If you are a current a property owner with multiple tenants in a commercial building, a mobile home part, an apartment or even a condo complex, you are probably billing using a RUBS (ratio utility billing system) or a flat rate method of water and sewer billing.
The Options
The RUBS or ratio utility billing system sets the rate for water and sewer, as well as other utilities if necessary, based on square footage, occupancy or some other series of factors. A flat rate system simply charges a flat rate for all tenants. This is often the least favored by tenants as one high user in the group will drive up the rates on a monthly basis over time as the landlord raises rates to limit their costs.
A better option, when possible, is to use submetering. These meters are put on every unit, allowing the landlord, building or property owner or the management group to bill each tenant specifically for the water and sewer used. Installing smart meters ensures that you have the ability to track water use across your property.
The Issue
While the landlord or property owner will initially need to pay for water meter installation costs in most cases, the cost savings are essential to consider. These will often offset the initial water meter installation costs within just a few months, resulting in a more effective and efficient billing system going forward.
With the submeters in place, there will be no reason for the property owner to make up any of the amounts of the water bill due to high client use that month. In addition, once the submeters are installed, the water management service can even handle billing and payment processing for you, further reducing the water meter installation costs as less time is spent in connecting tenants and tracking down payments.