Smart Submetering: The Future of Utility Management

Smart submetering is quickly becoming the industry standard, and it will not be long before traditional metering systems are a thing of the past. In fact, over 77% of U.S. homes and businesses use smart metering systems. Traditional utility management is full of challenges, and while these systems once worked efficiently, they are no longer the best option in today’s world of AI, smartphones, and data connectivity. Some of the challenges are:

• Billing inaccuracies that happen from flat-rate billing practices leads to dissatisfaction and disputes between property managers and their tenants, as the tenants who are more conservative with their energy usage end up paying the same amount as those who are not. 

• Flat-rate billing and master meters give little to no insight into when or where spikes in usage occur, meaning there is no easy way to detect leaks, inefficiencies, or unusual consumption patterns as they happen. 

• These master meters require labor-intensive and error-prone reading practices, which are slow and cause delays in billing and maintenance response times. 

• Maintenance becomes a reactive action rather than a predictive one. 

• Traditional systems lack the data granularity needed for ESG reporting or green certifications, which is a problem, as there are increasing mandates for energy transparency and conservation.

Smart submetering, however, solves these problems and brings the world of submetering into the 21^st century. It takes the old, clunky hardware and transforms it into an efficient machine, giving customers real-time data and providing property managers an immediate look into their tenants’ energy usage, giving them more time for other areas they need to focus on, managing their property.

Smart vs Traditional Submetering

Feature	Traditional Metering	Smart Submetering
Scope	Measures total usage for the entire property	Measures usage per unit, tenant, or zone
Data Access	Monthly or bi-monthly manual readings	Real-time or near-real-time digital data
Billing Accuracy	Flat-rate or estimated billing	Precise billing based on actual consumption
Communication	One-way (no data transmission)	Two-way (data sent and received remotely)
Maintenance	Reactive (based on complaints or bills)	Proactive (alerts for leaks or anomalies)
User Engagement	Limited visibility for tenants	Tenants can monitor and adjust usage with apps
Compliance and ESG	Minimal support for sustainability tracking	Enables ESG reporting and conservation programs

Smart submetering uses advanced meters and digital platforms to track individual usage of electricity, water, or gas within a property – in real time. It improves the traditional systems and makes them faster, more connected, and better for property managers to make crucial decisions. The table above will show how smart submeters differ from traditional metering systems.

Why It Matters Now

This change and shift towards smart metering might seem unnecessary. The old system was slow and could use some improvements, sure, but why is it necessary to move to a cloud-based system? Why do we need to know data as soon as it happens?

The need comes from several places. For one, the rising energy costs and sustainability pressures faced in businesses mean that property managers and tenants alike are highly motivated to understand their energy consumption habits and adjust accordingly. Using a system that gives them that data in a matter of minutes rather than days or even weeks means far less wasted energy and resources than before. Regulatory shifts and incentives for conservation of resources mean using smart meters that can predict the need for maintenance in a specific location, reducing man-hours and allocating them efficiently. And the growing demand for transparency from tenants about the billing habits of their landlords, as well as the demand for tenant accountability for their energy usage, both make smart meters the smart choice, as these meters show exactly who is using how much and what is owed, rather than relying on human readings, which are full of errors.

At Guardian, we are the leaders in installing and managing your smart submetering systems and their needs. Between our decades of experience as well as our top-of-the-line equipment, you will have nothing but the best to take care of you and your property. We understand the frustrations that come from inaccurate billing, slow response times to maintenance calls, and difficulty in tracking energy use for conservation and sustainability needs. Our team will help you from the beginning of the installation process to the ongoing job of managing your utility bills. Contact us to set up a consultation and discuss your property, the system you already have in place, and how we can work with you to ensure you have the best equipment to take care of your needs!