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. Florida law lets owners submeter water and sewer and bill residents at no more than the utility's actual charge, plus a surcharge of up to 9 percent of the actual cost of water and wastewater service, limited to the actual cost of meter reading and billing (Section 367.022(9)). Owners who stay within those limits are exempt from Florida Public Service Commission regulation under Section 367.022, Florida Statutes. Electric submetering falls under the PSC's master-metering rule, and billing fees are not allowed on electric or gas. Local rules vary by county and city, and NES tracks every requirement so your property stays compliant.
Water, sewer, and electric submetering are allowed in Florida at the state level; gas is the exception, since Florida PSC rule 25-7.058 bars reselling gas from a PSC-regulated gas utility. Utility service itself in Palm Beach County falls under the Florida PSC. NES tracks the current Florida and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.
The Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department master-meters most communities and bills the property, leaving submetering and resident billing to the owner. 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 West Palm Beach 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.