All of us on the Board of Directors Submetering Committee are delighted that our Submetering Proposal not only passed in the vote by co-operators, but passed by such a wide margin. It is especially good to have such a clear mandate. We were running scared after our unsuccessful try several years ago.It made a big difference that this time we had EIS as our consultants. You couldn’t have been more energetic, responsive, and pleasant to deal with. Most important, we were and continue to be confident that you are always fully informed on all the issues, both technical and political. And when a new wrinkle pops up, you have a positive zest for researching it until it can be understood.
Barbara Michalak
Vice-President, Board of Directors
Columbus Park Tower
New York City residents billed directly by Con Edison pay the highest electricity rates in the country. By selecting, installing, and monitoring the correct submetering system, building owners and residents can realize cost savings of upwards of 25 percent annually. Featured in the City’s PlanNYC for a Greater, Greener NY 2030, Energy Investment Systems is at the forefront of advances in “smart” submetering that enable buildings to take advantage of time-sensitive pricing opportunities, peak load reduction strategies and commodity pricing options available in the deregulated market.
Most apartment buildings are direct-metered, meaning that residents receive individual bills directly from Con Edison. Customers in this conventional relationship pay the highest electricity rates of all Con Ed customers; the direct relationship limits an owner’s ability to save except by using less or by purchasing through a time-of-use structure.
Many buildings are solely master-metered. In these buildings, individual apartments are billed for electricity charges as part of rent or maintenance rather receive bills for specific usage. Since buildingwide electricity service is purchased in bulk, the buildings generally pay lower rates. However, because there is no price signal to alert individuals of their usage, they tend to use far more electricity than they would if they actually paid for their profligate usage.
The use of smart meters with feedback and two-way communications allow residents to reduce costs by using energy more efficiently and at times when prices are low. These systems even allow buildings to earn money by promising to use less electricity when a power emergency looms, through a process known as “curtailment.”
EIS provides a range of metering services.
- Feasibility studies and technical support
- Peak load reduction strategies
- Implementation assistance
- Real-time metering utilization
- Custom tailored implementation plan for technology interface with building system
- Preliminary surveys of specific energy efficiency measures
- Monitoring and metering energy consuming equipment and systems