Measuring Submetering Usage
Last reviewed September 2026NES Editorial, checked by the Billing & Compliance team
How submeters actually record what each unit uses and get that data back to you.
How is submetering usage measured?
A submeter sits on the water, gas, or electric line for a single unit and records how much that unit uses. What varies between systems is how the reading gets collected. The two common methods today are wireless meters that send reads over a cellular network and drive-by meters that need a person to drive past once a month and pick up the data. NES uses wireless meters that report several times a day, which means billing is based on real readings, not estimates. Daily reads also let us catch a running toilet or a hidden leak within a day instead of weeks later. Each unit gets a bill built from its own opening and closing readings, the usage between them, and the rate applied. NES handles the meters, the reads, and the resident billing for properties with 80 or more units.
Two ways to collect a read
- Wireless cellular meters report usage several times a day with no one on site
- Drive-by meters need a reader to physically pass each meter, usually once a month
- Wireless reads support faster billing and quicker leak detection
How a usage reading becomes a bill
Each billing period has an opening reading and a closing reading for the unit. The difference is the usage. NES applies the correct utility rate to that usage and produces a clear bill that shows the read dates, the readings, the amount used, the rate, and the total. Common area use, like irrigation and pools, stays with the owner and never lands on a resident bill.
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