Explainer MeterEase blog
How to read a master water bill before you split it
Before you split a master water bill among tenants, it helps to know what you are splitting. Water bills mix usage, fixed charges, sewer, and sometimes trash or stormwater on one page, and the layout differs from one utility to the next. This explainer walks through the parts most bills share, so you can decide what to pass through and explain it to a tenant who asks.
Every utility formats its bill differently. Your provider’s own “how to read your bill” page is the final word; many utilities publish one.
The service period
Look for the dates the bill covers, often labeled “service from” and “service to,” and the number of days. This is not the same as the bill date or the due date. The day count matters because a 34-day bill will usually cost more than a 28-day one, and because you prorate move-ins and move-outs against it. Some utilities bill every two or three months; see how to split a bill that covers two or three months.
Meter reads and usage
The bill usually shows a previous read, a current read, and the difference, which is your usage. Many utilities measure in CCF, which means 100 cubic feet. San Jose Water and Miami-Dade Water and Sewer both state that 1 CCF equals 748 gallons. So 40 CCF is 40 × 748 = 29,920 gallons.
Watch for the word estimated next to a read. When a utility cannot read the meter, it may estimate, then correct the difference on a later bill. A corrected bill can be unusually high or low, and it is worth flagging to tenants when it happens.
Usage charges and tiers
Usage charges are the price per CCF (or per thousand gallons) times what the building used. Many utilities use tiers, where the price per unit goes up past a set amount of use. In a master-metered building, all units’ use is added together on one meter, which can push the building into higher tiers than a single household would reach. That is part of the bill, and it is one reason your split method matters. Our RUBS vs submetering page covers the trade-offs of metering each unit instead.
Fixed or service charges
Most bills include a charge that does not depend on use, often called a service charge, base charge or meter charge. San Jose Water describes its service charge as one “applied to all customers regardless of how much water is used.” Some utilities size it by the meter. You pay this even when the building is empty.
Landlords handle fixed charges in different ways. Some split them along with usage, some keep them as an owner cost. Whatever you choose, write it in the lease and do it the same way every month.
Sewer, trash and stormwater
Sewer is often billed on the same statement, and is frequently calculated from water use. Some utilities also add trash, stormwater or other city charges. Read each line and decide which ones your lease lets you pass through. If your lease covers water and sewer but not trash, leave trash out.
Taxes, surcharges and fees
Bills can include taxes, regulatory fees, or surcharges. Treat them the same way you treat the service charge: decide once, write it down, and apply it consistently.
Late fees, deposits and past-due balances
Leave these out of the tenant split. A late fee comes from when the bill was paid, not how much water tenants used, and a past-due balance may include charges you already split last month. Split only the current period’s charges.
A quick check before you split
- Confirm the service dates and the day count.
- Compare usage to last period and the same period last year.
- Check for an estimated read or a correction.
- Separate current charges from late fees and past-due balances.
- Decide which lines pass through, the same way you did last time.
If usage jumped, check for leaks before you send anything. EPA WaterSense notes that a faucet dripping once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year. Our post on answering “why is my utility share so high?” covers that conversation.
Then split it
Once you know which amount you are splitting, the rest is arithmetic. The RUBS calculator runs square footage, occupants, bedrooms or fixed percentages, and how to split a water bill between tenants walks through the method. Some states regulate landlord water billing; our state guides and the Useful links page list official sources, including each state’s utility regulator.
MeterEase reads the vendor, period and total from the bill PDF for you to confirm, then splits it and emails each tenant their share with the bill attached, after you review it, unless you turn on auto-send for a property. See how it works.
Split the bill and email every tenant in minutes
MeterEase reads the master bill PDF, applies your method and vacancy rule, and emails each tenant their share with the math shown and the source bill attached, after you check the numbers, unless you turn on auto-send for a property. Plans start at $14/month.
Related
- How to split a water bill between tenants
- Free RUBS calculator
- RUBS vs submetering
- Useful links: utility regulators by state
- How to figure your utility cost per unit
- How to keep records for utility bill-backs
- How to split a utility bill that covers two or three months
- All blog posts