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, with permission. Submetering of gas and electric in apartment houses is governed by Maryland Public Utilities Article 7-303, and permission must be obtained from the Maryland Public Service Commission before billing residents. Owners pass through only the charges the utility imposes, allocated by actual usage. State law allows a billing or administrative charge of at most $1 per unit per month (7-303, kept by HB 220 effective October 1, 2026); NES adds no fee of its own. Gas RUBS allocation is not allowed except in buildings constructed before 1978, and then only with PSC permission. Water and sewer billing is not regulated at the state level, though state law requires disclosures for ratio billing and some counties add their own rules. Owners must keep records residents can inspect. NES tracks every requirement so your property stays compliant.
Submetering of gas and electric in apartment houses is governed by Maryland Public Utilities Article 7-303, and permission must be obtained from the Maryland Public Service Commission before billing residents. Utility service itself in Howard County falls under the Maryland PSC. NES tracks the current Maryland and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.
Water and sewer service is provided by Howard County. 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 Baltimore and Washington area.
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.