Submeters – How it Works

Accurate Utility Management is able to utilize the submetering billing method. We will first need to determine if we are able to read your existing meters by having access to your meter reading system. Many nationwide submetering companies install proprietary equipment which prohibits other utility billing services access to their meter reading system. Typically you will be committed to a billing service contract for years without an option to hire other utility billing services, even if you are unsatisfied with their services. If Accurate Utility Management has access to your meter reading system, we will be able to provide your property with our utility billing services.

A water submeter is installed at each apartment to measure the actual water usage flowing into each unit. A true and accurate reading of the water actually consumed in each apartment will be detected through the meter reading system. Accurate Utility Management will read the meters, determine the utility charges, and bill your residents accordingly.

How Accurate Utility Management will process a resident utility bill utilizing submeters...

Accurate Utility Management highly recommends Radiopath Metering Automation located in the greater Seattle Puget Sound Area. RadioPath provides high-quality non-proprietary meters which will put you in control of the system you purchase, not the provider. With Radiopath Metering Automation as a neutral equipment provider, you will have a reliable system, access to the system if you want it, and most of all, managers and owners may use any billing service they wish!

Water Rates:
The current rate per gallon that your local utility provider charges your property is what determines your residents’ rate per gallon for the actual amount of water they consume. Most local utility providers charge in ccf increments. We will convert your ccf cost into gallons if your metering system reads in gallon increments, allowing us to determine your residents cost per gallon. If a residents submeter measures 2,700 gallons during the consumption period to be billed, and your utility charges you .00356 cents per gallon, your residents water cost will be $9.61. (2700 x .00356 = $9.61)

Flat Water Fees:
Usually local utility districts charge a “base water charge”, a “meter fee”, or a “ready to serve charge”. This is typically a minimum water charge in your water bill before any physical water is charged. Accurate Utility Management will figure what this flat rate charge will cost you, per unit per month, and we will bill your residents accordingly. For example if you have a 120 unit property and you pay $427.20 per month in flat water fees, your residents will be charged $3.56 per month for base water fees. ($427.20 / 120 = $3.56)

Sewer:
Sewer charges may also be billed back to your residents. Utility providers use several different methods to figure your sewer charges. You may be charged a flat rate per door per month, or charged based on the total amount of water the building consumes, using a rate per gallon of water specific to sewer charges only. Accurate Utility Management will bill your residents for their portion of sewer consumption based on how your property is charged. It may be a flat rate per month per door, or based on their individual water consumption using the rate per gallon specific to sewer.

A sample breakdown of a resident’s utility bill utilizing submeters may be as follows: