Let’s be honest, tenant billing isn’t an effortless task. Errors happen, there is no denying that. How do we make it efficient and eliminate the hassle? How do we fix problems before they happen?
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Staying informed on how the process works and understanding issues that arise is the first step. So let’s get started…
Understanding Tenant Billing
Electrical services provided by the utility to buildings or campus environments generally measure at the main point of entrance (MPOE). Designing each as an independent utility metered space provides a utility meter for each electrical service in every tenant space. Planning and installing meters during the construction process is a MUST to function properly.
During a building or campus life, spaces may change to accommodate additional tenants/space and may be divided. In this case, it would be prudent to meter the utility used by each tenant in order to accurately measure utility usage. As a result, each tenant pays their fair share of the utility bill.
Be Prepared
Tenant space submetering becomes increasingly complicated when utilities are designed and installed ONLY to serve the entire space that is now been subdivided (multiple tenants).
Best Practices when Subdividing a Space
- Branch the services into separate loads from the source at a single measuring point for each new tenant service branch.
- This allows for sub-meter installation that will capture all energy used in the new tenant space. Metering installed should be revenue-grade with a certificate from the factory to be considered accurate so usage can be easily measured and billed accordingly.
- Don’t forget about heating and air conditioning!
- Reviewing tenant spaces for heat and air conditioning helps determine if the equipment’s energy measures correctly for each space.
- Collect data from the installed sub-metering
- When installing the metering devices we recommend collecting data from the sub-metering installed.
- Questions to Think About:
- Will someone physically go to each meter and read the values monthly?
- Can devices connect to a network via communications and provide data to a server or cloud server?
- What software is necessary to collect and store tenant usage?
- Can the tenant see their usage as it is accruing before monthly bills are provided?
- Will data be compiled into a usage report for each tenant for billing monthly energy consumption?
- Will these reports measure the time of use and bill rate according to the utility rate structure agreement?
Feeling Overwhelmed?
At APT we understanding the mounting pressures you face to get things right the first time. Let us help alleviate your stress and help you optimize your system to perform efficiently. Don’t wait for problems to happen. Be proactive. Set your business up for success and let APT handle the issues so you don’t have to. This past year has been stressful enough, let APT help us bear the load.
Contact APT for more information on Tenant Billing services and solutions today.
Brian Curnutt, APT Service Manager Lead Meter Electrician