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. Daily reads also catch leaks early, and common-area water stops getting spread across everyone's rent. Payback usually lands within 12 to 18 months.

Is submetering legal in Pennsylvania?

For water, yes. Pennsylvania treats owners who submeter water for their own residents as landlords, not public utilities, so no PUC license is needed, and the main rule is the price cap in 66 Pa.C.S. § 1313: residents cannot be billed more than the utility would charge them directly. Electric submetering depends on the serving utility's PUC-approved tariff, and most tariffs only permit it in buildings whose electric service was installed before 1980. Gas properties on a master meter also carry Act 127 pipeline-safety duties, and NES tracks all of it.

Who regulates submetering in Delaware County?

Owners who submeter water for their own residents serve a defined group of tenants, not the public, so they are not public utilities and need no PUC certificate (66 Pa.C.S. § 102; Drexelbrook Associates v. Pa. PUC, 418 Pa. 430 (1965)). Utility service itself in Delaware County falls under the PA PUC. NES tracks the current Pennsylvania and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.

Who provides water and utilities in Delaware County?

Water comes from Aqua Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania American Water. 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 Philadelphia area.

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 an estimate. You are not signing anything.

Will I be locked into NES equipment?

No. NES installs nonproprietary meters that other companies can read, The meters are yours, and extended warranties are available if you want one.

Submetering Apartments in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

When a Delaware County building shares one master meter, the owner carries the whole utility cost. NES installs the submeters, reads them daily, 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/sewer and gas submetering for apartment communities, condominiums, and mobile home parks across Delaware County and the Philadelphia area. Install, meter reading, resident billing, and compliance, all handled in-house since 1968.

Yes. Submetering is allowed in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with some restrictions.

Water submetering runs under a state price cap rather than PUC licensing. Electric submetering is limited by the serving utility's PUC-approved tariff, which generally permits it only in buildings whose electric service was installed before 1980. NES handles the requirements for you.

What we submeter

Water & sewer
Per-unit water and sewer metering with 24-hour leak alerts.
Natural gas
Gas meters on each unit, read and billed the same way as water.

Rules & compliance

Submetering rules & laws in Delaware County

Governing rule: 66 Pa.C.S. § 1313 price cap

Pennsylvania state rules

Owners who submeter water for their own residents serve a defined group of tenants, not the public, so they are not public utilities and need no PUC certificate (66 Pa.C.S. § 102; Drexelbrook Associates v. Pa. PUC, 418 Pa. 430 (1965))
Electric submetering and electric RUBS are generally not available in Pennsylvania. The serving utility's PUC-approved tariff controls, and most tariffs only permit submetering in buildings whose electric service was installed before 1980, and a waiver is needed before billing. NES checks your utility's tariff first
State law caps the charge: a resident's bill cannot exceed what the utility's own residential rate would produce for the same usage, even if the owner buys at a cheaper commercial rate (66 Pa.C.S. § 1313)
Pennsylvania sets no submeter accuracy standard by statute, but the price cap is applied per quantity used, so accurate meters and clear bills are what keep an owner compliant
Gas master-meter properties count as pipeline operators under Act 127, with PUC registration and pipeline-safety duties, confirmed by a January 2025 PUC order
Mobile home parks have their own water-billing restrictions and can fall under Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection oversight, which NES checks for each park
Plus other PA PUC requirements that can apply, which NES tracks as they change

Local Delaware County requirements

Water comes from Aqua Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania American Water
Electricity is provided by PECO, and natural gas by PECO
We serve communities across Delaware County, including Chester, Upper Darby, Media, Drexel Hill, Springfield, and Havertown
Our compliance team rechecks Pennsylvania and local requirements before billing starts.

How NES keeps you compliant

Tracks every Pennsylvania 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: Pennsylvania PUC · 66 Pa.C.S. § 1313

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

Why owners in the Philadelphia area use NES

Per gallon. Residents pay for what they actually use.
15-30%. Lower utility consumption.
Under 24 hr. Leaks flagged the same day.

What happens after you call

Step 1
Free assessment
We review your master-meter bills and unit count, then model what you would recover. There is no charge for this.
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

34% lower

water use per unit in submetered units

Not yet metered100%

Submetered66%

The property added meters as leases renewed. Midway, the 168 submetered units averaged 3,868 gallons per unit per month against 5,846 for the 169 not yet metered, and their average bill was 36% lower ($54.22 vs $84.72). Figures from NES property records.

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

Submetering in nearby Pennsylvania cities

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

Free assessment

Get a free bid for your property

Tell us about your Delaware County 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