Streamlining Submetering and Tenant Billing at Three Historic NYC Properties

Building 1

COMMERCIAL

3M sf

Building 2

RETAIL

1M sf

Building 3

WAREHOUSE

300K sf

Background

A large property management firm wanted to upgrade three older properties that had haphazard submetering and billing processes. The buildings – a Class A commercial space, an eating and shopping destination, and a warehouse conversion – each had different metering systems, read dates, and billing vendors. The result was not only monthly chaos but also questionable meter accuracy and delayed billing.

The Challenge

Siloed submetering and outdated infrastructure made current tenant and utility data difficult to obtain and use effectively. When the client brought in utiliVisor to streamline the systems, they discovered proprietary vendor lock, undocumented meter systems, dead multichannel meters, undersized current transformers, and a hodgepodge of wiring that obscured what meters were measuring. The retail property posed additional billing challenges with its frequent retail turnover.

The utiliVisor Solution

utiliVisor implemented tailored solutions for each property:

Building 1

Installed non-proprietary data collectors, replaced communication wiring, calibrated meters, fully documented the metering system, and created customized invoices

Building 2

Traced and replaced wiring to clarify the metering picture, calibrated and programmed new multi-channel meters, and resized CTs

Building 3

Modernized the manual readings with the MyRead Pro app, which uploads the data for verification and billing, integrating the client’s data into one portal

Calibrating and validating new meters is like replacing a broken watch. You can buy a new watch. That doesn’t mean it knows the right time. You still need to match it with someone who knows what time it is.
Senior energy manager, Billion dollar property management firm

Results

After four months of commissioning and testing, what was previously a submetering maze is now one fully documented, validated, and integrated system:

  • Tenant packages are turned around quickly, reducing default risk.
  • New meters and right-sized CTs are increasing revenue capture through greater accuracy: 10 months in, building 1 is already recovering 77% of total electricity costs ($14.38M of $18.77M).
  • What’s more, utiliVisor provides the client with detailed information to simplify its state tax filings, and utiliVisor’s non-proprietary system ensures the client will retain ownership of its data in perpetuity.

77% of total electricity costs are now being recovered immediately after utiliVisor's updates to building 1.

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About utiliVisor

Your tenant submetering and energy plant optimization services are an essential part of your operation. You deserve personalized energy insights from a team that knows buildings from the inside out, applies IoT technology and is energized by providing you with accurate data and energy optimization insights. When you need experience, expertise, and service, you need utiliVisor on your side, delivering consistent energy and cost-saving strategies to you. What more can our 45+ years of experience and historical data do for you? Call utiliVisor at 212-260-4800 or visit utilivisor.com