national multiple family submetering and allocation billing program ...

Interestingly, only 10% of RUBS properties were dissatisfied because the “billing
method/calculation unclear”, while 17% of submetered properties cited that reason. This was
surprising because many of the RUBS bills that were sent in by residents did not include actual
billing methodology. This could indicate that residents may receive information on the billing
method separate from their actual bill. Additionally, the confusion about submetering billing
methods may corroborate a finding of this study: that people are not always sure whether their
water use is being measured by total-capture submetering or partial-capture submetering (i.e. a
hybrid system).
The lack of regulation makes it more difficult for resident concerns to be allayed. Based
on survey responses, residents were more satisfied with utility billing vs. billing from a third
party. Residents may fear being taken advantage of or overcharged. The shift of responsibility
for water costs might also diminish the incentive for owners to maintain and improve water
efficiency within individual dwelling units. The incentive may remain for efficiency and
improvements to common areas and irrigation systems, where water use is still paid for by the
property owner.
On the resident survey, residents were asked whether their property owners had taken any
water conservation actions in the past few years. Residents of in-rent properties were more likely
to report that their property owner had taken some action (27%) compared to residents in RUBS
(16%), hot water hybrid (14%), utility-submetered (13%) or submetered properties (8%). Table
4.15 in Chapter 4 shows what conservation actions property owners have taken. Finally, unit
entry is sometimes required to read submeters. This may be viewed as an intrusion by the
resident, thus making meters outside the unit or remotely readable more desirable.
Resident Benefit/Cost Analysis
Submetered Properties
An economic analysis from the resident’s point of view shows that decreased monthly
water costs after submetering are not a guarantee. First, it depends on exactly how the resident
was charged for water previously and whether or not their new bill includes a service fee. Table
6.4 summarizes the possible economic returns for a resident that lives at a property that converts
from a flat HOA fee to submetered. This scenario assumes that the flat fee would be removed.
In this case, residents that aren’t charged a service fee could save from $54 to $77 per year.
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