Submetering and Sustainability in Multi-Unit Properties

One of our goals at Guardian Water and Power is to efficiently recover utility costs through advanced submetering systems. But another one of our goals is to drive sustainability through effective water and energy conservation. Thankfully, our passion for submetering and environmental preservation go hand in hand!

Submetering in multi-unit properties is one of the easiest ways to see this in action. Multi-unit properties, sometimes called multi-family residential properties, are a real-estate classification of buildings with multiple separate housing units that are contained within one building or several buildings within a complex. Some examples are duplexes, triplexes, apartment buildings, and condo complexes. Submeters are installed to these units to track the individual water and power consumption of the tenants or residents within the specific units.

This means that submetering, through its very design, is perfect for creating a community of environmental sustainability. By promoting individual unit-level consumption tracking, this fosters an atmosphere of a “user-pay” model which encourages consumption tracking and reduces overall consumption, leading to lower costs and a smaller environmental footprint.

Let’s explore in a bit more detail how this is possible:

• Accurate billing and fairness

  • As explored in previous blog posts, submetering means that the property owner or manager can see with great accuracy the exact amount of power and water an individual unit on the property uses. This means that individuals are billed based on their specific usage rather than a ratio based on overall usage and the number of tenants, which promotes fairness and transparency in billing procedures. This also promotes accountability amongst the residents or tenants as they can see their habits and take action.

• Encourages conservation

  • Because tenants or residents are more aware of their power and water consumption, they are more likely to turn off water or electric that otherwise would be wasted. This means the environment benefits as well as their wallets, as these small but powerful habits create a smaller environmental footprint and can create a community of sustainability.

• Cost Savings

  • As the tenants learn to turn off their faucets or lights when not in use, this lowers their utility bills as well as the utility bills for the property manager or owner. Using submeters on multi-unit properties also creates an efficient system to detect issues like leaks and excessive usage in common areas of the building. This continues the ripple effect of positives as it impacts a property’s Net Operating Income and can enhance the property value.

• Energy Monitoring and Integration

  • Submetering allows for detailed tracking of several types of energy usage. This facilitates informed decision making and optimization of resource consumption. Submetering can also be used to track renewable energy generation and accurately allocate credits or charges back to the individual users.

• Compliance

  • Submetering is a great tool to use to ensure that a property is compliant with local, state, and federal regulations related to energy usage and allocation. Some examples of how this works are:

    • Water submetering helps identify and address any leaks that inevitably happen, as well as places of inefficient water usage. By catching leaks early and monitoring high-traffic areas, submeters are able to promote water conservation and reduce waste.

    • Electricity submetering encourages tenants or residents to turn off lights, appliances, and thermostats when not in use. This reduces light pollution, wasted energy, and the add to longevity of appliances as the electricity is not constantly flowing.

    • Gas submetering ensures tenants or residents are billed for actual gas usage, which encourages mindful gas use. This in turn means there are fewer harmful emissions released into the air, which could help reduce pollution and improve air quality inside the unit as well as outside.

Multi-unit properties give us the perfect snapshot of how submetering creates spaces for environmental sustainability and fosters micro-communities of energy conservation. Through the accurate and specific monitoring systems that ensure fair billing practices, tenants and residents are encouraged to be aware of their consumption habits and adjust accordingly. This has an upward effect as property owners and managers find their overall utility costs are lowered, while also reducing the overall environmental footprint of the property. Submetering also makes it possible to catch leaks, areas of wasted energy, and reduce the potential strain on the environment, making it a great choice for owners and managers who want to partner with us in driving sustainability while efficiently recovering utility costs.