What Are Utility Submetering Systems?

Definition

Utility submetering systems read, organize and generate bills for tenants based on their individual utility consumption as measured by submeters.

Why it Matters

Submetering usually refers to the process of tenant submetering for billing purposes, but can also refer to tracking the electrical consumption of individual pieces of equipment for purposes such as fault detection.

Utility submetering companies for tenant submeter billing come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Due to the complexity of local submetering laws, many companies are focused locally and serve only one region. That being said, submetering companies like Enertiv have done the leg work to understand the laws in many states and provide services nationwide.

Another major difference is the process that is used to collect tenant consumption data and issue bills. Many providers that have been around for decades still rely on individuals, known as meter readers, to go into each tenant space once a month to read meters, transcribe the data onto paper and send to the office for manual bill creation.

On the other hand, newer companies leverage digital, remotely read meters to continuously collect data and feed software that generates bills automatically. This automated tenant submetering eliminates errors and saves the costs involved in manual meter reading and accounting processes.