Brief History of Submetering: Part II
Utility submetering as we know it today traces its roots back to Denmark at the turn of the last century. By mid-century, consumption-based utility billing in multifamily properties had spread throughout Western Europe. Unlike their European counterparts, U.S. multifamily property owners simply factored their utility costs into monthly rental charges. Since utility costs were relatively low in the U.S., this practice was widely used throughout the country. As a consequence,