How do I get access to a customer's utility billing and usage data?

First, create an authorization form using `create_auth_form` with the customer's utility code. Share the form URL with the customer to complete authorization. Once authorized, use `list_meters` to find their service points, then `get_bills` and `get_intervals` with the meter UID to retrieve their data. You can also activate historical collection with `activate_historical_collection` to backfill past data.

What's the difference between bills and intervals data?

Bills provide monthly (or billing cycle) summaries: total cost, total usage (kWh/therms), and billing period dates. Intervals provide granular time-series data from smart meters — typically 15-minute or hourly readings showing exact consumption patterns throughout the day. Use bills for cost analysis and trend overview; use intervals for detailed energy modeling, peak demand identification, and time-of-use analysis.

Which utility companies are supported?

UtilityAPI supports 100+ US utilities including PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric), Southern California Edison (SCE), Con Edison, National Grid, SDG&E, LADWP, CenterPoint Energy, and many more. Use the `list_utilities` tool to see the complete, up-to-date list of supported utilities with their codes. Coverage varies by state and continues to expand.

Can I test the authorization flow before going to production?

Yes! Use `create_auth_form` to create a form, then `test_form_submission` with utility='DEMO' and scenario='residential' (or 'commercial'). This simulates a customer authorizing their data and returns a referral_code. Use this code with `list_authorizations?referrals=YOUR_CODE&include=meters` to retrieve test authorization and meter data without needing a real customer.

UtilityAPI MCP Server for AutoGen 12 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: UtilityAPI
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

microsoft.github.io/autogen/docs/tools/mcp-tools

Built by Vinkius GDPR 12 Tools Framework

Microsoft AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations where agents negotiate, delegate, and execute tasks collaboratively. Add UtilityAPI as an MCP tool provider through Vinkius and every agent in the group can access live data and take action.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

python

import asyncio
from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench

async def main():
    # Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
    async with McpWorkbench(
        server_params={"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"},
        transport="streamable_http",
    ) as workbench:
        tools = await workbench.list_tools()
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            name="utilityapi_agent",
            tools=tools,
            system_message=(
                "You help users with UtilityAPI. "
                "12 tools available."
            ),
        )
        print(f"Agent ready with {len(tools)} tools")

asyncio.run(main())

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* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About UtilityAPI MCP Server

Connect UtilityAPI to any AI agent and access utility billing history, granular usage intervals, and meter data from over 100 US utility companies — including PG&E, Southern California Edison, Con Edison, National Grid, and more — through a single unified API.

AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations where agents negotiate, delegate, and collaboratively use UtilityAPI tools. Connect 12 tools through Vinkius and assign role-based access. a data analyst queries while a reviewer validates, with optional human-in-the-loop approval for sensitive operations.

What you can do

Supported Utilities — List all 100+ utility companies available through the platform with their codes and data types
Customer Authorizations — Create and manage authorization forms for customers to securely share their utility data
Meter Management — List all authorized utility meters (service points) with addresses, fuel types, and collection status
Billing History — Retrieve complete billing history with costs, usage amounts (kWh/therms), and billing periods
Usage Intervals — Access granular smart meter interval data (15-min or hourly readings) for detailed energy analysis
Historical Collection — Activate backfilling of historical utility data for newly authorized meters
Combined Meter Data — Get both bills and intervals in a single call for comprehensive energy analysis
Event Monitoring — Monitor webhook events for authorization flows, data collection status, and errors
Demo Testing — Test authorization forms with simulated residential and commercial scenarios before production
Billing Summaries — Track API usage costs and billing periods for your UtilityAPI account

The UtilityAPI MCP Server exposes 12 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to AutoGen in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect UtilityAPI to AutoGen via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the UtilityAPI MCP Server with AutoGen.

Install AutoGen

Run pip install "autogen-ext[mcp]"

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token

Integrate into workflow

Use the agent in your AutoGen multi-agent orchestration

Explore tools

The workbench discovers 12 tools from UtilityAPI automatically

Why Use AutoGen with the UtilityAPI MCP Server

AutoGen provides unique advantages when paired with UtilityAPI through the Model Context Protocol.

Multi-agent conversations: multiple AutoGen agents discuss, delegate, and collaboratively use UtilityAPI tools to solve complex tasks

Role-based architecture lets you assign UtilityAPI tool access to specific agents. a data analyst queries while a reviewer validates

Human-in-the-loop support: agents can pause for human approval before executing sensitive UtilityAPI tool calls

Code execution sandbox: AutoGen agents can write and run code that processes UtilityAPI tool responses in an isolated environment

UtilityAPI + AutoGen Use Cases

Practical scenarios where AutoGen combined with the UtilityAPI MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Collaborative analysis: one agent queries UtilityAPI while another validates results and a third generates the final report

Automated review pipelines: a researcher agent fetches data from UtilityAPI, a critic agent evaluates quality, and a writer produces the output

Interactive planning: agents negotiate task allocation using UtilityAPI data to make informed decisions about resource distribution

Code generation with live data: an AutoGen coder agent writes scripts that process UtilityAPI responses in a sandboxed execution environment

UtilityAPI MCP Tools for AutoGen (12)

These 12 tools become available when you connect UtilityAPI to AutoGen via MCP:

activate_historical_collection

Send an array of meter_uids (from list_meters) to begin backfilling historical data. Once activated, the system will start collecting all available historical data for those meters. Use this after a new customer authorization to ensure you get their complete usage history, not just future data. Data collection may take time depending on the utility and data availability. Activate historical data collection for specific utility meters

create_auth_form

Returns a form_uid that can be used to redirect customers to the authorization flow. The utilityCode parameter must be a valid utility code (from list_utilities). Optional scenario parameter controls the test mode: "residential" (home customer), "commercial" (business customer), or other utility-specific scenarios. Use this to set up new data sharing agreements with utility customers. Create a new authorization form for customers to share their utility data

get_billing_summaries

Includes billing periods, costs, and meter counts for your UtilityAPI subscription. Optional meterId parameter retrieves summary for a specific meter. Use this to track API usage costs and understand billing periods for your UtilityAPI account. Get billing account summaries for UtilityAPI accounting

get_bills

Returns utility bills with: start/end dates, total cost (in dollars), energy usage (kWh for electric, therms for gas), utility name, and meter association. The meters parameter is required — provide a single meter UID or comma-separated multiple UIDs. Use this to analyze customer spending on utilities, identify high-cost periods, or provide billing insights. Bills are only available for meters that have been authorized and are actively collecting data. Get utility billing history for authorized meters

get_events

Events include: new authorization created, meter data available, collection completed, errors, etc. Use this to monitor the status of data collection workflows, debug authorization issues, or build real-time notifications for when customer data becomes available. Get webhook events from UtilityAPI (authorizations, data collection status)

get_form_templates

Templates define what information is collected during the customer authorization process. Use this to understand available form configurations before creating custom authorization forms. Each template has a unique ID used when creating new forms. Get authorization form templates used for customer data sharing

get_intervals

This is granular consumption data showing energy usage over time intervals (typically 15-minute or hourly readings from smart meters). Each interval includes: start/end timestamp, usage value (kWh or therms), and cost information. The meters parameter is required — provide meter UID(s). Use this for detailed energy analysis, identifying peak usage patterns, demand response analysis, or building energy models. This is more granular than bills — ideal for time-series analysis. Get detailed usage interval data (hourly/15-min) for authorized meters

get_meter_data

This is a convenience tool that combines results from get_bills and get_intervals for one meter. Returns: complete bill history (dates, costs, usage) plus granular interval data (time-series readings). Use this when you need a complete picture of a customer's utility data — both the financial (billing) and technical (usage patterns) aspects — for comprehensive energy analysis. The meterUid must be a valid meter UID from list_meters. Get combined billing and interval data for a specific meter in one call

list_authorizations

Each authorization represents a customer who has granted access to their utility data. Optional referrals parameter filters by a specific referral code (from test submissions). Set includeMeters=true to also return associated meter data with each authorization. Use this to track which customers have authorized data access and get their referral codes for meter queries. List all customer data sharing authorizations

list_meters

Each meter represents a specific utility service connection (electricity or gas) at a customer location. Meter data includes: utility name, service address, fuel type (electric/gas), collection status, and the unique meter_uid used for fetching bills and intervals. Optional authorizationId filters meters to a specific customer authorization. Use the meter_uid with get_bills and get_intervals to retrieve usage data. List all authorized utility meters (service points)

list_utilities

Each utility includes its name, utility code (used for form submissions), and supported data types. Use this to find the correct utility code when creating authorization forms or querying utility-specific data. Common utilities include: PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric), SCE (Southern California Edison), Con Edison, National Grid, and many others across the US. List all supported utility companies available through UtilityAPI

test_form_submission

Returns a referral_code that can be used to retrieve the test authorization and associated meter data. Use this during development and testing to verify form configurations work correctly before deploying to production. The formId is the uid returned by create_auth_form. The referral_code returned can be used with list_authorizations to retrieve test data. Test an authorization form to simulate customer authorization and get a referral code

Example Prompts for UtilityAPI in AutoGen

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your AutoGen agent to start working with UtilityAPI immediately.

"List all supported utility companies."

"Get the billing history for meter 44445555."

"Show me the usage intervals for my authorized PG&E meters."

Troubleshooting UtilityAPI MCP Server with AutoGen

Common issues when connecting UtilityAPI to AutoGen through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

McpWorkbench not found

Install: pip install "autogen-ext[mcp]"

UtilityAPI + AutoGen FAQ

Common questions about integrating UtilityAPI MCP Server with AutoGen.

How does AutoGen connect to MCP servers?

Create an MCP tool adapter and assign it to one or more agents in the group chat. AutoGen agents can then call UtilityAPI tools during their conversation turns.

Can different agents have different MCP tool access?

Yes. AutoGen's role-based architecture lets you assign specific MCP tools to specific agents, so a querying agent has different capabilities than a reviewing agent.