Submetering Maintenance & Compliance

Monitoring submetering systems to ensure accuracy and efficiency

Meter Maintenance and Compliance

Ikehu Utility Solutions uses reliable, high-quality precision products from the industry’s leading manufacturers of submetering hardware. No matter the quality, all meters need maintenance to ensure accuracy for the benefit of both the resident and the owner. Our qualified and experienced technicians understand that quality assurance and control are the keys to a successful submetering system.

Ikehu Utility Solutions offers a meter maintenance package that will cover labor costs during the duration of the system’s life.

Many existing submetering systems were installed prior to new regulations and are due for inspection. Our relationships with various state and local regulatory departments allow us to see what is required to ensure your meters are in compliance and consistently delivering added-value to both property owners and residents. Through continuous maintenance and monitoring of current and new regulations, Ikehu Utility Solutions ensures our systems are accurate and compliant.

Meter Testing

For meters to be effective, they must accurately read the amount of water, natural gas, or electricity flowing through them. Proper testing and maintenance procedures should be in place to ensure accuracy.

Many residential water meters are the positive displacement type, which almost always slows down when they are worn or encrusted by minerals or debris. Residential meters should be checked, cleaned, and calibrated every seven to 10 years or as indicated by your state primacy agency. If adverse conditions, such as high minerals or large flows are encountered, meters will require more frequent attention. Water that has high levels of minerals will affect the operation of a meter over time.

Ikehu Utility Solutions offers a three-tier, full-service maintenance program designed to fit your needs and your budget. Our program allows you to choose the level of support that fits your properties’ needs at a price you can afford.

We can also show you how paying for it can be part of your residents’ monthly billing fees, ensuring them the best of care and meter accuracy. On-call service packages are also available.

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Why Choose Meter Maintenance?

A meter maintenance package will cover any labor costs that will be incurred during the lifespan of the system. Labor costs are covered by the service fee on the resident’s bill.

Complete Accuracy

Ikehu Utility Solutions ensures that meters are not faulty and are reading the actual amount being consumed. We monitor readings closely to ensure a community is recovering the most amount possible.

Being Proactive

A community will be informed when there seems to be a fluctuation (high or low) with the readings. Ikehu Utility Solutions will communicate with the community to determine if there is an issue, and how to resolve it.

Adding to the Bottom Line

We have calculated the increase in property value that comes along with submetering. For instance, on a property with 285 apartment homes with an average water bill of $7,000 per month, we can add up to $6,000 or more per month to the bottom line. At a 9 percent capitalization rate, that equates to a property value increase of $800,000.

Seamless Transition

Ikehu Utility Solutions has done an excellent job with our properties. They are very professional and have seamlessly transitioned many of our apartment buildings to the Ratio Utility Billing program, as well as setting up online automated meter reading and billing with our newer properties. I would recommend them to small and large property owners alike.

Great Incentives

Accurately monitoring each apartment home’s electrical usage gives greater incentive for residents to conserve energy, since they are paying for exactly what they use. During a one-year period, an average of 17 percent less energy was consumed in the submetered residences.

Responsive and Professional

We have found Ikehu Utility Solutions to be an extremely professional company. Their representatives are always responsive and attentive to our questions, as well as being very knowledgeable of all state regulations regarding utility billing. They gave us suggestions for increasing our revenue and we have seen a marked increase in collections and revenue since we started using their services. We are very pleased with all aspects of their service and look forward to a long, continued relationship with Ikehu Utility Solutions.

Recouped Cost

The results did not disappoint me. In December the bills declined after we began billing residents for their water consumption. In March 2003 and April 2003 bills were approximately $270 per day; May fell to $254. The difference between $462 in April 2001 and $270 in April 2003 is $192 per day – a payback of less than one year. The payback actually is much faster because we are collecting about $2000 each month from the billing program, an amount that should double by year-end as new leases are signed.

Increased Property Value

Many other property owners have told me that they do not have the money to make the initial investment to install meters. But I recommend that they find a way to fund it because the payback is rapid — usually about one year to 18 months, and the revenue recovery is ongoing. For example, when we purchased a 169 apartment home community in Indianapolis, I asked our bank to add the cost of meter installation onto our loan, which they readily did after I demonstrated how the program significantly increases property value. It cost about $225 per apartment home to install the gas submeters at the property, for a total of $38,025, and our mortgage increased by only $500 per month. The gas bill for that property alone is $85,000 per year and we recover about 70 percent of those costs, after factoring out common area and vacant apartment home costs, a savings of $59,500 per year, which far surpasses the initial installation cost. Another benefit is that our property value has increased exponentially, which I calculated by taking the $59,500 at a 9.5 percent cap rate (rates can vary) which raised the property value by more than $500,000.

Conscious Energy Use

An obvious trend has emerged now that residents are responsible for their own utility bills. Before the days of submetering, it was not uncommon to see windows open or hear air conditioners running in the middle of winter with heaters going full blast. It was a way to cool down the apartment, but now that residents are responsible for their own bills, they tend to just turn down the heat.

Submetering Maintenance & Compliance

Meter Maintenance and Compliance

Meter Testing

Why Choose Meter Maintenance?

Complete Accuracy

Being Proactive

Ikehu Utility Solutions Customer Testimonials

Adding to the Bottom Line

Seamless Transition

Great Incentives

Responsive and Professional

Recouped Cost

Increased Property Value

Conscious Energy Use

Hawaii Utility Billing Services

Thinking green to keep our planet blue

Hawaii Headquarters

Account Management

Sales Team

Customer Service