What are the benefits of submetering an apartment community?

When residents pay for what they actually use, they cut back. Most properties see 15 to 30 percent lower water use. Submetering also catches leaks early, lets you bill common-area usage accurately, and can raise the value of the property. Payback usually lands within 12 to 18 months.

Is submetering legal in Virginia?

Yes. Virginia allows submetering of electricity, natural gas, and water and sewer. SCC rules (20 VAC 5-305) govern electric and gas submetering, and Virginia Code 55.1-1212 covers residential buildings, including water and sewer. Residents are billed only for their unit's measured use at the utility's average cost per unit, and the owner may add a billing and administrative service charge that covers actual costs when it is in the lease (Virginia Code 55.1-1212). NES tracks every requirement so your property stays compliant.

Who regulates submetering in Alexandria?

Submetering of electricity, natural gas, and water and sewer is allowed in Virginia: SCC rules (20 VAC 5-305) cover electric and gas submetering, and Virginia Code 55.1-1212 covers residential buildings, including water and sewer. Utility service itself in Alexandria falls under the Virginia SCC. NES tracks the current Virginia and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.

Who provides water and utilities in Alexandria?

Water is provided by Virginia American Water, and sewer service by AlexRenew. NES works with whichever provider serves your property, installs the submeters, reads them, pays the master-meter bill, and bills your residents in-house across the Northern Virginia.

How much does it cost, and what is the ROI?

Most submetering installs pay for themselves within 12 to 18 months through the utility cost you recover. We'll run the numbers on your actual master-meter bills and unit count, then send you a clear, no-obligation estimate.

Will I be locked into NES equipment?

No. NES installs nonproprietary meters that other companies can read, and extended warranties are available on our submeters. You're never locked in.

Submetering Apartments in Alexandria, Virginia

Most Alexandria apartment communities sit on a single Virginia American Water master meter, and the owner eats the bill. NES installs the submeters, reads them daily, pays the master-meter bill, and bills your residents for their own use. Get a free bid.

Get a free bid (800) 572-7060

Privately owned since: 1968Privately owned since
States served: 43+States served
Typical utility savings: 15-40%Typical utility savings
In-house support: BilingualIn-house support

NES handles water, gas & electric submetering for apartment communities, condominiums, and mobile home parks across Alexandria and the Northern Virginia. Install, meter reading, resident billing, and compliance, all handled in-house since 1968.

Alexandria's apartment stock runs from the garden communities of the West End and Landmark to the new towers at Potomac Yard and Carlyle, and nearly six in ten households rent. Virginia American Water sets the water rate, AlexRenew handles sewer, and Virginia law lets an owner pass both through at cost when the lease provides for it. NES bills each unit at the utility's own rate, so residents see the same price they would pay direct and the owner recovers the whole master bill.

Yes. Submetering is allowed in Alexandria, Virginia, with some restrictions.

It is set by Virginia SCC rules, and NES handles the requirements for you.

What we submeter

Water & sewer
Per-unit water and sewer metering with 24-hour leak alerts.
Natural gas
Accurate gas reads and resident billing, kept compliant.
Electric
Electric submetering on nonproprietary meters you own.

Rules & compliance

Submetering rules & laws in Alexandria

Governing rule: 20 VAC 5-305 & Va. Code 55.1-1212 · Virginia SCC

Virginia state rules

Submetering of electricity, natural gas, and water and sewer is allowed in Virginia: SCC rules (20 VAC 5-305) cover electric and gas submetering, and Virginia Code 55.1-1212 covers residential buildings, including water and sewer
For electricity and gas, residents are billed only for what their unit uses, at the utility's average cost per unit, with no markup on the utility itself (20 VAC 5-305-90), and water and sewer charges are passed through the same way
The owner may add a service charge for billing and administration, such as a monthly billing fee or account setup or move-out fee, to cover actual costs when it is stated in the lease (Virginia Code 55.1-1212 and 56-245.3)
Residents are billed for the same period as the utility serving the building, unless the lease expressly says otherwise (Virginia Code 55.1-1212)
From July 1, 2027, owners must keep a written description of how utility billing fees are calculated and a per-resident history of fee payments, and give residents an itemized utility statement, including the allocation method, within 10 business days of a written request (2026 amendments to Virginia Code 55.1-1212 and 55.1-1209)
Late fees on utility bills are capped at $5.00
NES tracks the current Virginia SCC requirements so your property stays compliant

Local Alexandria requirements

Water is provided by Virginia American Water, and sewer service by AlexRenew
Electricity is provided by Dominion Energy Virginia, and natural gas by Washington Gas
Alexandria has no city ordinance on submetering, so the state rules in Va. Code 55.1-1212 and the SCC's 20 VAC 5-305 govern, and the lease has to provide for the billing
Close to six in ten Alexandria households rent, with the largest apartment concentrations in the West End, Potomac Yard, and Carlyle
We serve Alexandria and nearby communities, including Old Town, Del Ray, the West End and Landmark, Carlyle and Eisenhower, Potomac Yard, and Arlandria
NES confirms the rules for your address before the first meter goes in.

How NES keeps you compliant

Tracks every Virginia and local rule that affects your property
Handles rate registrations and required filings
Keeps audit-ready billing archives
Manages tenant disclosures and meter testing

See how NES handles compliance

Official sources: Virginia SCC · 20 VAC 5-305-90 · Va. Code 55.1-1212 · Va. Code 56-245.3 · Virginia American Water, Alexandria system

General information only, not legal advice; NES assumes no liability for reliance. Confirm current rules with the Virginia SCC or a qualified attorney.

Why owners across Northern Virginia choose NES for submetering

Per gallon. Residents pay for what they actually use.
15-30%. Lower utility consumption.
Under 24 hr. Catch leaks before they cost thousands.

How NES handles it, end to end

Step 1
Free assessment
We review your master-meter bills and unit count, then model the recovery. No cost, no obligation.
Step 2
Install meters
We install nonproprietary meters at each unit. The equipment is yours, and other companies can read it.
Step 3
Read & detect
Daily reads pull usage automatically and flag leaks within 24 hours, before they run up a bill.
Step 4
Bill & support
We bill residents, pay the master-meter utility, and field resident questions in-house, in English and Spanish.

Real NES results

130-home park, TexasWater & sewer

$6,600 / yr

annual water and sewer cost, down from $120,000

Before submetering$120,000 / yr

After submetering$6,600 / yr

The park also gained more than $113,000 in annual revenue once each home was billed for its own use. Figures from NES property records.

337-unit apartment communityWater

36% lower

water use per unit after submetering

Before submetering100%

After submetering64%

Water use fell 36% once residents paid for their own consumption. Average cost per unit went from $84.72 to $54.22 a month, about 2,000 gallons saved per unit. Figures from NES property records.

Real NES properties. Results vary by property, utility rates, and resident mix.

Submetering in nearby Virginia cities

NES installs and runs submetering across Virginia. See the rules and results for other communities we serve.

Free assessment

Get a free bid for your property

Tell us about your Alexandria property and we’ll respond within one business day.

or call us directly: (800) 572-7060

Privately owned since 1968
Nonproprietary meters, no lock-in
In-house bilingual support
No long-term contracts

Common questions