Submetering Income: Can You Make Money With Submetering?
Last reviewed September 2026NES Editorial, checked by the Billing & Compliance team
Submetering cuts costs, and it can turn a recurring expense into recovered income for your property.
Can you make money by submetering your property?
Yes. Once you submeter, residents pay for what they actually use, so the utility cost you used to absorb gets recovered each month. Water is the most common utility to submeter, and owners recover most of their current water costs. The total billed to residents never goes above what the master meter charges your property, so it is fair, not a markup. On top of recovery, separate metering pushes residents to conserve, and water use typically drops 15 to 30 percent. Most installs pay back in 12 to 18 months, and some sooner. NES handles the meters, the reads, and the billing.
Where the income comes from
Two things move the needle. First, you stop paying the residents' share of utility use because they now pay it directly. Second, when people see their own bill, they use less. NES properties typically see water use fall 15 to 30 percent, which shrinks the master bill at the same time you recover the rest from residents.
What this looks like in practice
- Recover most of your current water costs
- Water consumption usually drops 15 to 30 percent after metering
- Most projects pay back in 12 to 18 months, some sooner
- Higher net operating income can lift the property's resale value
Related questions
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