Why do tenants have to pay for their water consumption?

 Submetering is an ideal solution to ensure a fair, consumption-based resource management for tenants and to strengthen water-consumption awareness. Paying for your utilities can also eliminate the need for additional rent increases based on rising water costs.

What are the tenants' advantages with regard to measuring individual consumption?

Tenants will only pay for their actual water consumption. With submetering, there is a direct benefit to tenants who conserve; those using less water pay less.

If the RUBS method is used: Why aren't meters installed? 

It may not be possible to install meters for each unit due to construction/building design restrictions. Or it may be cost prohibitive to install meters.

Will a tenant's bill be more expensive because the community uses a billing service?

Generally no. Actually, tenants may be able to take advantage of the community's commercial rate, which is usually lower than the residential rate. Furthermore, base fees and deposits are typically lower than those charged by utility companies that service homes.

Will tenants be disturbed by meter readings?

Meter readings are typically captured electronically to facilitate remote retrieval of accurate data. Tenants will not be disturbed.

When will tenants receive their bill?

Bills will be processed monthly to coincide with the utility billing. You will generally receive one bill every 30 days.

What energy saving solutions are available?

 Please read our information regarding .

Who should I contact if I have any questions about my energy bill as provided by Axelrod Energy Services?

Simply click on our link to access your energy account, or call our customer care center.

What payment options are available?

 Payments can be made via this Web site (link to account access for tenants). On our Web site, we accept payments by Visa or MasterCard or by a check card bearing the Visa or MasterCard logo. Checks or money orders can be mailed to Axelrod Energy Services,19 Bala Avenue, Suite 300 Bala Cynwyd, Pa 19004. All payments should state the account number. A remittance stub should be sent whenever possible. We request only one payment per stub be sent.

Who do I inform about my move-in or move-out?

Your apartment manager is responsible for opening and closing your Axelrod Energy Services account for you. The property will contact Axelrod Energy Services to confirm your moving date and we will open or close your account accordingly.

Why do meters have to be installed at all?

Installing meters on radiators or in pipes makes it possible to determine the individual consumption of each user. On the basis of a simple principle: "People who have to pay for what they consume automatically consume less," the governments in various countries have now prescribed the consumption-based billing of heat and water by law. Their goal is to reduce energy consumption in buildings--which currently accounts for approximately 40% of total final energy consumption--without any loss of comfort for the user. Of this figure, about 84% is used for space heating and 15% in the bathroom and kitchen. Consumption-based billing is a way of achieving considerable energy savings, without a large investment, by changing the consumer's behavior. A study by the National Submetering and Utility Allocation Association (NSUAA)estimates that submetered properties use18-39% less water and RUBS properties use 6-27% less. Heating costs and hot water costs both break down into two sets of costs. First, there are the basic charges that include the costs for pipe losses. As these costs are always incurred regardless of individual consumption, they are generally divided among the users according to the size of their apartments. This cost factor is not influenced by your heating habits. The other part is the consumption costs on which your heating habits have a direct influence. The metering of individual consumption ensures fair allocation of this second part of the costs. The user only pays for what he or she actually uses.

What are heat meters?

Heat meters are installed directly in the pipe system and measure the exact physical measurement of the heat. Heat consumption is calculated from the difference between supply and return temperature of the heat medium as well as the flow rate. It is displayed in kWh or MWh.

What are water meters?

Water meters are installed in the pipe system; consumption readings are displayed in gallons and cubic meters. Water meters measure exact physical measurement and are divided into cold and hot water meters and mechanical or electronic water meters.

Can I work out how much my heating bill will be from the meter readings?

You cannot work out your heating costs from the number of units consumed shown on the meter. Heat allocation meters do not show heat consumption in physical measuring units such as kWh or cfm, but only in dimensionless display or consumption values (divisions on a scale or series of numbers). These display values and consumption values are taken as a basis to determine the proportion of heat which each user has consumed, and therefore also his share of total consumption. They are measurement aids.

Can the consumption figures for different years be compared with each other?

No. Even if the same amount of fuel is used in different heating periods, the consumption figures displayed may be different. This depends on the different temperatures outside, the length of the heating period, etc. Nevertheless, the heating costs are still allocated fairly as all meter readings taken in a house are added together and set against the total heating costs for the building.

Does Axelrod Energy Services need to enter my apartment?

No. How the consumption values are read depends on what kind of meters are installed in your apartment. Meters can be read in the following ways depending on what communication features your meter is equipped with: Wireless meter-reading: All readings are taken at a central point on the property without each apartment having to be entered. Two systems are available for this type of meter-reading. The data can either be transmitted wirelessly or by cable using a remote reading system. Automatic meter-reading: The most convenient option: The consumption values are transmitted to a central point outside the property. This means the data is retrieved by the data processing center (computer control room) wirelessly. There is no need to make appointments or enter apartments.

What happens when there is a change of tenant?

When there is a new tenant, the property manager, landlord or owner asks us to read the meter on the date when the previous user moved out. The readings taken by are checked and stored. They are then taken into account when the heating costs are billed at the end of the heating period. The previous user and the new user each receive a separate bill for their consumption.

What happens if the meters in my apartment were not read or could not be read?

If the proportionate heat or hot water consumption of a tenant cannot be read for a billing period because a meter failed or cannot be read for other reasons, consumption must be determined by the owner of the building. This is done based on the consumption of the relevant rooms in former comparable billing periods or the consumption of other comparable rooms in the current billing period. The proportionate consumption determined in this way will then be taken in the cost allocation calculation instead of the missing consumption readings.