How to Submeter Electric in 4 Steps
Last reviewed September 2026NES Editorial, checked by the Billing & Compliance team
The short version of getting electric submeters installed and residents billed correctly.
How do I submeter electricity at my apartment property?
Submetering electric means installing a meter on each unit's incoming electric line so the main electric bill is split by actual use instead of being paid by the owner. There are four basic steps: check your local rules, size and count the meters you need, have a licensed electrician install them, and then bill residents by usage and law. Once residents pay for their own power, the owner's electric expense shrinks to little more than the common areas. NES handles every step for properties with 80 or more units, from install through monthly resident billing, with wireless daily reads and an in-house bilingual support team. Electric submetering is regulated and the rules change often, so NES monitors the regulations daily for each community we serve to keep your billing compliant.
The four steps
- Step 1: Confirm the electric submetering laws and regulations where your property is located.
- Step 2: Figure out how many electric submeters you need and the correct size for each unit.
- Step 3: Get a quote from licensed electricians and have them install the meters.
- Step 4: Bill residents by their actual usage and in line with local law.
Each step in practice
Step 1 comes first for a reason: electric is the most regulated utility to submeter, and what is allowed varies by state, county, and city. Step 2 is a count and sizing exercise, since each meter goes on a unit's main incoming electric line and has to be sized for that unit's service. Step 3 is not optional: the meters sit on live electric lines, so installation belongs to a licensed electrician. Step 4 is the ongoing work, reading each meter and billing each resident for actual usage in line with local law, every month.
Why owners do it
When the owner pays one electric bill, there is no reason for anyone to conserve. Putting a meter on each unit moves that cost to the resident who created it. Use goes down, the owner's electric burden shrinks, and the property is worth more. NES can run the whole process so you are not coordinating electricians, reads, and billing yourself.
If electric meters are not an option
Some properties have wiring that makes per-unit electric meters impractical, and sometimes the budget is better spent elsewhere. In those cases, ratio or formula-based utility billing allocates the property's electric cost across units by a documented formula instead of a meter. It still moves cost to residents and has almost no setup cost. NES offers both and will recommend whichever fits the property after a free assessment, with a response within one business day.
Related questions
Get submetering and compliance updates
A short email when we publish new guides or a state changes its billing rules. No sales sequences, and you can unsubscribe any time.
We handle your email as described in our privacy policy.
Thinking about submetering your property?
NES installs the meters, reads them, and bills your residents, in-house since 1968. Send your property details for a free, no-obligation estimate.
Prefer a form? Open the quote page.