Submetering 101

When residents are billed based on their actual consumption, they are more likely to adopt conservation behaviors. Submetering systems empower property owners and managers with tools for accurate utility expense recovery while encouraging sustainable usage habits among residents.

Submetering involves installing a dedicated water meter for each individual unit, whether it’s an apartment, retail store, or condominium. For optimal performance, each unit should ideally have its own cold water line, a shut-off valve, and a separate hot water heater. This setup ensures precise tracking of water usage and simplifies maintenance.

• Bill residents for direct usage

• Increase property value

• Quick return on investment

Choosing the right billing company is critical to ensuring you recover as much utility expense you can. Don’t cut corners with the lowest-cost provider since you’ll sacrifice service, and may wind up losing money. Meter Link Solutions provides dedicated Account Managers  to take care of you and your residents, and to make sure your recovery program works as promised.

Implementing a submetering system is an effective solution for recovering utility expenses. These systems enable communities to accurately monitor each resident’s utility consumption, ensuring accountability and promoting conservation. Submetering can be applied to various utilities, including water, sewer, electricity, and gas.

In most cases, our low monthly service fee is passed on to the resident, resulting in no additional costs for property owners or managers. With seamless integration into property management software for on-site payments or resident payment processing, we serve as your all-inclusive partner in utility cost recovery.

In today’s market, submetering systems come in a wide variety of options, but not all are created equal. Moreover, certain cities and states impose specific regulations on the types of submeters that can be installed for utility billing purposes, making compliance a key consideration.

Submetering systems vary significantly in their applications. Some are designed exclusively for indoor use, while others are built to withstand outdoor environments. Many systems depend on an on-site internet connection, whereas others utilize cellular networks or require manual visual readings each month. Advanced systems optimized for long-range communication are ideal for high-rise buildings and expansive manufactured housing communities, while streamlined "lite" versions cater to smaller properties.

Regardless of your property’s type, size, or location, our consultative sales professionals will perform a thorough assessment of your infrastructure. This may involve asking a few targeted questions or conducting an on-site visit. Based on this evaluation, we will recommend a submetering system tailored to your property's unique needs, ensuring compliance with local regulations and maximizing efficiency.

The utility billing process starts with monthly meter readings, which can be collected either manually or via an RF cloud-based system. These readings are then entered into our billing software, where a rate is applied to the recorded usage. The total amount billed reflects a cost allocation designed to align closely with the master utility bill, excluding irrigation and common area usage.