Working on multi-tenant office building with sub-metering system. Main SCE meter looks correct but several tenant submeters have wrong multipliers programmed. CTs are 100:5 but some submeters programmed for 200:5. Property manager has been overbilling affected tenants. Anyone dealt with submeter multiplier corrections? Carol J.
Sub-metering Multiplier Issues in Multi-Tenant Building
Carol - Submeter errors can be messy because they affect tenant billing directly. You'll need to audit each submeter individually and document the correct CT ratios vs programmed multipliers. What type of submeters are installed? Faye M.
They're Schneider Electric ION meters, mix of ION7650 and ION8650 models. Building has about 20 submeters total and I've found 6 with incorrect multipliers so far. Some over-billing, some under-billing tenants. Carol J.
ION meters are pretty straightforward to reprogram but you'll need PowerLogic software and proper access rights. Property management should handle tenant billing adjustments once you document the errors. Wesley F.
Working with property management on the corrections. Biggest issue is one tenant that's been overbilled about $2,800 over 8 months due to wrong multiplier. They're understandably upset about it. Carol J.
Tenant billing errors always get contentious. Make sure you document exactly when each error started and provide clear before/after calculations. Helps with credibility when money is involved. Tony F.
Carol - The key is systematic documentation of each submeter's CT configuration versus programmed settings. Create a spreadsheet showing correct vs incorrect multipliers and estimated billing impact by tenant and time period. Property management will need this for tenant discussions. Randy D.
Thanks Randy, that's exactly what I'm putting together. Found 2 more submeters with errors today. Total of 8 out of 20 submeters have wrong multipliers. This building's metering was clearly not commissioned properly. Carol J.
Eight out of twenty is terrible. Sounds like whoever installed the submeters didn't verify CT ratios properly. Are all the errors the same type or random mistakes? Rick B.
Mix of errors - some programmed for 200:5 instead of 100:5, others show 50:5. Looks like installer guessed at CT ratios instead of reading nameplates. Poor quality control on the installation. Carol J.
We see this a lot on submeter jobs. Installers treat them like regular meters and don't pay attention to CT programming. Always worth auditing new submeter installations. Darrell F.
Final update: Got all submeters corrected and property management is working on tenant billing adjustments. Total adjustments around $8,500 across all affected tenants. Expensive lesson in proper commissioning. Carol J.