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 and sewer, yes. Water and wastewater submetering are allowed in Indiana, and a landlord who sub-bills for measured usage is not treated as a public utility. Electric depends on the serving utility's IURC-approved tariff, which NES checks for your address. Gas submetering is not allowed. Total charges cannot exceed the master utility bill, owners cannot profit, and each sub-bill must show the meter readings, rate, and a billing contact with at least 17 days to pay. Water and sewer billing can include an administrative fee of up to $4 per month, and NES adds no fee of its own on electric billing. NES tracks every requirement so your property stays compliant.
Water and wastewater submetering are allowed in Indiana, and a landlord who sub-bills for measured usage is not treated as a public utility; whether electric can be submetered depends on the serving utility's IURC-approved tariff, so NES checks your utility first, and gas submetering is not allowed. Utility service itself in South Bend falls under the Indiana URC. NES tracks the current Indiana and local requirements for your address, so billing is set up to match the rule.
Water is provided by the City of South Bend, electricity by Indiana Michigan Power, and natural gas by NIPSCO. 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 South Bend 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.