 30 minutes in month N-1 + network usage fee for each district + profit} ... (Formula 1)

The market price in Equation 1 is the trading price of electricity in the wholesale electricity market (Japan Electric Power Exchange: JEPX), specifically, the day-ahead spot price every 30 minutes. The market price in Equation 1 is the market price at the time the electricity is used. The network usage fee, which can also be called a wheeling fee, is an amount set by the general electricity transmission and distribution company as a usage fee for the electricity transmission and distribution network used by the retail electricity company. The profit is an amount set by the retail electricity company. Profit may be generated only when electricity is used.

The advantage of fully market-linked tariffs for users is that they only pay for the amount of electricity they use, which is transparent, and that there is no basic fee, which was previously required even when electricity was not used. On the other hand, the disadvantage of fully market-linked tariffs for users is the risk that electricity rates will fluctuate significantly (typically electricity rates will rise in summer and winter) due to seasonal fluctuations in usage and fluctuations in market prices.

The seasonally leveled charge is a charge system in which the electricity charge for each month is divided into multiple instalments (for example, three to six instalments) and billed. When the electricity charge for each month is divided into six instalments and billed, the billed amount for the electricity charge for a certain month (month N) is calculated using the following formula 2.
Bill for month N = 1/6 of electricity usage fee for month N - 6
+ 1/6 of the electricity usage fee for N-5
+ 1/6 of the electricity usage fee for N-4
+ 1/6 of the electricity usage fee for N-3 months
+ 1/6 of the electricity usage fee for N-2
+ 1/6 of the electricity usage fee for month N-1 ... (Equation 2)

When the electricity charge for each month is charged in three installments, the amount of the electricity charge for a certain month (month N) can be calculated using the following formula 3.
Bill for month N = 1/3 of electricity usage fee for month N - 3
+ 1/3 of electricity usage fee for N-2 months
+ 1/3 of the electricity usage fee for month N-1 ... (Equation 3)

The advantage for users of the seasonal levelized tariff is that it reduces the risk of temporary increases in electricity bills due to increased electricity usage in summer and winter, or a sharp rise in the market price of electricity.

However, the downside for users of seasonally-variable levelized tariffs is that the settlement amount at the time of contract termination can be large. Also, the downside for retail electricity suppliers of seasonally-variable levelized tariffs is that unpaid amounts can accumulate, increasing the risk of collection.

Therefore, the fee calculation system of the embodiment introduces a "cancellation adjustment fee." The cancellation adjustment fee is money to be offset against remaining unpaid electricity charges when electricity usage is canceled in the future (or the number of installments is changed). Specifically, the user is required to pay the cancellation adjustment fee in the month when the electricity bill burden is low at the start of use, and when the contract is canceled in the future or the number of installments is changed, the cancellation adjustment fee already paid is offset against the unpaid amount.

The introduction of the cancellation adjustment fee has the benefit for users of reducing the risk of increased electricity bills when contracts are cancelled. It also has the benefit for electricity retailers of reducing the risk of not being able to collect outstanding payments.

In the embodiment, the unit period for calculating the electricity usage fee and the unit period for calculating the billing amount are both one month. In a variation, the unit period may be any predetermined period. For example, the unit period may be a period shorter than one month (e.g., 20 days) or a period longer than one month (e.g., two months).

The system of the embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 1 shows the configuration of an electric power supplier system 10 of the embodiment. The electric power supplier system 10 is a corporate information system of a retail electric power supplier. The electric power supplier system 10 includes a customer management system 12, a cross-regional organization for transmission lines system 14, a fee calculation system 16, an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) server 18, and a web system 20.

The customer management system 12 is an information processing system that manages information regarding multiple customers of the retail electricity supplier (in other words, multiple users of electricity sold by the retail electricity supplier). The cross-regional organization system for electricity transmission 14 includes a system for smoothly switching electricity, a system for providing meter reading information provided by electricity distribution suppliers, and a system for providing the market price of electricity.

The fee calculation system 16 is an information processing system that calculates electricity usage fees and billing amounts for each of the retail electricity supplier's multiple customers. Details of the fee calculation system 16 will be described later.

The EDI server 18 is an information processing system that executes billing processing 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 an embodiment, the web system 20 provides a web page showing detailed information regarding electricity charges to the customer terminal.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional blocks of the fee calculation system 16 in Figure 1. The multiple functional blocks shown in the block diagram in this specification can be configured in hardware with circuit blocks, memory, and other LSIs, and in software, are realized by a computer processor (such as a CPU) executing a program loaded into memory. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination of both, and are not limited to any one of them.

The processing unit 30 executes various data processing related to fee calculation. The processing unit 30 may be realized by a processor of a computer constituting the fee calculation system 16. The memory unit 32 stores data referenced or updated by the processing unit 30. The communication unit 34 communicates with external devices 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.

The memory unit 32 includes a customer attribute memory unit 36, an electricity usage memory unit 38, a usage fee memory unit 40, a billed amount memory unit 42, a settlement amount memory unit 44, and a details memory unit 46. The data stored in each of these memory units includes a customer ID, and is associated with each other by the customer ID.

The customer attribute storage unit 36 stores attribute information for each of a plurality of customers. This attribute information includes at least the customer ID, the number of instalments of the fee bill, and the date of commencement of use (or the date of change in the number of instalments). In an embodiment, the customer can select one of a plurality of predefined patterns for the number of instalments of the fee bill. For example, the system may be configured to allow the customer to select from 0 instalments (lump sum bill without instalments), 3 instalments, or 6 instalments. The fee calculation system 16 may receive the number of instalments selected by the customer and sent from the customer terminal via the web system 20 and the customer management system 12, and store it in the customer attribute storage unit 36.

The electricity usage memory unit 38 stores data indicating the amount of electricity used by each customer each month (every 30 minutes in this embodiment). The unit of electricity usage is, for example, kilowatt-hours (kWh). The usage fee memory unit 40 stores data indicating the electricity usage fee for each customer each month. The billing amount memory unit 42 stores data indicating the electricity bill amount for each customer each month.

The settlement amount memory unit 44 stores data indicating the settlement amount associated with the cancellation for each customer. The settlement amount is the unpaid electricity bill minus the cancellation adjustment fee that has already been paid. The details memory unit 46 stores electricity bill details for each customer. The details information includes the billed amount for a certain month and the electricity usage fees and electricity usage amounts for multiple months that are included in the billed amount.

The processing unit 30 includes an electricity usage acquisition unit 50, a usage fee calculation unit 52, a billing amount calculation unit 54, a settlement amount calculation unit 56, a statement generation unit 58, and a fee information output unit 60. The functions of these multiple functional blocks may be implemented in a computer program (also referred to here as a "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 (CPU, etc.) of the computer may perform the functions of the multiple functional blocks by reading the fee calculation program into main memory and executing it.

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

The billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates the billing amount to be paid to a customer for a certain unit period (a certain month in this embodiment) by dividing and totaling the electricity usage fee for each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the unit period. For example, the billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates the billing amount to a customer who selects six installments according to formula 2 above, and calculates the billing amount to a customer who selects three installments according to formula 3 above.

The billing amount calculation unit 54 includes the cancellation adjustment fee in the billing amount to each customer. Specifically, the billing amount calculation unit 54 includes the cancellation adjustment fee in the billing amount for each customer for a predetermined period from the start of electricity use (for example, from the start date of use as stipulated in the electricity usage contract) or for a predetermined period from a change in the number of installments.

Figure 3 shows an example of setting the cancellation adjustment fee in an embodiment. Month N is the month when electricity usage starts or when the number of installments is changed. X is the number of installments in the electricity bill. The cancellation adjustment fee is set from month N+1 to month N+X-1. For example, if usage starts in April and the number of installments is six, the cancellation adjustment fee is set to the billing amount from May to September. Also, if usage starts in April and the number of installments is three, the cancellation adjustment fee is set to the billing amount for May and June.

As shown in FIG. 3, the billing amount calculation unit 54 sets the cancellation adjustment fee so that it is largest in the month following the start of use (the start of billing month) and gradually decreases. In other words, the billing amount calculation unit 54 reduces the cancellation adjustment fee included in the billing amount the longer it has been since the customer started using electricity. Since the installment billing amount for electricity charges is small for the first few months of use, setting the cancellation adjustment fee in this way makes it easier to level out the billing amount for each month.

The 2,000 yen in FIG. 3 is a predetermined unit price of the cancellation adjustment fee. The unit price of the cancellation adjustment fee may be determined based on the attributes of the customer. Furthermore, the higher the expected monthly electricity usage fee, the higher the unit price of the cancellation adjustment fee may be set. For example, the unit price of the cancellation adjustment fee for an ordinary household (such as a household with two or more people) may be set to 2,000 yen for six installments and 6,600 yen for three installments. On the other hand, the unit price of the cancellation adjustment fee for a single-person household may be set to 800 yen for six installments and 2,640 yen for three installments.

As a variant, the fee calculation system 16 may further include a unit price determination unit that automatically determines the cancellation adjustment fee unit price according to customer attribute information input from the customer terminal. The customer attribute information may include information for estimating the amount of electricity used by the customer (e.g., the type of home appliances owned and the number of air conditioners, etc.). The cancellation adjustment fee unit price may be increased as the estimated amount of electricity used by the customer increases, for example, the number of air conditioners increases. The unit price determination unit may store the determined cancellation adjustment fee unit price for each customer in the customer attribute storage unit 36. The billing amount calculation unit 54 may use the cancellation adjustment fee unit price for a certain customer stored in the customer attribute storage unit 36 to calculate the cancellation adjustment fee to be included in the billing amount for that customer.

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 uncollected amount of electricity usage charges and the cancellation adjustment fee that has already been paid as the settlement amount.

The statement generation unit 58 generates detailed information on the amount billed to a customer for a certain unit period. The detailed information includes the divided amounts of the electricity usage fee for each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to that unit period (i.e., the multiple unit periods that are the subject of the divided bill). For example, if the number of installments is six, the detailed information for October will include the billed amount for October as well as one-sixth of the electricity usage fee for each month from April to September.

The fee information output unit 60 transmits the billing amount for each customer calculated by the billing amount calculation unit 54 and detailed information regarding the billing amount to the customer management system 12.

The fee calculation system 16 may be realized by a single information processing device, or may be realized by multiple information processing devices communicating and coordinating with each other. In the latter case, the functions of the fee calculation system 16 may be distributed and implemented on multiple information devices.

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fee calculation system 16. Below, the operation of the electric power supplier system 10 of the embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

The customer management system 12 periodically acquires data on the market price (in other words, the electricity trading price) in the wholesale electricity trading market every 30 minutes of the previous day from the cross-regional electricity agency system 14, and transmits the acquired market price data to the fee calculation system 16. The fee calculation system 16 stores the market price data in the wholesale electricity trading market every 30 minutes each day.

The customer management system 12 also periodically acquires meter reading information for each customer, indicating the electricity usage of each of the retail electricity supplier's multiple customers, from the cross-regional agency system 14. The customer management system 12 transmits the acquired meter reading information for each customer to the fee calculation system 16. The electricity usage acquisition unit 50 of the fee calculation system 16 acquires the meter reading information for each customer, and stores data indicating the electricity usage for each customer every 30 minutes, as indicated by the meter reading information, in the electricity usage storage unit 38 (S10).

The processing from S12 onwards is executed when it is time to calculate the fee. The month for which the fee is calculated is hereinafter also referred to as the "target month". The fee calculation unit 52 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates the electricity usage fee for each customer for the target month based on the market price every 30 minutes in the wholesale electricity trading market and the electricity usage amount every 30 minutes of each customer, as shown in Equation 1 (S12). The fee calculation unit 52 stores the electricity usage fee data for each customer in the fee storage unit 40.

The billing amount calculation unit 54 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates the billing amount for each customer according to the number of installments set for each customer, which is stored in the customer attribute storage unit 36 (S14). The billing amount calculation unit 54 stores the data of the billing amount for each customer in the billing amount storage unit 42.

For example, if the number of installments is six, the billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates the billing amount for the target month as the total of one-sixth of the electricity usage charges for each month from (target month - June) to (target month - January), as shown in Equation 2. If the target month is within five months from the start of use month (or the month when the number of installments is changed), the billing amount calculation unit 54 adds a cancellation adjustment fee according to the time elapsed since the start of use month to the billing amount, as shown in FIG. 3.

On the other hand, if the number of installments is three, the billing amount calculation unit 54 calculates the billing amount for the target month as the total of one-third of the electricity usage charges for each month from (target month - March) to (target month - January). If the target month is within two months of the start month of use (or the month in which the number of installments is changed), the billing amount calculation unit 54 adds a cancellation adjustment fee according to the time elapsed since the start month of use to the billing amount. The billing amount calculation unit 54 also stores the amount of the cancellation adjustment fee in the billing amount storage unit 42.

The settlement amount calculation unit 56 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates the unpaid amount for each customer. For example, if the number of installments is six, the unpaid amount is the sum of one-sixth of the electricity usage fee for the target month to May, two-sixths of the electricity usage fee for the target month to April, three-sixths of the electricity usage fee for the target month to March, four-sixths of the electricity usage fee for the target month to February, and five-sixths of the electricity usage fee for the target month to January. If the number of installments is three, the unpaid amount is the sum of one-third of the electricity usage fee for the target month to February and two-thirds of the electricity usage fee for the target month to January.

The settlement amount calculation unit 56 calculates the difference between the uncollected amount and the cumulative amount of the cancellation adjustment fee already paid (already billed) stored in the billing amount storage unit 42 for each customer as the cancellation settlement amount (S16). The settlement amount calculation unit 56 stores the data of the cancellation settlement amount for each customer in the settlement amount storage unit 44.

Figure 5 shows the trends in electricity charges, billed amount, and settlement amount for a certain customer. The electricity charges record in Figure 5 is stored in the usage charge memory unit 40 of the fee calculation system 16. The records of the installment bill, cancellation adjustment fee, unpaid amount recovery, and billed amount in Figure 5 are stored in the billed amount memory unit 42 of the fee calculation system 16. The records of unpaid - adjustment fee (settlement amount) in Figure 5 are stored in the settlement amount memory unit 44 of the fee calculation system 16. The value of unpaid - adjustment fee (settlement amount) for each month can be said to be the settlement amount that would be billed for that month if the contract was canceled the previous month.

The customer in Figure 5 signed a contract (started electricity use) for six installments in April 2022. The billing amount calculation unit 54 of the fee calculation system 16 includes a cancellation adjustment fee (unit price 2,000 yen) corresponding to the six installments in the billing amount for the five months from May to September 2022.

The customer changed the number of installments to three in April 2023. The settlement amount calculation unit 56 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates the difference between the uncollected electricity fee and the cancellation adjustment fee already paid (the cancellation adjustment fee corresponding to six installments) as the settlement amount of 5,167 yen. In addition, the billing amount calculation unit 54 of the fee calculation system 16 includes the cancellation adjustment fee (unit price 6,600 yen) corresponding to three installments in the billing amount for the two months from May to June 2023.

The customer canceled the contract in September 2023. The settlement amount calculation unit 56 of the fee calculation system 16 calculates the difference between the uncollected electricity fee and the cancellation adjustment fee already paid (the cancellation adjustment fee corresponding to the three installments) as the settlement amount, which is -3,133 yen (a refund of 3,133 yen).

Figure 6 shows an example of billing amounts to customers corresponding to Figure 5. The dashed line graph shows the change in billing amount when there is no installment billing (no leveling). The solid line graph shows the change in billing amount when there are six installments and no cancellation adjustment fee. Without installment billing, the billing amount is higher in summer and winter, but by setting the number of installments to six, such seasonal fluctuations can be suppressed and the billing amount for each month can be leveled out. However, when canceling a contract or changing the number of installments, the unpaid electricity bill is billed all at once, causing the billing amount to soar.

Figure 7 also shows an example of billing amounts to customers, corresponding to Figure 5. The dashed line graph, like Figure 6, shows the progress of billing amounts without installment billing (without leveling). The solid line graph shows the progress of billing amounts with six installments and a cancellation adjustment fee. The cancellation adjustment fee is collected in advance and offset against unpaid electricity charges at the time of cancellation or when the number of installments changes, which helps prevent the billing amount from rising sharply at the time of cancellation or when the number of installments changes.

Returning to FIG. 4, the statement generation unit 58 of the fee calculation system 16 references the electricity usage storage unit 38, the usage fee storage unit 40, the billing amount storage unit 42, and the settlement amount storage unit 44 to generate statement information for each customer and store it in the statement storage unit 46 (S18). In an embodiment, the statement generation unit 58 sets the billing amount and its breakdown (including the electricity usage and the electricity usage fee), as well as the settlement amount in the event of cancellation, in the statement information. The fee information output unit 60 of the fee calculation system 16 transmits fee information for each customer, including the billing amount and statement information for each customer, to the customer management system 12 (S20).

The customer management system 12 transmits data on the amount billed to each customer to the EDI server 18. The EDI server 18 executes a process to bill each customer for the amount billed. This process may include, for example, a process of transferring money equivalent to the amount billed to a customer from a customer's account to the retail electricity supplier's account in cooperation with a financial institution's system.

The customer management system 12 also stores the detailed information of each customer sent from the fee calculation system 16. When the web system 20 receives a request to view detailed information from a customer terminal of a certain customer, it obtains the detailed information of that customer from the customer management system 12 or the fee calculation system 16, and sends the detailed information to the customer terminal that made the request.

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

The statement generation unit 58 of the fee calculation system 16 obtains the settlement amount for this month in the case of cancellation in the previous month from the settlement amount storage unit 44 and further sets it in the statement information 70. For example, the statement information for June 2022 shown in Figure 8 indicates the settlement amount to be charged in June if the contract is cancelled in May (a refund of 8,500 yen in Figure 8).

Figures 9 to 11 also show examples of detailed information. Detailed information 70 in Figure 9 is detailed information for October 2022 based on the data for October 2022 shown in Figure 5 (B). Detailed information 70 in Figure 10 is detailed information for June 2023 based on the data for June 2023 after the number of installments has been changed to three, as shown in Figure 5 (C).

Detailed information 70 in FIG. 11 is detailed information for October 2023 based on the data for October 2023 after cancellation shown in FIG. 5 (C). In detailed information 70 for October 2023, 14,533 yen is billed, offsetting the installment bill of 17,667 yen and the settlement amount of 3,133 yen obtained by deducting the cancellation adjustment fee from the unpaid electricity bill.

According to the fee calculation system 16 of the embodiment, a fully market-linked electricity usage fee with no basic fee can be used, thereby realizing a highly transparent electricity usage fee. In addition, by dividing the electricity usage fee into three or six installments, the risk of a temporary spike in electricity usage fees can be reduced. For example, dividing the electricity usage fee into six installments can effectively prevent spikes in payment amounts in summer and winter. Furthermore, by providing a cancellation adjustment fee to offset uncollected amounts, the risk of a spike in billing amounts at the time of cancellation or a change in the number of installments can be reduced. By providing a cancellation adjustment fee, it is possible to achieve both the flexibility of customers to terminate contracts and the reduction of unpaid amounts for the retail electricity business operator.

In addition, according to the fee calculation system 16 of the embodiment, by providing the customer with detailed information including the electricity usage charges and electricity usage for each month that make up the billed amount, the breakdown of the billed amount can be presented to the customer in an easy-to-understand manner. Furthermore, by including the settlement amount in the event of cancellation in the detailed information, it is possible to support the customer's decision-making regarding cancellation of electricity usage or change of the number of installments.

The above describes an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each processing process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

A modified example will be described. Here, we propose a smart remote control that is highly compatible with the fully market-linked electricity rates of the embodiment. This smart remote control is a remote control that can control the operation (on/off, operating mode, etc.) of multiple home appliances such as air conditioners, lighting equipment, and refrigerators. In addition, this smart remote control can communicate with the user's smartphone, and controls the operation of multiple home appliances according to instructions (remote control) from the user's smartphone.

The smart remote control periodically and repeatedly obtains the latest wholesale electricity market price. The smart remote control may be installed in a room in which an air conditioner is installed, and may have a built-in temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the room. The smart remote control may start the air conditioner in cooling mode when the market price of electricity is below a predetermined value and the room temperature exceeds a set temperature. The smart remote control may also increase the set temperature of the refrigerator when the market price of electricity exceeds the predetermined value, and decrease the set temperature of the refrigerator when the market price of electricity falls below the predetermined value.

Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. A new embodiment resulting from the combination will have the combined effects of each of the combined embodiments and modifications. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each of the constituent elements recited in the claims can be realized by each of the components shown in the embodiments and modifications alone or in combination.

10 Electricity supplier system, 16 Fee calculation system, 50 Electricity usage amount acquisition unit, 52 Usage fee calculation unit, 54 Billing amount calculation unit, 56 Settlement amount calculation unit, 58 Details generation unit, 60 Fee information output unit.

Claims (6)

An acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the amount of electricity used by a customer;
a usage fee calculation unit that calculates an electricity usage fee for the customer during a unit period based on the market price of electricity at the time the electricity is used and the amount of electricity used;
a billing amount calculation unit that calculates, as a billing amount to be charged to the customer in a certain unit period, an amount obtained by dividing and totaling the electricity usage fee in each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the certain unit period;
A fee calculation system comprising: the billing amount calculation unit calculates, as an amount to be collected from the customer, a total of unpaid amounts based on the number of installments of the electricity usage fee for each of the predetermined number of unit periods prior to the certain unit period;
the billing amount calculation unit includes a cancellation adjustment fee, which is a cancellation adjustment fee to be offset against an unpaid amount from the customer when the customer cancels the use of electricity and is determined based on the number of installments , in the billing amount to be paid to the customer for a predetermined period from the start of the customer's use of electricity;
The fee calculation system according to claim 1 . the billing amount calculation unit reduces the amount of the cancellation adjustment fee to be included in the billing amount to the customer as the time that has elapsed since the customer started using electricity increases,
The fee calculation system according to claim 2. a statement generating unit that generates statement information of the amount billed to the customer in the certain unit period, the statement information including a divided amount of the electricity usage fee in each of the predetermined number of unit periods;
A fee calculation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Obtain information about customers' electricity usage,
Calculating an electricity usage fee for the customer for a unit period based on the market price of electricity at the time the electricity was used and the amount of electricity used;
Calculating the total amount of the electricity usage fee divided for each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the unit period as the amount to be billed to the customer for the unit period;
A computer-implemented fee calculation method. Obtain information about customers' electricity usage,
Calculating an electricity usage fee for the customer for a unit period based on the market price of electricity at the time the electricity was used and the amount of electricity used;
Calculating the total amount of the electricity usage fee divided for each of a predetermined number of unit periods prior to the unit period as the amount to be billed to the customer for the unit period;
A computer program that causes a computer to carry out a task.

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