Blog
Neptune T-10 Water Meter Replacements
Neptune Technology Group has been manufacturing the T-10 standard positive displacement bronze water meter since 1892! It has been the utility industry’s favorite meter throughout its long history. The standard direct-read model T-10 has been one of Submeter Solutions’ best-selling meters for many years. Unfortunately, Neptune has not been able to keep up with the […]
DIY Utility Billing with a Submetering System
A common misconception – “installing a submetering system at my property means I’ve got to hire an outside third party billing company to send bills to my residents each month”. In reality, you can get all the benefits of having an affordable system to submeter the utility usage of each unit, AND you can decide […]
Water is Free
Popular culture is full of myths. Perhaps you have heard – “Lightening never strikes the same place twice”; or “it takes 7 years to digest gum if you swallow it”; or “humans only use 10% of their brains”. All of these examples make great popular myths, but none are actually true.Have you ever wondered if […]
A Guide to Sub-Metering: The Basics
Are you continuously raising your rents to keep up with increasing utility bills? Are your single tenants that work during the day complaining about paying for the heat of the family down the hall that has their heat turned on all day? Are your tenants not conserving energy?Problems often arise when rental properties have utility […]
Seattle Public Utilities Proposes New Plan to Increase Utility Rates
Seattle Public Utilities has proposed a new plan for 2018 – 2023 that will increase utility bills. SPU is asking City Council to approve the new 6-year plan that will be used to replace aging pipes, prevent sewage from spilling into the Lake Washington Ship Canal, and to keep up with rising employee wages. On average this […]
California Apartments Switching to a Fair Submeter Water System
California has faced its fair share of droughts in the past. The state is constantly looking for ways to make its citizens take their water usage more seriously. California legislators have decided to implement a large change that they hope will help with their water conservation efforts. Beginning in 2018, all new apartment buildings that […]
How Utility Companies Are Affected by the New Tax Bill
On December 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul bill that will bring about many changes for utility companies and the electric power sector. While the tax rate for utilities has dropped from 35% to 21%, their stocks have not reflected these savings.Utility StocksMost utility stocks trade like bonds, which means […]
Submetering for Dummies – That leaking toilet is killing your cash flow
Did you catch the article in The Seattle Times this past spring (Rain-soaked Seattle has nation’s highest water bills – Seattle Times, April 30th, 2015) proclaiming that Seattle has the highest utility water rates of the 30 largest US cities. The article points out that a typical family of four using 50 gallons of water […]
Unexpected Cold Front in Texas Leads to Unexpected Heating Costs
Winter in Texas has been unexpectedly colder than normal. Temperatures in December 2017 and January 2018 reached record lows for several days, with 21 days in the low 30s and 11 days below freezing.The drastic change in weather led residents to turn on their heater more than usual. Gulf Power Co. has been busy responding […]
Fewer Cranes Fill the Skyline of Seattle in 2018
Large construction cranes have become a leading focal point of Seattle’s skyline. However, for the first time in years, 2018 has observed a significant reduction in the number of cranes in use. Seattle now only leads the pack by 9 cranes, closely followed by Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago who are all tied for the […]