Usage Based Billing

When there is a meter in your apartment, we can use it to bill you for your actual usage. Depending on what kind of meter there is, and on your lease details, we may bill you differently.

Below are just explanations of the different types of billing methods used for usage-based billing.

Check your bill for the specific kind of billing method description. Each description below is just a general explanation. For more specific descriptions, please chat with us!

Utility Rates:

This is the simplest of billing methods. We take your metered usage and multiply it by the rates set by the local utility provider. That’s it!

Average Rates:

When you are billed using average rates, we use the average rate set by the local utility providers. To get the average rate, we divide the total charges of the community by the total usage for the community.

You may see your rate change slightly each month, as rates are subject to change by the local utility provider. This billing method is often used when the local provider calculates the utility costs by using a complicated tiered rate structure that is difficult to break down and bill to multiple tenants. Using the average is much more efficient.

Full Allocation:

With this billing method, your bill description may show something like this:

You are billed based on your usage. If you used 5% of the total water used in your community, you would be billed 5% of the total water charges.

or

You are billed a portion of the total charges based on your usage. This is done by dividing the total bill amounts by the total resident consumption to get a rate. That rate is then multiplied by your metered usage to get your charge.

Either description describes the same calculation. With this billing method, you are billed proportionately to your usage and the total sub-metered usage and charges for the community. Anything that changes the total sub-metered usage, or total charges, will affect the charges total. With the full allocation method, your charge will be fairly consistent from month to month.

or

Hot or Cold Water Allocation

This billing method is specifically used when the meter in your home only measures one kind of water (hot or cold), or perhaps there is a separate meter for each.

You are billed based on your usage of that specific kind of water. For example, if you used 5% of the total cold water used in your community, you would be billed 5% of the total cold water charges.

To generate your bill, we take the total measured hot or cold water usage within the community, find out what percentage of the total hot or cold water was used in your apartment, and then bill you that percentage of the total hot or cold water charges.

You are billed proportionately to your usage and the total usage and charges for the community. Anything that changes the total usage, or total charges, will affect the portion of the total amount you are billed.

Related to

• billing
• Usage

Updated March 27, 2026 22:48