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Submetering solutions for businesses: Optimising water usage and tracking

Many businesses today need more granular information on their water consumption, understanding which floors or parts of a building are spending the most, and possibly making enhancements. Submeters are great tools for a variety of businesses to analyse their water consumption on different levels. Businesses that use submeters more fairly spread the spending on the invoice between the tenants and detect inconsistencies earlier. They also notice leaks in their buildings quicker and prevent financial losses. With submeters, large businesses can introduce a detailed view into their water consumption on all of their operational areas. For companies with big industrial complexes, it is a key solution for more accurate billing, mitigation of waste, reduction of operational spending and promoting a responsible way of doing business.

Partnering with The Water Retail Company

Let our experts guide you in implementing the right submetering plan for your business. Contact us below to make the first step toward better operational efficiency for your buildings.

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What is a submeter?

Traditionally, in locations with multiple tenants, the water cost would be distributed using the square footage or some other arbitrary way of splitting the cost. This could often lead to disputes between tenants. Submeters introduce a way to a much fairer distribution of the water spending cost between the tenants. Submeters are meters that track the consumption of water for a specific part of the building. Because they allocate this information per building area, a landlord or property manager can correctly distribute the water consumption costs per tenant.

There are two types of water submeters – mechanical and smart. Mechanical submeters are traditional submeters that use mechanical parts to measure a water reading. Smart submeters are an advanced type of meters, designed to offer real-time data to a customer, usually from as short time interval as every fifteen minutes.

They both offer benefits for businesses, especially those working with tens or even hundreds of tenants. Usually, mechanical ones are great for companies that only need more accurate invoice splitting. Smart submeters offer the same, but also give a detailed view into water spending for the businesses, where they see what areas of their buildings are spending the most and least in real-time, and even compare different areas.

Important considerations

Data coming from submeters should be checked because if the data is inaccurate, splitting the bill between tenants will not be correct, and tenants will dispute it. In the case of buildings with more than one tenant, it is vital to communicate with them about the changes in the billing that will take place. Also, it is essential to inform them that water billing will now be per submeter area, which may encourage them to preserve more water.  Submetering also means different data overview for the businesses, so it is important to understand what will change in terms of building profiles, real-time monitoring of water spending, and optimisation.

The cost of submeters includes both the meter and installation, with prices varying based on the selected features. It is also important to mention that there could be a considerable discount for larger enterprises that order many submeters.

Implementation and costs

Water submeters are installed on the incoming water pipe to the property, and they are connected to the water line that measures the total water consumption of the area that the submeter covers (floor, tenant, room). Most often, users of the water submeters include industrial units, business parks, apartment blocks, public sector buildings, and hotels, among others. Submeters should be installed where they can be easily accessed to read and maintain them, and they can be internal or external. Before installation, it is decided whether to use a mechanical or smart submeter. External meters are often near a property, while internal meters are usually under sinks or in the utility room near the place where the water comes from. As the submeter is connected to the main water line, the water supply has to be shut off briefly before the submeter can be installed. After installation, it is crucial to calibrate a submeter to ensure that it works correctly and establish a baseline of reading data. This is done to ensure the water readings are correct, to understand the customer’s usage profile, and for smart meters, to ensure the communication line is working without any issues.

Benefits for businesses

  • Cost allocation

    Water billing is done by dividing the consumption per tenant's submeters, so each tenant is billed correctly, provided that meters work without issues. Without submeters, billing is done by estimating the tenants' consumption, and disputes over shared bills occur much more often. Some methods of dividing the cost without submeters are usually arbitrary, like looking at square footage. By using the submeters, this is avoided, and tenants are charged fairly for their actual water consumption.

  • Faster leak detection

    Businesses can see where the significant increase in water consumption is and address that particular area. For advanced submeters, this can be seen in real-time. Leak detection per submeter is especially vital for larger industrial complexes where it can take a long time to figure out the cause of increased water spending. Quicker leak detection leads to faster repair, which can prevent significant financial losses. Better leak detection supports current sustainability goals that many businesses include in their business goals. By addressing the leaks without substantial water loss, companies contribute to water conservation, which is especially important for areas with high demand and lower water supply.

  • Detailed reporting and analysis

    Submeters offer better insight into water consumption, and businesses can develop a profile usage that tracks water consumption across all of their buildings and in great detail. This allows for greater opportunity for increasing usage efficiency and benchmarking. For example, a business can compare similar areas from their buildings to see if any are inconsistent. They can use this information to implement measures for responsible water use.

  • Better relationships with tenants

    Investing in submetering tells the tenants that businesses care about distributing costs fairly and accurately throughout the building. Tenants will value transparent billing practices that are not established with arbitrary methods. Furthermore, these responsible practices can only attract future tenants who value modern and sustainable buildings.

  • Sustainability

    One of the focuses of businesses in the last few years is to save on energy and water. A company can identify opportunities for improving efficiency and implementing optimisation methods by looking into a more granular water usage profile. Water conservation is now a common part of the corporate social responsibility of many companies in the UK. Therefore, having a clear strategy for water savings demonstrates to their stakeholders that they are addressing those critical issues.

Verdict

Water submetering is an enticing solution for all kinds of businesses in the UK. By allowing them the opportunity to measure individual water consumption, gives them the ability to distribute the cost much more fairly among their tenants, all while promoting responsible water usage. For businesses that choose to use smart water submeters, it is a compelling option to gain better insight into their water profile across their lands. On top of the financial reasons for using submeters, water submeters also signal the public that they are keen to conserve natural resources and help the overall environmental goals.

Partnering with The Water Retail Company

At Water Retail Company, we offer comprehensive submetering solutions created to manage your water usage more efficiently and allocate costs accurately. Take advantage of professional expertise that tailors the submetering systems for your properties, contributing to your business goals and making your tenants happier. Our team includes professionals with a deep understanding of the needs of all building sizes and industrial complexes. We are always partnership-driven and ensure that all businesses receive a water management solution customised to their unique needs.

Let our experts guide you in implementing the right submetering plan for your business. Contact us below to make the first step toward better operational efficiency for your buildings.

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