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 OpenAI Agents SDK 12 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: UtilityAPI
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

openai.github.io/openai-agents-python/mcp

Built by Vinkius GDPR 12 Tools SDK

The OpenAI Agents SDK enables production-grade agent workflows in Python. Connect UtilityAPI through Vinkius and your agents gain typed, auto-discovered tools with built-in guardrails. no manual schema definitions required.

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 agents import Agent, Runner
from agents.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHttp

async def main():
    # Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
    async with MCPServerStreamableHttp(
        url="https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    ) as mcp_server:

        agent = Agent(
            name="UtilityAPI Assistant",
            instructions=(
                "You help users interact with UtilityAPI. "
                "You have access to 12 tools."
            ),
            mcp_servers=[mcp_server],
        )

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent, "List all available tools from UtilityAPI"
        )
        print(result.final_output)

asyncio.run(main())

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* 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.

The OpenAI Agents SDK auto-discovers all 12 tools from UtilityAPI through native MCP integration. Build agents with built-in guardrails, tracing, and handoff patterns. chain multiple agents where one queries UtilityAPI, another analyzes results, and a third generates reports, all orchestrated through Vinkius.

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 OpenAI Agents SDK 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 OpenAI Agents SDK via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the UtilityAPI MCP Server with OpenAI Agents SDK.

Install the SDK

Run pip install openai-agents in your Python environment

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token from cloud.vinkius.com

Run the script

Save the code above and run it: python agent.py

Explore tools

The agent will automatically discover 12 tools from UtilityAPI

Why Use OpenAI Agents SDK with the UtilityAPI MCP Server

OpenAI Agents SDK provides unique advantages when paired with UtilityAPI through the Model Context Protocol.

Native MCP integration via `MCPServerSse`, pass the URL and the SDK auto-discovers all tools with full type safety

Built-in guardrails, tracing, and handoff patterns let you build production-grade agents without reinventing safety infrastructure

Lightweight and composable: chain multiple agents and MCP servers in a single pipeline with minimal boilerplate

First-party OpenAI support ensures optimal compatibility with GPT models for tool calling and structured output

UtilityAPI + OpenAI Agents SDK Use Cases

Practical scenarios where OpenAI Agents SDK combined with the UtilityAPI MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Automated workflows: build agents that query UtilityAPI, process the data, and trigger follow-up actions autonomously

Multi-agent orchestration: create specialist agents. one queries UtilityAPI, another analyzes results, a third generates reports

Data enrichment pipelines: stream data through UtilityAPI tools and transform it with OpenAI models in a single async loop

Customer support bots: agents query UtilityAPI to resolve tickets, look up records, and update statuses without human intervention

UtilityAPI MCP Tools for OpenAI Agents SDK (12)

These 12 tools become available when you connect UtilityAPI to OpenAI Agents SDK 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 OpenAI Agents SDK

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your OpenAI Agents SDK 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 OpenAI Agents SDK

Common issues when connecting UtilityAPI to OpenAI Agents SDK through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCPServerStreamableHttp not found

Ensure you have the latest version: pip install --upgrade openai-agents

Agent not calling tools

Make sure your prompt explicitly references the task the tools can help with.

UtilityAPI + OpenAI Agents SDK FAQ

Common questions about integrating UtilityAPI MCP Server with OpenAI Agents SDK.

How does the OpenAI Agents SDK connect to MCP?

Use MCPServerSse(url=...) to create a server connection. The SDK auto-discovers all tools and makes them available to your agent with full type information.