Submetering Apartments in Durham County, North Carolina
North Carolina caps the submetering admin fee at $3.75 per unit per month and does not allow ratio billing, so measured billing is the only compliant path. NES installs the submeters, reads them daily, and bills your residents across Durham County. Get a free bid.
NES handles water, gas & electric submetering for apartment communities, condominiums, and mobile home parks across Durham County and the Research Triangle. Install, meter reading, resident billing, and compliance, all handled in-house since 1968.
Durham has added more apartments in the last decade than at any point in its history, from downtown and Ninth Street out to Southpoint, Brier Creek, and Research Triangle Park, and close to half of county households rent. North Carolina is stricter than most states: an owner gets an NCUC certificate before the first bill, bills only actual submetered usage, and adds nothing beyond the approved administrative fee. NES holds the certificate process and the billing, so a Durham property gets the recovery without the paperwork.
Yes. Submetering is allowed in Durham County, North Carolina, with some restrictions.
It is regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, and NES handles the requirements for you.
What we submeter
Water & sewer
Per-unit water and sewer metering with 24-hour leak alerts.
Electric
Electric submetering on nonproprietary meters you own.
Rules & compliance
Submetering rules & laws in Durham County
Governing rule: NCUC water resale rules · North Carolina Utilities Commission
North Carolina state rules
Water and sewer submetering is regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), and the owner must be certified with the NCUC before billing residents for water and sewer service
Residents must be billed on actual submetered usage, and ratio or allocation billing methods are not allowed in North Carolina
The NCUC water rules apply to apartment communities with 15 or more units, while water submetering in condominiums and HOA townhomes is regulated by the NC DEQ Public Water Supply Section as well; gas submetering and gas billing are not allowed in North Carolina
The administrative fee an owner can add is capped by NCUC Rule R18-6 at $3.75 per unit per month, and late fees or occupancy-update charges are not permitted
For electricity, submetering is allowed in North Carolina, residents are billed for their measured use, and the administrative fee cannot exceed the maximum the commission allows
NES tracks every NCUC requirement so your property stays compliant
Local Durham County requirements
Water and sewer are provided by the City of Durham Water Management inside the city and the Durham County Utilities Division around Research Triangle Park
Electricity is provided by Duke Energy Progress, and natural gas by Enbridge Gas North Carolina
Durham has no local submetering ordinance, so the NCUC water resale rules under G.S. 62-110(g) apply: a certificate before billing, actual submetered usage, and no charge above cost plus the approved administrative fee
Nearly half of Durham County households rent, with the newest apartment supply downtown, along Ninth Street, and out toward Southpoint and Brier Creek
We serve communities across Durham County, including downtown Durham, Ninth Street, South Square, Southpoint, Research Triangle Park, Brier Creek, and Hope Valley
Rules change. NES tracks North Carolina's so you do not have to.
How NES keeps you compliant
Tracks every North Carolina and local rule that affects your property
General information only, not legal advice; NES assumes no liability for reliance. Confirm current rules with the NCUC or a qualified attorney.
Why owners across the Triangle 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
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.
140-home community, New MexicoWater & sewer
$264 / yr
owner's annual water and sewer cost, down from $26,400
Before submetering$26,400 / yr
After submetering$264 / yr
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 North Carolina cities
NES installs and runs submetering across North Carolina. See the rules and results for other communities we serve.
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.
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.
Yes, for water, sewer, and electricity. North Carolina water and sewer submetering is regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, and the owner must be certified with the NCUC before billing residents. Residents are billed on actual submetered usage, ratio (RUBS) billing is not allowed, and the water administrative fee is capped at $3.75 per unit per month. Electric submetering is also allowed, with the administrative fee limited to the maximum the commission allows. Gas submetering is not allowed in North Carolina. NES tracks every requirement so your property stays compliant.
Water and sewer submetering is regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), and the owner must be certified with the NCUC before billing residents for water and sewer service. Utility service itself in Durham County falls under the NCUC. NES tracks the current North Carolina and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.
Water and sewer are provided by the City of Durham Water Management inside the city and the Durham County Utilities Division around Research Triangle Park. 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 Research Triangle.
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.
No. NES installs nonproprietary meters that other companies can read, and extended warranties are available on our submeters. You're never locked in.
See what your Durham County 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.