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Submetering Apartments in Cleveland, Ohio

Most Cleveland apartment communities sit on a single Cleveland 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.

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 Cleveland and the Cleveland area. Install, meter reading, resident billing, and compliance, all handled in-house since 1968.

Yes. Submetering is allowed in Cleveland, Ohio, with some restrictions.

It is overseen by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, 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 Cleveland

Governing rule: PUCO · Ohio Rev. Code Title 49

Ohio state rules

  • Ohio has no statute that squarely addresses residential submetering, so water and electric submetering are in wide use, with residents billed for their measured usage
  • In April 2026 the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in Ohio Power Co. v. Nationwide Energy Partners that a third-party company reselling electricity to residents is a public utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO)
  • PUCO is still working out what that ruling requires of submetering companies, and a bill that would have replaced it was vetoed in June 2026
  • NES bills residents at the utility's own rate with no markup on the energy
  • Bills should clearly show the charges and meter readings, and common-area usage is handled separately
  • NES tracks the current PUCO requirements so your property stays compliant

Local Cleveland requirements

  • Water is provided by Cleveland Water, electricity by the Illuminating Company (FirstEnergy) or Cleveland Public Power, and natural gas by Enbridge Gas Ohio
  • An owner who submeters electricity should bill at the utility's rate without a markup
  • In the City of Cleveland, the water and sewer bill stays in the owner's name, and city code (Section 375.05) lets a tenant be billed only through a meter or submeter that measures just their unit, with the lease giving them access to read it
  • We serve Cleveland and nearby communities, including Parma, Lakewood, Euclid, and Cleveland Heights
  • Our compliance team rechecks Ohio and local requirements before billing starts.

How NES keeps you compliant

  • Tracks every Ohio 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: Public Utilities Commission of Ohio · Ohio Power Co. v. Nationwide Energy Partners, 2026-Ohio-1406 · Governor's veto of HB 173 (June 24, 2026) · Ohio Consumers' Counsel: Submetering · Cleveland Codified Ordinances 375.05

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

Why owners across the Cleveland area 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

  1. Step 1

    Free assessment

    We review your master-meter bills and unit count, then model the recovery. No cost, no obligation.

  2. Step 2

    Install meters

    We install nonproprietary meters at each unit. The equipment is yours, and other companies can read it.

  3. Step 3

    Read & detect

    Daily reads pull usage automatically and flag leaks within 24 hours, before they run up a bill.

  4. 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

337-unit apartment communityWater
36% lower
water use per unit after submetering

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.

140-home community, New MexicoWater & sewer
$264 / yr
owner's annual water and sewer cost, down from $26,400

The owner had been absorbing the whole master-meter bill. After metering each home, residents paid for what they used. Figures from NES property records.

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

Submetering in nearby Ohio cities

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

Common questions

Submetering apartments in Cleveland

Utility submetering puts a meter on each unit that measures and bills its water/sewer, gas, and electric use. The technology has been around since the early 1920s. NES installs the meters, reads them, pays the master-meter bill, and bills your residents, all in-house and with bilingual support.

See what your Cleveland property can recover.

Send us your master-meter bills and unit count. We’ll run the numbers on your actual property and get back to you within one business day with a clear, no-obligation estimate.

  • No-obligation custom proposal
  • Compliance check included
  • Nonproprietary equipment options
Free assessment

Get a free bid for your property

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

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