Submetering In Vertical Subdivisions

Submetering in vertical subdivisions provides a value engineering opportunity for developers, builders, architects and engineers. Traditionally, gas meters are placed in meter banks on the exterior of a building with distribution lines running to each floor and branching off to each unit.

This overlay shows the distribution lines feeding each floor from the meter bank. Keep in mind this is only the vertical piping and is not including horizontal piping within the building.   

Let's say a building with ten floors has ten units per floor with each floor being ten feet tall. It would require 1,000 feet of vertical pipe just to reach the tenth floor. It would take an additional 4,500 feet of pipe to reach the other floors. Remember, this is the vertical piping only. That is a total of 5,500 feet of pipe !

If each ten foot section of pipe cost $20.00, the cost of vertical piping alone for this building would be $11,000.  

THE ALTERNATIVE
Submetering is a value engineering option that cuts building costs, saves space and also benefits from bulk rate discounts from gas companies. A master meter is the only meter that would be located on the exterior of the building and one trunk line running vertically would distribute gas to each floor.

This overlay shows one trunk line running vertically and distributing to each floor. Submeters are located in each apartment in a utility closet, usually with the water heater and furnace. Submeters are read remotely using automatic meter reading technology (AMR) so there is no need to enter the unit.

This building option uses considerably less piping and therefore cuts building costs. Using the same building dimensions as above, this option uses only 100 feet of pipe to reach all floors of the building. Granted the trunk line is bigger diameter, but the savings are still great. If each ten foot section of trunk line cost $60.00, the total cost of the trunk line would be $600.00. Compare that to the cost of running vertical lines for each apartment and you would save $10,400!

With submetering the savings in piping alone is incredible, but there are more savings involved. Labor costs are reduced and the building owner/residents benefit from bulk rate discounts. In Salt Lake City, the bulk rate discount is 18% after 45 decatherms of usage.

Please let us know if you have any questions about submetering in vertical subdivisions. There are many submetering applications and we specialize in submetering and billing all types of utilities.

1-877-906-2230 

Old Man Winter

Winter is definitely setting in here along the Wasatch Front which means gas bills are going up, up, up! If you own/manage a gas master-metered community Relms can help bring your gas bill down. And in some instances it will go down by as much as 30%. Submetering is an easy application that allows your residents to pay for their own actual gas consumption. This causes residents to conserve and reduces your gas bill.

How much money would you save if you didn't have to pay your gas bill? 

If your average gas bill per month is $600, that would be a savings of $7,200 per year!


Adding Relms billing services to your submetering system will ensure money is collected for each resident's gas charges. Relms takes you out of the utility business, recovers 100% of your gas bill from the residents and you save money that would otherwise be paid to the gas company.

Relms provides submetering and billing services for all utilities (gas, water, electricity, boiler systems, commercial applications, etc.). Please contact us for more information. 1-877-906-2230 or visit our website at www.gorelms.com.

Energy Solutions Center - Chicago

It is time for the final Energy Solutions Center conference of 2011. Relms representatives will be in Chicago for the conference October 25-27. At the conference there will be a variety of topics exploring conservation and the promotion of natural gas usage. Gas utility providers from all over the country will be in attendance along with companies with innovative natural gas technologies.

Relms specializes in natural gas submetering. We provide submetering and professional billing services for multi-family housing communities throughout the US. Vertical subdivisions are an especially great application for submetering because of the savings in building costs, natural gas usage instead of electricity and a reduced carbon footprint.

Contact Relms at 1-888-Go-Relms (toll free) and we would be happy to discuss the benefits of submetering in a vertical subdivision and find out if submetering is the answer for your community.

Quester Gas Cutting Rates

Good news about gas rates in Utah! This story is from the Salt Lake Tribune.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/52528276-79/gas-natural-customers-questar.html.csp

The Writing Is On The Wall!

We found this sign last winter at the entrance of an HOA community. Clearly the high gas bill and over-consumption is a huge issue at this community.  The solution is simple..............SUBMETERING!

People need more motivation to conserve than just a sign that tells them to "do what you can to conserve." We also observed a fully opened window in one unit. Not the best idea in the dead of winter and not the best idea if you are trying to conserve your gas usage.

Relms can help this community conserve and reduce their gas bill by installing a submetering system. Once the system is installed, residents would pay for their own, actual gas consumption and not a flat rate paid with HOA fees.

Some residents would pay considerably less for gas and HOA fees would be reduced. The community as a whole would conserve and reduce overall gas consumption by 20 to 30 percent.

If your community (HOA or Apartments) is in a similar situation, contact Relms today. 1-877-906-2230