ESPM Alert Icons: common data errors and how to fix them
Alert Icons (!) - Alert icons are provided in-screen on the Details, Energy and Water tabs for the most critical data problems for example, when you have missing or incomplete data that will prevent the calculation of even the most basic metrics. These icons are designed to show you exactly what you need to do to resolve the problem.
Solutions for some of the most common data errors in ESPM are outlined below:
- (!) Duplicate entries (Data Overlap) for energy consumption data
- (!) Gross Floor Area error detected
- (!) "Date Meter became Active" before the "Start Date" for the first bill
- (!) Meter gaps in monthly entries entered into ESPM manually
- (!) Meter gaps in monthly entries for energy meters that are synced to BC Hydro or FortisBC
Common Data Error: (!) Duplicate entries (Data Overlap) for energy consumption data | |
Description | In some cases, meters synced with your utility provider(s) will upload duplicate entries, which need to be deleted |
Solution | Duplicate entries will be marked with a (!) and an error message. For energy meters synced to BC Hydro or FortisBC, there are two different types of Duplicate Entries that can occur:
|
Common Data Error: (!) Gross Floor Area error detected | |
| Description | If the Gross Floor Area (Self-Reported) value differs from the Gross Floor Area under Property Use, ESPM will flag this as an error |
| Solution | Ensure the Gross Floor Area values match in the two locations circled below. View instructions in article “How do I update the Gross Floor Area of my property in ESPM?” (Knowledge Base Article). |
Common Data Error: (!) "Date Meter became Active" before the "Start Date" for the first bill | |
| Description | If the "Date Meter became Active" is before the "Start Date" for the first bill, this creates a gap of missing bills for this meter |
| Solution | Set the "Date Meter became Active" to the "Start Date" of your first bill. Click on the arrow next to "Basic Meter Information" to edit your "Date Meter became Active." Be sure to save your changes. |
Common Data Error: (!) Meter gaps in monthly entries entered into ESPM manually | |
| Description | If you get an alert that you have Meter gaps, this means your meter bills do not cover every single day of the year |
| Solution | To fix a meter gap, you can: 1. Adjust an existing meter entry to cover the missed dates: Click on a date field to update it. Then click "Save Bills" at the bottom of the screen. Note: ensure that the energy usage entry is not over 90 days, because ESPM will flag an error if a single usage entry covers more than 90 days 2. Add a new meter entry. If you need to add a new entry - Click "Add Another Entry," enter the data, then click "Save Bills" at the bottom of the screen. After you "Save" it will be put into chronological order. 3. Adjust the "Date Meter Became Active" to correspond to your first bill's Start Date |
Common Data Error: (!) Meter gaps in monthly entries for energy meters that are synced to BC Hydro or FortisBC | |
| Description | If you get an alert that you have Meter gaps, this means your meter bills do not cover every single day of the year. This can occur occasionally in energy meters that are synced to BC Hydro or FortisBC. |
| Solution | To fix a data gap in an energy meter that is synced to BC Hydro or FortisBC, you can: 1. Add a new meter entry manually (based on your monthly utility bill). If you need to add a new entry - Click "Add Another Entry," enter the data, then click "Save Bills" at the bottom of the screen. After you "Save" it will be put into chronological order. 2. Add a new meter entry (Estimation). If you do not have access to a utility bill for a certain month, you can estimate the monthly usage by calculating the average of the monthly usage before the gap, and after the gap. For this method, please check the Checkbox in the “Estimation” column, and click “Save Bills” at the bottom of the screen. 3. Adjust the "Date Meter Became Active" to correspond to your first bill's Start Date |
For more information and to contact the Help Desk, Submit a Ticket for 'Help using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager'.
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