Is the Gas Bill Too High at Your Multifamily Property? Heat Metering May Be the AnswerPosted by English Callesen on May 11th, 2021 The heating season is here now and gas bills will spike sharply for owners whose properties use central heating systems, furnaces, and domestic hot water heaters. These heating systems can, however, be metered and residents billed for his or her portion of the gas bill. Owners and property managers who don't know about this option can pay significantly more money for heating than they have to. If a multi-tenant complex is individually metered for heat, and residents billed because of their own usage, gas consumption tends to be lower...sometimes by as much as 35%! Lower gas consumption results in lower charges for the owner, more competitive rents, and a notion by potential renters that the city is less expensive. Even though an owner bills residents for gas utilizing a RUBS (Ratio Utility Billing System) method, if consumption is higher, the owner's part of the utility expense, or the normal area deduction (CAD), is higher too. TURN GAS EXPENSE INTO REVENUE Many owners and managers aren't aware that these heating systems--baseboard radiators, fan coils, furnaces, domestic warm water heaters, and steam radiators--can be affordably metered for individual tenant usage. اموزش شارژ گاز کولر گازی Combine heat metering with resident gas billing and you also have a profitable combination that may boost net operating income, insulate balance sheet from rising utility prices, and increase the value of your property. A BETTER METHOD OF RESIDENT UTILITY BILLING Heat metering, also referred to as "heat allocation" or "energy cost allocation," is beneficial for property owners and residents. It is the fairest way to bill tenants for their portion of the gas expense because: They pay just for the gas they use They benefit financially when they conserve The gas rate is discounted because master-metered properties are often charged at a commercial rate. Property owners who use a heat metering system and transition from owner-paid to resident-paid utilities, can expect to see total gas consumption at their properties fall measurably. The data collected from direct metering may be used to monitor potential maintenance issues, improve energy efficiency, and spend less at the property. What's even more notable, some multifamily owners who have metered heat, have experienced a decrease in the intake of other utilities, despite the fact that those utilities were not metered! In the event that you own and operate a low-income housing tax credit property, heat metering is a very compelling option. Associated with that the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) doesn't allow tenants to be billed for utilities using a RUBS method. Heat metering allows you to equitably recoup the residents' share of the gas expense and encourage responsible energy use. Any multifamily complex using a central heat should strongly consider implementing a wireless heat metering system. HEAT METERING INSTALLATION COSTS Heat metering is quite affordable compared to electric, gas or water submetering systems because the equipment is inexpensive and the installation doesn't require the services of a licensed plumber or electrician. For a multifamily complex using furnaces, baseboard radiation, or fan coil units, expect to spend 5 - 0 per unit for a whole wireless heat metering system that is ready for billing. In multifamily complexes that use individual furnaces and domestic hot water heaters, the price increases to 0 - 0 per unit as you need two meters per apartment.Like it? Share it! |