Both move the utility bill off your books and onto the residents who use the utilities. Submetering measures each unit exactly. RUBS splits the master bill by a fair formula when meters are not practical. NES runs both, so the recommendation depends on your building, not on what we sell.
A meter goes on each unit, between the master meter and the apartment. Every month, each resident gets a bill for exactly what their unit used. Water is metered most often because it is usually the biggest recoverable cost, and gas and electric follow the same pattern.
RUBS stands for Ratio Utility Billing System. No meters are installed. Instead, the master bill is divided across units by a formula built from factors like occupancy and square footage, disclosed to residents as your state requires. Once residents see a utility line on their statement, usage falls even without a meter.
| Comparison | Submetering | RUBS |
|---|---|---|
| How residents are billed | Actual measured usage at each unit | A fair allocation formula based on occupancy, square footage, and similar factors |
| Accuracy | The most accurate form of utility billing | An estimate of each unit's share |
| How much of the bill you recover | Typically 85 to 95% of the master utility bill | Typically 70 to 85% of the master utility bill |
| Equipment | A meter installed at each unit | No equipment required |
| Upfront cost | Higher, since meters are installed | Very little upfront cost |
| Best when | Meters can be installed on the lines | Meters cannot be installed, or capital is better used elsewhere |
| Utilities covered | Water and sewer, gas, electric | Water and sewer, gas, electric |
| Conservation | Typically 15 to 30% lower water use | Usage falls, though less than with meters |
| Return on investment | Usually 12 to 18 months | Immediate, since there is almost nothing to install |
| Regulations | Varies by state and county; NES monitors it for you | Varies by state and county; NES monitors it for you |
If meters can be installed at a reasonable cost, submetering wins: it is the most accurate, it produces the biggest usage drop, and residents rarely argue with a bill that matches their own meter. If the plumbing makes meters impractical, or the capital is better spent elsewhere this year, start with RUBS. It goes live in about 30 days, and you can move to submetering later on the same NES contract.
NES is a submetering billing company that installs meters, reads the meters, bills residents, and provides phone and email support for residents and property managers. NES can submeter water, gas, and electricity across the country. Not all states, counties and municipalities permit submetering, and regulations change frequently. NES will verify and monitor all regulations on your behalf.
NES currently services properties across the country.
The master bill stops landing on your P&L. Most properties see payback inside 12 to 18 months with submetering, and RUBS starts recovering in the first cycle because there is nothing to build.
Get a free quote and find out what submetering or RUBS would recover.
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