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.
For water, yes; for electricity, only in older buildings. Idaho has no statute on water or gas submetering, so the lease governs those. Electric submetering is limited to buildings and mobile home parks that were already submetered before July 1, 1980; anything connected since then must be metered by the utility (IPUC rules IDAPA 31.26.01, Rules 100 and 101). Privately owned utilities are regulated by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission under Title 61 of the Idaho Code, but an owner who submeters is not regulated as a utility. Electricity is not divided by formula, and where electric service is resold through submeters, IPUC master-metering rules require the resident to pay the same rate the serving utility would charge directly. NES tracks every requirement so your property stays compliant.
Electric submetering in Idaho is limited to buildings and mobile home parks that were already submetered before July 1, 1980; newer ones must be metered by the utility (IPUC rules IDAPA 31.26.01, Rules 100 and 101). The state has no statute on water or gas submetering, so the lease governs those. Utility service itself in Kootenai County falls under the Idaho PUC. NES tracks the current Idaho and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.
Water is provided by city systems and local water districts depending on the address. 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 Coeur d'Alene 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.