Anyone else hearing rumors that Georgia Power is changing their policies on sub-metering for apartment complexes? I've got three properties in the Atlanta metro that currently use master meters with resident billing through a third-party company. One property manager mentioned something about new requirements coming for individual meters. Haven't seen anything official yet but wondering if other Georgia folks have heard anything. These properties are on Schedule TOU-GSD-5 and the sub-metering saves residents about 20% vs the flat rate billing method.
Georgia Power sub-metering rules changing?
Greg, I haven't heard anything specific but Alabama Power has been pushing individual metering for new construction over the past few years. They claim it's better for residents and reduces their customer service load. The economics usually work out better for utilities too since they get residential rates instead of commercial demand rates. Might be worth calling your Georgia Power rep directly to see what's in the pipeline.
I'm in Atlanta too and my contacts at Georgia Power haven't mentioned anything about policy changes. But I know the PSC has been looking at sub-metering regulations statewide. There was some legislation last year about requiring more disclosure to tenants about sub-metering charges and fees. Could be related to that rather than Georgia Power specifically. What size properties are we talking about? The rules might be different for smaller vs larger complexes.
Derek, these are 80-unit, 150-unit, and 220-unit properties. All built in the 2000s with decent electrical infrastructure. The 220-unit property would be expensive to convert to individual metering - probably $180k+ based on what I've seen elsewhere. The master meter setup works well and residents seem happy with the sub-metered billing. I'll reach out to my Georgia Power account rep and see what they know. Just don't want to get blindsided by a policy change.
Greg, definitely stay on top of it. Even if there's no immediate requirement, utilities sometimes offer incentives for voluntary conversions that can make the economics work. Georgia Power has had programs before for energy efficiency upgrades that might apply. Also worth checking if any of your properties qualify for low-income housing programs - those sometimes have different metering requirements that could trigger changes regardless of Georgia Power's general policies.