national multiple family submetering and allocation billing program ...

easiest way to bill for water usage, between 33% and 46% of impact property managers chose
this as one of their responses, although only 26% of in-rent managers checked this response.
Increased profitability was chosen by 20% to 33% of impact property managers, but only
mentioned by 3% of in-rent property managers. Detailed results are shown in Table 4.7.
Table 4.7 Reason billing method was chosen, manager survey respondents
In-rent
(or
HOA)
Hot
water
hybrid Other Total
Why was this billing
method selected?*
Submetered
RUBS
It conserves water usage
by residents
1.9% 49.6% 32.0% 48.1% 33.3% 14.5%
It is the easiest way to bill
for water usage
25.7% 45.7% 39.5% 33.3% 33.3% 31.0%
Increased profitability of
property
3.2% 19.7% 21.9% 33.3% 33.3% 9.7%
We must comply with
local laws and regulations
5.2% 8.7% 16.4% 18.5% 16.7% 8.3%
It is the least expensive
way to bill for water
11.8% 9.4% 16.4% 18.5% 33.3% 12.8%
Other 32.1% 9.4% 11.3% 14.8% 16.7% 24.8%
Don't know 34.3% 21.3% 21.5% 14.8% 33.3% 29.8%
Number N=789 N=127 N=256 N=27 N=6 N=1205
* Percents may add to more than 100% as respondents could give more than one answer.
Managers of in-rent properties were asked whether they had considered converting to
RUBS or submetering. About a quarter (24.6%) said they had. Some of the negative issues they
considered included the expense of such an undertaking (55%) or resident resistance (37%). On
the positive side, 53% considered resident water savings, and 29% the potential for increased
profitability of the property. Results are shown in Table 4.8.
Other utilities or services can be billed directly to multi-family housing residents.
Electricity is the most common service to be separately billed for with 87% of managers
indicated that residents are billed individually for electricity. Approximately 29% reported that
residents are billed for natural gas or heating oil. Residents of 11% of surveyed properties are
billed individually for garbage collection.
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