Allocation Based Billing

Allocation Billing can be called many things, but we refer to it as Ratio Utility Billing Services or RUBS.

Instead of billing you for actual usage, we will bill you for a portion of the community’s total charges based on specific information about your household (number of people in the household, size of the home, number of bedrooms, a combination of those options, or sometimes even a flat rate charge).

There are many ways to allocate charges, but here are the most common.

Straight Occupants

Your utility charges are calculated using the community’s overall utility costs. Conservice will use the number of occupants (people) living in the apartment, compared with the total occupancy at the community, to calculate your monthly utility bill.

We take the community’s total utility charge, divide it by the total number of occupants in the community to get a per-occupant charge, and then multiply that per-occupant charge by the number of occupants in your apartment.

Factored Occupants

Your utility charges are calculated using the community’s overall utility costs. Conservice will compare the number of occupants (people) in the apartment to the total occupancy at the community, to calculate your monthly utility bill.

We take the community’s total utility charge, divide it by the total number of occupants in the community to get a “per-1 occupant” dollar amount. We then multiply that per-1 occupant amount by your apartment’s multiplier, a factor determined by the number of occupants in your apartment. For example, the multipliers may be as follows:

1 occupant = 1.0
2 occupants = 1.6
3 occupants = 1.9
4 occupants = 2.2
Each additional occupant adds .3

This takes into account that some people may share utilities in the apartment, such as water used for dishwashing or cleaning clothes. Using a multiplier fairly distributes the costs, understanding that, for example, two people living together do not necessarily use twice as much water as a single person.

Square Footage

Your utility charges are calculated using the community’s overall utility costs. Conservice will use the square footage of your apartment and the total square feet of living space in the community to calculate your monthly utility bill.

We take the community’s total utility charge and divide it by the community’s total square footage to get a “per-square foot” charge. We then multiply that per-square foot charge by the square footage of your apartment to determine your portion.

50/50 Occupancy and Square Footage

This billing method is a combination method of the billing methods above.

Your utility charges are calculated using the community’s overall utility costs. We take the total utility charge and divide it equally in half. One half is used to generate a per-square foot amount, and the other half is used to create a per-occupant amount. We then take your square footage and multiply it by the per-square foot cost, and your occupancy (or occupancy multiplier) and multiply it by the per-occupancy cost, to calculate your total charges.

Per Unit:

This type of allocation is done by dividing the community’s total charge by the number of apartments in the community. The charge amount can change from month to month, depending on the total charges for your community.

Flat Fee:

If you are billed a flat fee, then you will have a fixed charge on your bill. For example, the monthly service fee you may see on your bill is a flat fee. Flat fees are typically outlined in your lease agreement.

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Updated October 09, 2025 17:30