Submetering for Landlords
Last reviewed September 2026NES Editorial, checked by the Billing & Compliance team
Stop eating rising utility bills and let residents pay for what they actually use.
How does submetering help landlords with high utility bills?
Submetering puts a small meter on each unit so residents pay for the water, gas, or electricity they personally use instead of splitting one master bill. When people pay for their own use, they conserve, and water use usually drops 15 to 30 percent across the property. That lower consumption, plus the cost you recover from residents, is why most owners earn back the install cost in 12 to 18 months. NES has run submetering for landlords since 1968 and bills thousands of units every month across 43+ states. We install the meters, take wireless daily reads, bill each resident, and answer their questions through our in-house bilingual team. The total billed never goes above your master-meter cost.
What submetering does for your bottom line
A master bill spreads every gallon and every leak across the whole property, and you absorb it. Submetering measures each unit on its own, so the cost follows the person who used it. Residents notice their bill and cut back. You recover utility spend that used to come straight out of operating income, and the property is worth more because expenses drop. Most owners see payback in 12 to 18 months.
Why professional management matters
Submetering is regulated by cities, counties, and states, and managing it accurately is what keeps residents satisfied and the landlord out of trouble. A bill that is late, wrong, or out of step with local rules creates disputes the landlord ends up handling. That is why the choice of partner matters as much as the meters themselves: NES manages, reads, and bills thousands of units every month and tracks the rules for each community it serves.
The 12 things to check before you pick a partner
- Company history and track record, so you do not hire an inexperienced provider
- Upfront pricing for installation, billing, meter replacement, and software, with no hidden costs
- Private or public ownership, since publicly held billing companies can be limited in their capabilities
- Google reviews from current clients, plus referral properties you can call
- Authorized reseller status for the meters you are purchasing
- Both WiFi and cellular meter options, since your property may require either
- Warranties on the equipment you buy
- Vacant cost recovery services
- An in-house customer service center residents can reach
- Online payment portals for residents and managers, with good payment options
- Integration with your rent roll and accounting software
- How resident disputes are handled, and by whom
Related questions
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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.
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