How And When To Use A Ratio Utility Billing System

With all new construction of apartments, condos and manufactured home communities, ABT Water Management can provide smart metering and utility billing services. These submeters allow each unit to have a unique billing system, providing benefits for property managers, landlords, and tenants.

In some cases, particularly in very old or even historical types of multi-family buildings, or in newer buildings build with specific types of plumbing systems, individual submetering on units may be cost prohibitive or even impossible without major renovation and retrofit work.

In these cases, a ratio utility billing system may be the best option to use. There are several options for these systems, with each having their own best use applications.

Square Foot

The most basic type of ratio utility billing system uses a simple square footage in relation to the total building square footage ratio. In this way, the larger the apartment, the higher of a percentage the tenant would pay.

The obvious issue is the number of occupants. It may well be a smaller sized unit has a higher number of occupants and uses more water, but is paying less. This option is a good consideration for commercial property such as offices or workspace.

Square Foot and Occupancy

In residential types of buildings, using the same square footage of the unit in relation to the total building can be added to a factor of the number of occupants. This means the renter has to be honest and report additional people in the unit. Additionally, it becomes a concern when looking at families. Would a child be considered the same in the calculation as an adult?

This can become a complex record keeping issue for the landlord. Smart metering can result, these issues and make billing a lot easier. If you are considering submetering but have been told it may not be possible, call the experts at ABT Water Management at 800-697-9096 before making a decision.