Submetering and Energy Consumption
Last reviewed September 2026NES Editorial, checked by the Billing & Compliance team
Measuring use by unit is the first step to lowering it.
Does submetering reduce energy consumption?
Yes, and the drop can be significant. Submetering measures energy use unit by unit and bills each resident for their own consumption. NES data shows that once residents are financially responsible for what they use, consumption falls. The benefit carries across utilities. When you submeter water, water use drops, which lowers the energy a water heater spends heating it. When you submeter electricity, electric use drops directly. Water consumption alone usually falls 15 to 30 percent on submetered properties. Measuring use by unit also gives you real data instead of one lump master-meter number, so you can see exactly where consumption is high. NES reads meters wirelessly each day, installs equipment that you own with a warranty, and handles billing for properties with 80 or more units across more than 43 states. The investment typically pays for itself in 12 to 18 months.
From one number to real data
A master meter gives you a single total for the whole building, which tells you almost nothing about who uses what. Submetering breaks that total down by unit. With daily wireless reads, you can see consumption per unit, spot the heaviest users, and find leaks that would otherwise hide inside the master bill.
How much consumption falls
- Residents use less once they pay for their own consumption.
- Water use typically drops 15 to 30 percent.
- Lower hot water demand cuts water heater energy use.
- Electric submetering reduces electricity use directly.
Related questions
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