One of the major problems which the owners of multi-occupancy premises face is trying to ensure equitable billing when it comes to utilities. Particularly when the entire building is serviced by only one meter, it’s almost invariably the landlord’s responsibility to pay up, regardless of how many tenants are in occupancy or how much water or energy each one uses. This can frequently result in unnecessarily high bills and an irresponsible use of valuable resources. Many landlords are opting to use private water management services in order to install individual meters in every apartment of the block. Adopting this option can bring the following benefits to both landlords and tenants.
Clarity on Consumption
If each tenant is clear on how much water they’ve used, not only does it ensure fair billing, it also enables tenants to take personal responsibility for their water usage. Individual metering allows people to see the savings they can make when they introduce water saving measures such as showering rather than bathing or reducing their washing machine usage. Seeing a direct reduction in bills encourages water saving behavior as well as reducing costs. Water management services are readily available to fit meters, providing a cost-effective method of accurate water monitoring.
Timely Identification of Leaks and other Issues
When one bill is produced for a number of tenancies, it’s easy for the water lost due to a leak to be unnoticed, with the cost being absorbed within the bill. Once a water management service has installed individual meters, tenants are often quick to let you know if their bill is unnaturally high, perhaps indicating that they have a leak in their apartment. Metering helps to precisely pin point the location of the issue in a timely manner, making investigation and detection much easier than if the entire building had to be searched.
Fairer than One Bill
If you’ve no way of knowing which tenant uses most water and which least, it’s impossible to fairly distribute the cost of the water bill you receive. Individual metering ensures that each occupant pays for exactly what they use, minimizing the risk of disputes and ill-feeling. Many landlords find that once a water management service installs meters and provides straight-forward, accurate billing, they end up paying far less in utilities than was previously the case and their tenants are rewarded for frugality with reduced bills – an enviable win-win situation.
A water management service, such as ABT Water Management, not only offers a premium metering and billing service, they can also offer water testing and treatment of any impurities in the water supply. This gives your tenants the peace of mind they need that the water they use is a safe option to drink, particularly after weather incidents or other events which can sometimes affect water quality adversely. Given the importance of a high caliber water supply and transparent billing, it’s little wonder so many landlords are now opting for a premium private water management provider to give them an excellent solution to their water management needs.
