# Submetering for Business Tenants

Source: https://submeter.com/submetering-businesses/
Publisher: National Exemption Service (NES), https://submeter.com. Last reviewed September 2026.

Recover utility costs from commercial tenants by billing them for what they use.

## Can I submeter commercial or business tenants?
Yes. Submetering lets you measure and bill each business tenant for the utilities they actually use, which moves that cost off the owner and onto the tenant. Once tenants are responsible for their own water, gas, or electricity, your financial exposure for that utility nearly disappears, and overall use tends to drop. NES supplies the metering equipment and wireless repeaters, reads the meters daily, and handles billing and collection, with an in-house support team for your managers and tenants. We work with portfolios of 80 or more units or tenant spaces, across more than 43 states. When choosing a partner, look at company history, clear upfront pricing, warranty coverage, vacant recovery, real customer service, and software that connects to your accounting systems. Where meters are not practical, NES can set up ratio or formula-based billing instead. The investment often pays for itself in 12 to 18 months.

## Why owners submeter business tenants
When the owner pays a single master bill, there is no reason for tenants to watch their use. Submetering changes that. Once each business is billed for its own consumption, the owner's responsibility for that utility nearly disappears and total use usually falls. It also makes cost recovery fair, since heavy users pay more than light ones.

## What NES brings to a portfolio
- Metering equipment and wireless repeaters that you own.
- Daily wireless reads and accurate per-tenant billing.
- Collection handled for you, plus vacant recovery.
- Integrations with your accounting and management software.

## Questions
**Which utilities can business tenants be submetered for?**
Every major utility can be submetered, with water, gas, and electricity being the most common. NES can also bill common area utilities to tenants where state law allows it.

**Does NES work with small commercial buildings?**
NES focuses on properties and portfolios with 80 or more units. We are structured to handle large projects efficiently across more than 43 states.