Specialized Utility Metering Companies

One of the problems of utility metering in multiple households, such as apartments and condominiums, is the municipality only bills once a month or less. In addition, if a leak occurs in a specific unit, or if a tenant is using excessive utilities, the landlord or owner has no way of finding out exactly where the problem originates. Tenants have less motivation to be concerned about leaks if they are not paying the bill. They may not responsibly report leaks, allowing them to continue until the owner gets a large bill after the fact. Submetering companies, ABT Water in particular, have developed an ingenious way to solve this problem.

Individual Digital Meters and Daily Reading

Submetering companies install digital meters at individual tenant properties. The meters are placed in locations where they can be read on a daily basis, often by a radio-controlled device. Data is collected each day on individual tenant usage. The owner still has to pay the municipality for the total utility bill, but submetering allows them to monitor the water usage of each tenant separately. Tenants are billed by a third party for their portion of the monthly bill based on their usage alone.

Benefits of Submetering

The benefits of this approach for the landlord or owner are numerous. The tenant’s utility usage is directly connected with their water bill, so they are more likely to get leaks repaired when they happen. They are also more likely to be concerned about conservation. If a leak or spike does occur, the owner can find out immediately with precision where it is coming from so that it can be dealt with before it becomes a major problem. The owner saves money on utility usage, and is better able to recoup the charges from tenants.

Other Services Provided

Not all Submetering companies offer data management services for all utilities. At ABT Water, we do. We can generate daily reports which can be accessed by the owner at any time. In addition, if the owner desires, we will take over the billing and collection of utility payments by tenants.

We can also install energy-saving retrofits at the owner’s request. Since the US government is actively encouraging green conservation, owners may qualify for rebates on such ventures.

Submetering is a useful service for owners of multi-family dwellings, allowing them to monitor individual energy usage at their commercial properties, and eliminate water and energy waste before it becomes expensive. Contact us today to learn more.