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Milestone Management
03/2017
Utility Allocation Policies & Procedures
This manual will cover the RUBS program including allocation methods, addenda, and conservation.
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Table of Contents Glossary of Utility Terminology .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 RUBS Program Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Regulation .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 United States Environmental Protection Agency............................................................................................................................... 4 Texas Public Utility Commission ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
RUBS Allocation Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Exclusions – RUBS and Sub-metering ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Exclusions – Sub-metering ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Inclusions ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Common Area Deduction Guidelines ................................................................................................................................................. 5 TAA - RUBS Calculation Based on Average Occupancy for # of Bedrooms -Sample .......................................................................... 6 NAA - RUBS Calculation Based on # of Bedrooms -Sample ............................................................................................................... 6 RUBS Calculation Based on Actual Number of Occupants -Sample ................................................................................................... 6 RUBS Calculation Based on Square Footage and Number of Occupants - Sample ............................................................................ 7 RUBS Calculation Based on Occupancy Ratio .................................................................................................................................... 7
Service Providers ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Life of a Utility Bill .................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Monthly Billing ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Resident Statements .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Convergent Billing .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Data Verification ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Billing Timeline ................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Prebill Report Policy and Procedures ................................................................................................................................................... 11 AUM Prebill ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 ConService Prebill ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Paylease Prebill ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Utility Billing Reports ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 AUM Reports.................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 ConService Reports .......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 PayLease Reports ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Utility Monitoring Agency ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Continuing Service Agreement (CSA) ................................................................................................................................................... 12 Vacant Recovery .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Lease Contract and Utility Addendums ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Utility Billing – Hi, Low, Average .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Utility Addenda .................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Texas Utility and other RUBS Addenda ............................................................................................................................................ 16 NAA Utility and Other RUBS Services ............................................................................................................................................... 24
Utility Expense Management ................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Disconnection Policy at Move In (Electric/Gas) ................................................................................................................................... 27 Clubhouse Utilities ............................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Conservation ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Utility Support and Contacts .................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Extraordinary Usage of Water/Sewer .................................................................................................................................................. 32 Disputed Electric/Gas Recovery ........................................................................................................................................................... 32 Milestone Action Plan for Unexpected Interruption of Power (Electric or Gas) .................................................................................. 33
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Glossary of Utility Terminology
Allocation Allocation is the process of distributing an amount or portion of a resource to a particular recipient. As it relates to this course, utility expenses are divided amongst residents by means of a RUBS formula rather than based upon their actual usage.
Common Area Accounting for the common area utility usage by a pass-through percentage amount deducted off the master metered utility bill for the irrigation system, pools, vacant units, etc..
Continuing Service Agreement (CSA)
Continuing Service Agreement for uninterrupted electric service upon disconnect of a resident’s service.
Deregulation Deregulation is the elimination of certain rules and regulations in a particular industry. As it relates to this course, deregulation of electricity and gas in certain areas of the country has offered more competition among utility providers and more choices for consumers.
Meter A device that measures actual utility usage or consumption.
Resident Billing Statement
Monthly bill sent by Service Provider to the resident each month detailing the current rent, utilities etc. due to the property. Statements can be mailed to alternate addresses or resident can go online and sign up for paperless billing.
Ratio Utility Billing System
Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) is a calculation method that uses a compensation factor to allocate utility costs among users.
Service Provider A company that provides billing services, either sub-metered and/or RUBS.
Sub-metering The practice of using meters to measure master metered utility consumption by individual users.
Public Utility Commission (PUC)
The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) regulates the Allocation and Sub-metering of water and wastewater in accordance with PUC rules and guidelines in Texas. Many utility program responsibilities were transferred from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to the PUC in 2014.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or USEPA) is an agency of the Federal government of the United States which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
Utility Used alternately to describe a provided natural resource commodity, such as water, gas or electric.
Utility Monitoring Agency (UMA)
A Partner Company to the Service Provider, the Utility Monitoring Agency is an accounts payable and utility monitoring/auditing company. They directly receive property utility bills from the local utility and then fully audit and pay them. They then forward the data to the Service Provider to use for Vacant Recovery Billing, reporting, and on-line storage.
Vacant Recovery Vacant Recovery is the process by which electric or gas utilities are billed back to a resident if they do not have or keep service in their name while occupying the unit. Vacant Recovery amounts are calculated by the Service Provider and are billed back to the resident whenever possible.
Units of Measure
Standard amounts used to measure consumption of a natural resource commodity. - Water is measured in Gallons. 7.48 gallons of water = 1 cubic foot of water. - Gas is measured in Therms. 1 therm of gas = 100 cubic feet of gas. - Electricity is measured in Kilowatt Hours. 1 kilowatt hour = 1000 watts of energy.
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RUBS Program Overview Due to higher costs and limited resources, it’s a rising trend to transfer the responsibility of paying for utility services incurred back to the residents. Apartment residents are billed for utilities in two basic approaches, RUBS or Sub-metering, to allow each resident to take personal responsibility for resource usage. Some community’s residents are allocated through the use of a Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) method that allocates utility costs via a mathematical formula. The total usage is measured as a master meter and then the bills are allocated according to the formula selected, which is a fair, equitable calculation. RUBS billing methods are used for many reasons, but primarily because the plumbing configuration on a particular property can make sub-metered installation difficult or impossible. Other community’s residents are individually Sub-metered. This means each apartment home has its own water/gas/electric meter that is read by an outside company. The resident receives their bill directly from the outside company, and payment is made directly to them. Residents at Sub-metered communities will still receive a monthly statement however residents will not see monthly charges for water/gas/electric billing on their monthly statement. Sub-metered communities will have their vacant recovery process supported by their Service Provider. The monthly upload from the Service Provider to Yardi will include all vacant recovery charges and fees. These vacant recovery charges and fees will also be included on the monthly resident statement, if applicable.
Regulation Water allocation is governed by agencies in order to ensure that all laws and state statues are being followed.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) favors water conservation and encourages an equitable method of distributing costs. Under USEPA, owners who bill residents are subject to state monitoring requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The main issue in each state is whether billing for water and sewer services is more than the utility expense. The law in about 90 percent of the states is that a property owner may not charge more to all residents combined than they paid to the utility company for the commodity and service. RUBS programs are regulated at the state level and may also be regulated at the local level.
Texas Public Utility Commission The PUC is the governing agency that regulates the Texas Law on the Allocation of Water/Wastewater with specific rules and guidelines. Texas is one of the few states that has addressed the water and sewer sub metering, RUBS allocation and billing business in detail through state agency rules. Milestone models its policies after the PUC guidelines.
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RUBS Allocation Methodology From the retail public utility invoice to the property, the owner has the ability to adjust the gross amount of the invoice that’s billed back to the resident within the following guidelines. Exclusions are items that cannot be considered or charged back to residents.
Exclusions – RUBS and Sub-metering • Deposits
• Disconnect/Reconnect Fees
• Late Fees
• Base Charges for vacant units
Exclusions – Sub-metering • Customer Service Charges for vacant units
• Irrigation System usage
• Pool usage
• Laundry Room usage Inclusions are charges billed to tenants for sub metered or allocated utility services.
Inclusions • Gross Water and wastewater charges
• Base Charges for occupied units
• Customer Service Charges
• Customer Service Charges – Vacant units on master meter
Common Area Deduction GuidelinesBefore a property may allocate the retail public utility’s master meter bill for water and sewer service to the tenants, the following must be considered:
• If all common areas are separately metered or sub metered, deduct the actual common area usage
• If common areas that are served through the master meter that provides water to the dwelling units are not separately metered or sub metered and there is an installed landscape irrigation system, deduct at least a minimum percentage of the retail public utility’s master meter bill
• If all water used for an installed landscape irrigation system is metered or sub metered and there are other common areas such as pools or laundry rooms that are not metered or sub metered, deduct at least 5% of the retail public utility’s master meter bill; or
• If common areas that are served through the master meter that provides water to the dwelling units are not separately metered or sub metered and there is no installed landscape irrigation system, deduct at least 5% of the retail public utility’s master meter bill; or
• If common areas that are served through the master meter that provides water to the dwelling units are not separately metered or sub metered and there is an installed landscape irrigation system, deduct at least 5% of the retail public utility’s master meter bill
• If applicable, dwelling unit base charges or customer service charges should be deducted
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TAA - RUBS Calculation Based on Average Occupancy for # of Bedrooms -Sample NAA - RUBS Calculation Based on # of Bedrooms -Sample
Total utility charges for community for one month $12,661.33
30% deducted for common area <$3,798.40>
Total utility charges billed back to residents $8,862.93
Divided by average occupancy by number of occupants per bedroom in occupied units
(this number will change based on how many efficiencies, 1 bd, 2 bd, and 3 bd are occupied on the 1st Wed of the month and is calculated by service provider)
571.6
Utility bill per occupant ratio = total charges back to residents / service provider calculation
8862.93 / 571.6 = 15.50 $15.50
Occupancy ratio for 2 bedroom = occupant ratio x 2 bedroom 15.50 x 2.8 = $43.40
$43.40
Flat rate trash per unit $5.00
Actual electric/gas consumption vacant recovery *if applicable (utilities billed in our name while the resident occupied the unit) $12.76
Vacant Recovery Fee 1st offense $5.00, 2nd offense $20.00, 3rd or greater offense $50.00
$5.00
Resident Statement Fee Texas $2.90/All other states $3.40
Total billed to resident $69.06/$69.56
Average # of Occupants Method Calculation Numbers
Dwelling unit with an efficiency = 1 Dwelling unit with one bedroom = 1.6 Dwelling unit with two bedroom = 2.8 Dwelling unit with three bedrooms = 4
RUBS Calculation Based on Actual Number of Occupants -Sample
Total residents at the apartment community 200
Total utility charges for community for one month $4,000
25% deducted for common area <$1,000>
Total utility charges billed back to residents $3,000
Total charge per occupant = 100% of charges / total # of occupants 3000/200 = 15
$15.00
Apartment with 2 occupants = # occupants x total charge per occupant 2 x 15 = 30
$30.00
Flat rate trash per unit $5.00
Actual electric/gas consumption vacant recovery *if applicable (utilities billed in our name while the resident occupied the unit)
$12.76
Vacant Recovery Fee 1st offense $5.00, 2nd offense $20.00, 3rd or greater offense $50.00
$5.00
Resident Statement Fee Texas $2.90/All other states $3.40
Total billed to resident $55.66/$56.16
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RUBS Calculation Based on Square Footage and Number of Occupants - Sample Total residents at the apartment community 200
Total square footage of the apartment community 90,000
Total utility charges for community for one month $4,000
25% deducted for common area <$1,000>
Total utility charges billed back to residents $3,000
**800 sqft unit example – square footage portion** (Billable utility / by ½ bill) x (800 sqft / by total sqft)
(3,000/2 = 1,500) x (800/90,000) 1,500 x .008888 = 13.33
$13.33
** 200 total occupants 1st Wed of month example ** (Billable utility / ½ bill) x (occ in unit / total occ)
(3,000/2 = 1,500) x (2 / 200 = .01) 1,500 x .01 = 15.00
$15.00
Total utilities billed to resident (sum of both halves) 13.33 + 15 = 28.33
$28.33
Flat rate trash per unit $5.00
Actual electric/gas consumption vacant recovery *if applicable (utilities billed in our name while the resident occupied the unit)
$12.76
Vacant Recovery Fee 1st offense $5.00, 2nd offense $20.00, 3rd or greater offense $50.00
$50.00
Resident Statement Fee Texas $2.90/All other states $3.40
Total billed to resident $98.99/$99.49
RUBS Calculation Based on Occupancy Ratio Total utility charges for community for one month $12,661.33
25% deducted for common area <$3,798.40>
Total utility charges billed back to residents $8,862.93
Total occupancy (this number will change based on how many units are occupied on the 1st Wed of the month and is calculated by service provider) 570
Utility bill per occupant = billable utility/ total occupants 8,862.93/570 = 15.55 $15.55
Utility bill for 2 occupants = (utility bill per occ x occ ratio) 15.55 x 1.6 =24.88 $24.88
Flat rate trash per unit $5.00
Actual electric/gas consumption vacant recovery *if applicable (utilities billed in our name while the resident occupied the unit) $12.76
Vacant Recovery Fee 1st offense $5.00, 2nd offense $20.00, 3rd or greater offense $50.00 $50.00
Resident Statement Fee Texas $2.90/All other states $3.40
Total billed to resident $50.44/51.04
Ratio Occupancy Method Calculation Numbers Dwelling unit with one occupant = 1 Dwelling unit with two occupants = 1.6 Dwelling unit with three occupants= 2.2 Dwelling unit with more than three occupants = 2.2 + .04 per each additional occupant
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Service Providers Milestone partners with multiple Service Providers (ConService, PayLease and AUM) for Ratio Utility Billing (RUBS). They save us time and money with their convergent billing and utility expense management systems. They also simplify the billing, payment, and utility management processes for on-site staff and residents.
Life of a Utility Bill
Local Utility Bill Generated
Local Utility Bill Mailed to Service Provider/Utility Monitoring Agency (UMA)
UMA audits and pays local utility bill(s) and then forwards data to
Service Provider
Service Provider notifies Property/Milestone corporate that Prebill Report is ready for approval
Service Provider uses Yardi data to allocate charges back to the resident
Service Provider billing representative pulls utility bills from UMA website
Service Provider compares vacant electric, gas, and, water bills to
Yardi data
Property/Milestone Corporate reviews/approves Prebill Report. System Support notified with errors or problems
Milestone imports monthly
utility charges into Yardi
Resident Statement mailed or emailed
Service Provider adds Vacant
Recovery charges to Resident Statements
Service Provider compiles Utility
Reports and posts them to the
Service Provider website for
property review
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Monthly Billing Your Service Provider will pull data directly from Yardi each month in preparation for billing and creating statements. It is crucial that the Service Provider has the most current information to reflect on the monthly Resident Statements.
Resident Statements Each month residents are provided with a statement outlining charges due the upcoming month. All residents have the option to support green initiatives with e-billing options. These options will either email the resident their monthly statement or provide them with easy access to their statement online anytime.
Convergent Billing Convergent Billing is the integration of all service charges onto a single customer invoice in a timely and efficient manner. This provides a simple and comprehensive approach to billing rent, utility, and ancillary charges. Convergent Billing is achieved through seamless integration with Yardi, allowing the most up to date information to be reflected on resident statements. Convergent Billing is used for all PayLease and ConService properties. AUM properties do not currently use Convergent Billing however residents are still provided with a monthly statement for utilities due the following month.
Data Verification In order to calculate resident billing, the Service Provider pulls information from your Yardi database. The following is a list of information that the Service Provider uses for billing and the data that needs to be audited and corrected daily.
• Ensure all occupants are correct in Yardi and that any applicable changes to roommates have been entered in Yardi
• Complete Daily and Weekly/Reconciliation checklists
• Move-Ins have been entered
• Notice to Vacates have been entered
• Move Outs have been entered
• Transfers have been entered
• Recurring Charges are up to date for all status residents All current recurring charges and scheduled renewals will pull from the Lease Charge screen.
The resident balance will pull from the ledger.
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Billing Timeline • Monthly utility charges are calculated using data transmitted from Yardi. This process starts around the 5th of each month and
continues until you are notified that the pre-bill report is ready for your review
• Resident balances will be transferred to Service Provider as per the Resident Statement Data Dates in the Dates to Remember on the Portal. This is typically around the 15th of the month
• The Service Provider uses the utility billing charges approved on the prebill report and adds the charges pulled from the resident ledgers in Yardi to create convergent billing statements. Statements are typically mailed to residents no later than the 19th
• Monthly utility charges are loaded into Yardi around the 25th of the month preceding the month they are due. For example, monthly utility charges are loaded on March 25th with a due date of April 1st
• Activity that occurs after the data transfer WILL NOT appear on the resident statement
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Prebill Report Policy and Procedures Each month you will be notified when the prebill is ready for approval for the upcoming month. Depending on the Service Provider used at your community, you will either be emailed the prebill report or you will be notified that the report is ready and can be pulled from the Service Providers website.
AUM Prebill Each month the CD, ACD, and RM will receive an email notification that the prebill report is available on the website. Prebills must be approved within 2 days of the email notification. Approvals or adjustments needed on the prebill report should be directed to your AUM Account Manager. Only CD’s and RM’s may approve or request changes to the prebill. Any variances that cannot be explained by your AUM Account Manger should be submitted to Systems Support for review and adjustment if necessary.
➢ Elizabeth Sitarz, AUM Account Manager – [email protected];
ConService Prebill Each month the CD, ACD, and RM will receive an email notification containing your prebill report. This email notification comes directly from our ConService Billing Manager and details the upcoming month’s resident charges. Prebills must be approved within 2 days of the email notification. Approvals or adjustments needed on the prebill report should be directed to your Billing Manager. Only CD’s and RM’s may approve or request changes to the prebill. Any variances that cannot be explained by your ConService Billing Manager should be submitted to Systems Support for review and adjustment if necessary.
➢ Rebecca Barnes, ConService Billing Manager – [email protected];
Paylease Prebill Each month the CD, ACD, and RM will receive an email notification that the prebill report is available on the website Prebills must be approved within 2 days of the email notification. Adjustments needed on the prebill report should be directed to Jeff Sherman, VP of IT at Milestone.
➢ Jeff Sherman, VP of IT at Milestone – [email protected]
Utility Billing Reports In addition to the standard prebill report, there are additional reports that can be viewed to determine if there are any large variances month over month for resident utility charges.
AUM Reports More information on special reporting for AUM is coming soon.
ConService Reports More information on special reporting for Conservice is coming soon.
PayLease Reports The Monthly PreBill report can be found under Reports on the PayLease website. Under the Monthly Summary section there are two options for viewing the PreBill. View Detail will display the report in its entirety however if you simply want to view the variances from last month to this month, you can select View Difference. When selecting View Difference, by default it will display unit with a difference of $5 or more month over month. This report is often times very helpful and can be used to review any potential issues.
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Utility Monitoring Agency Each Service Provider has a Utility Monitoring Agency that greatly reduces the administrative burden at the property and corporate levels. Utility Monitoring Agencies consolidate, process, and pay a property's recurring utility bills. These agencies provide leading-edge solutions offering property owners and managers the following:
• Pays all utilities, including electric, gas, and water/sewer from one consolidated, payables program. The automated expense payables system receives each utility bill, audits the charges, and processes each for payment
• Aids in the elimination of billing errors, late fees, and double payments
• Comprehensive analysis of all energy use/costs
• Ability to collect and report on benchmark data
• Robust reporting functionality offers search capabilities, including on-line access to scanned images of bills and invoices
• Automated resident chargebacks for service on occupied units not transferred out of property's name
• Seamless integration with the Service Provider’s Convergent Billing services
• Vacant Unit Recovery stops utility theft and removes the responsibility of processing vacant unit electric invoices by the property
• Utility rate and tariff audits
Continuing Service Agreement (CSA) A Continuing Service Agreement (CSA) has been filed for Milestone properties where available to ensure electric/gas service continues to our apartment homes in the event a resident disconnects their service, either during occupancy or upon physically vacating the unit. The property will begin paying for the electric/gas usage immediately when the resident stops their service.
Vacant Recovery A request for service of electricity or gas by a resident can by delayed a minimum of 3 – 7 business days in deregulated markets. Due to the delays in processing requests, it may take up to two weeks to get service established in a resident’s name once they place their initial order with the company of their choice. The property will continue to be billed for service until it begins on the residents account. The Utility Monitoring Agency will pay all utility bills and will send information to the Service Provider to bill for the recovery of vacant electric/gas bills when the unit is occupied.
• A Vacant Recovery Fee (penalty) will be assessed for each Vacant Recovery charge period. Fees may vary by property due to laws and ownership expectations. o AUM: Fee varies by property ranging from $25.00-$55.00 o ConService: 1st Offense - $10.00, 2nd Offense - $20.00, 3 or more Offenses - $50.00 o PayLease: 1st Offense - $5.00, 2nd Offense - $20.00, 3 or more Offenses - $50.00
• Meter read dates of the Vacant Utility Bill are compared to occupancy dates for that unit number
• The Pro-rate Charges for Vacant Recovery will be calculated based on average daily expense for the service period multiplied by the days occupied during that service period by the resident
• The Resident Statement will reflect the electric/gas charge as a separate line item, indicating the applicable service dates
• Once a resident moves out there will be no more vacant utility charges billed by Service Provider and placed on their account in Yardi. If you feel a resident had service removed prior to their move-out date, you can review your vacant bills on the Service Provider website, calculate what the resident should owe, and revise the Deposit Accounting. For properties utilizing BluTrend’s CSA Secure product you can identify end-of-lease violators from their emails. Any resident that was billed for vacant electric/gas on their last statement likely will have not put service in their name and should be billed from that usage end date to the date of move out on their Deposit Accounting
• Vacant Recovery units can be viewed/researched on the Service Provider website
• Community Directors should be monitoring vacant recovery charges, particularly any that are over $20
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Lease Contract and Utility Addendums Do not check any utilities as paid by the management company on any lease documents, including: water, wastewater, gas, trash, electric, master antenna and cable TV. Your Lease Contract or Utility Addendum should reflect a standard fee amount for not having utilities in the resident’s name, if there is an applicable paragraph (individual states vary). Utility addendums are required to be completed for all Move-ins and Renewals. Make sure you are selecting the applicable addendums and verifying the information on the addendums. If your Blue Moon defaults do not reflect correctly, please contact Systems Support.
Utility Billing – Hi, Low, Average RUBS Billing Averages are calculated based upon the previous calendar year, utilizing the actual utility invoice and the residents’ RUBS bills. The schedule includes RUBS fees, common area percentage adjustments, and the average monthly bill for all dwelling units. Averages are calculated per month for the lowest and highest water bill for any unit in the apartment community. These averages are only a guide based on the previous calendar year’s expenses and actual RUBS bills will vary based on consumption, utility rates, and length of service period. These rates are provided to all sites each January, based on the previous year’s history, to be used to better educate the residents.
• In Texas, the RUBS Billing Averages for Previous Calendar Year, indicating the average monthly bill per unit, with the range of the lowest to the highest month’s bills for any unit is required on the Utility Addendum
• This information is not required on the addendum for non-Texas states however should still be provided as an educational tool
• If a property is new to Milestone, we may not have this information and high, low, and average information will remain blank until a history is accumulated
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Utility Addenda Each property has its own unique RUBS program. You must never contact a sister property regarding RUBS information as it is property specific. Below are some of the methods available on Blue Moon addenda and used at Milestone properties: Water/Sewer Is allocated by one of the following methods.
□ Actual occupancy □ Ratio occupancy □ Average occupancy □ Actual number of occupants
□ Square footage □ Number of bedrooms □ Combination of square footage and number of
persons Trash or Valet Service NAA
□ #1 - #10 Allocation Method on All In One Utility Addendum TAA
□ Number of people in unit/# of the people in entire apt community for the month □ Square footage/your share of the people in entire apt community for the month □ Per Dwelling Unit □ Other formula (described on a separate page)
Gas
□ Per Dwelling Unit □ Other formula (described on a separate page) □ Actual occupancy □ Ratio occupancy
□ Average occupancy □ Actual number of occupants □ Square footage □ Number of bedrooms
□ Combination of square footage and number of persons □ Percentage reflecting unit’s share of total people living in apartment community □ Half unit’s share of total square footage and half share of total people living in apartment community
Pest Control
□ Per dwelling unit/flat fee Cable
□ Per dwelling unit/flat fee Other Property specific, fee or allocation Vacant Recovery Actual prorate electric/gas service in Milestone’s name during occupancy
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The following chart outlines the various addendums that should be completed in order to charge utilities and fees that are allocated, sub-metered, or billed as a flat fee to our residents. All defaults in Blue Moon are set by the corporate office. If you feel that any of your default setting information is in error, please contact Systems Support immediately.
FORM COMMENTARY AZ CO D.C. FL GA MD NJ NV PA TN TX UT VI
All In One Utility Addendum (Non-Texas)
This addendum should be used by all properties NOT in Texas for all utilities and/or other fees, e.g. pest control, resident statement fee, etc. This form is used for allocation and flat fee methods.
BM BM N/A BM BM BM BM BM BM BM - BM BM
Lease Addendum for Allocating Water/Wastewater Costs (Texas)
This addendum must be given to residents in the state of Texas if their water/sewer is allocated. In addition, the TCEQ guide that prints after the addendum in Blue Moon must be given to the resident. This handout is mandatory.
- - - - - - - - - - BM - -
Water/Wastewater Submetering Addendum (Texas)
This addendum must be given to residents in the state of Texas if their water/sewer is sub-metered. In addition, the TCEQ guide that prints after the addendum in Blue Moon must be given to the resident. This handout is mandatory.
- - - - - - - - - - BM - -
Lease Addendum for Allocating Natural Gas Costs (Texas)
This addendum is for Texas properties that allocate gas.
- - - - - - - - - - BM - -
Natural Gas Allocation - Formula Description (Texas)
This addendum is for Texas properties that allocate gas using ratio occupancy (an allocation method used that is not listed as an option on the addendum).
- - - - - - - - - - BMC - -
Lease Addendum for Trash Removal and Recycling Costs – Flat Fee (Texas)
This addendum is for Texas properties that charge a recurring flat fee for trash and/or recycling costs.
- - - - - - - - - - BM - -
Lease Addendum for Allocating Trash Removal and Recycling Costs
This addendum is for Texas properties that allocate trash and/or recycling costs.
- - - - - - - - - - BM - -
Electrical Submetering Addendum Use if electricity is sub-metered and residents pay property.
- - - - - - - - - - BM - -
Lease Addendum for Allocating Services and Government Fees - Texas Pest Control and Statement Fees ( If Applicable) (Texas)
Use if charging pest control or a statement fee in Texas.
- - - - - - - - - BM - -
KEY: BM – Blue Moon BMC – Blue Moon Custom Forms N/A – Not applicable
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Texas Utility and other RUBS Addenda Sample Water and Wastewater Submetering Addendum
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Sample Lease Addendum for Allocating Water/Wastewater Costs
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Mandatory Resident Handout Pg 1 for all new move-ins and renewals – Allocation and Submetering
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Mandatory Handout Pg 2 for all new move-ins and renewals – Allocation and Submetering
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Mandatory Handout Pg 3 for all new move-ins and renewals – Allocation and Submetering
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Mandatory Handout Pg 4 for all new move-ins and renewals – Allocation and Submetering
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Lease Addendum For Trash Removal and Recycling Costs-Flat Fee
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Lease Addendum for Allocating Natural Gas Costs
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Lease Addendum for Allocating Services and Government Fees
NAA Utility and Other RUBS Services
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Utility and Services Addendum – Non Texas Pg. 2
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Utility Expense Management In addition to reviewing reports on your Service Provider's website to monitor and manage your utility expenses, here are some suggestions for lowering costs:
• Breakers for all vacant units other than current make-readies, models, and show units should be left off.
• Breakers in every unit should be clearly marked for identification by maintenance and office staff
• Individual water heaters should not be turned on until they are to be used
• Refrigerator thermostats should be set to the warmest setting reasonable
• Charge back costs to vendors who continually waste vacant electricity
• Air conditioners or heaters should not be set excessively high or low
• Photocells should be used instead of light timers wherever possible
• Exterior lighting should be checked for dirty lenses or diffusers
• Lower wattage bulbs should be used wherever possible if they provide sufficient lighting
Disconnection Policy at Move In (Electric/Gas) Utility expense is something that Milestone monitors closely and strives to keep under control. One way to keep this expense in line is to require residents to have electricity/gas put in their name upon move in as required in their lease. Milestone has implemented a policy to help ensure the electricity/gas account number has actually been placed in the resident’s name.
• At the time of lease signing, notify the resident that they are required to have utilities set up in their name and provide an account number at move-in. Inform your new resident that, within 3-5 days of their move in, service in the community name will be disconnected so it’s imperative that they establish service in their name to avoid any disruption in service.
• Upon move-in, the Community Director is required to contact their utility provider to request service be discontinued in the community’s name for the newly occupied unit. Inform the new resident that you have contacted the utility provider and that services will be disconnected within 3-5 days. It’s important that residents are notified when this occurs as they will have a disruption in service if it has not been established in their name.
(Note: Even if your community does not have a Continuing Service Agreement, service in the unit is still put in the community’s name in order to complete the make ready. For this reason, it’s very important that CD’s contact the utility provider to disconnect service in the community’s name upon move in of a new resident.) A few things to keep in mind:
• This process usually takes 3 to 5 days
• By removing the unit from our CSA you will NOT suspend any service that a resident has already established in their name
• Some utility providers will charge a small fee to disconnect the unit – Milestone will pay this
• Remember that providers’ guidelines and policies may vary. Be sure to use your specific local procedures Below you will find some of the more common providers used in various markets and methods of contact to disconnect from Milestone’s name:
Electric Provider Phone Number Fax Number Website E-Mail
Gexa 713-961-9399 713-961-7997 www.gexa.com
TXU 800-316-2135 972-507-0809 www.txu.com/apartments
Reliant 800-894-6678 888-773-9647 www.reliant.com\multifamily
Austin 512-494-9400 512-505-4035 www.austinenergy.com N/A Nashville Electric 615-736-6900 615-747-3672 www.nespower.com N/A
Jacksonville Electric 904-665-6000 904-665-7990 www.jea.com [email protected] Tampa Electric 813-223-0800 N/A www.tampaelectric.com N/A
City Public Service 210-353-2222 N/A www.cpsenergey.com N/A
Green Mountain 866-484-8409 NA www.greenmountain.com [email protected]
N/A
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Clubhouse Utilities • Lower wattage bulbs should be used wherever possible if they provide sufficient lighting
• Ceiling fans should be installed to better circulate conditioned air
• Mini-blinds should be installed and used to maintain a reasonable temperature in hot or cold weather
• Weather stripping should be installed and maintained to diminish heating and cooling loss
• Door auto-closers should be installed to prevent heating/cooling loss
For more policy and information regarding energy conservation, see Asset Preservation in the Policy and Operations Manual.
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Conservation A study by NAA shows that implementing a RUBS program can reduce a property’s water consumption by up to 20%. In turn, Milestone conserves water and lowers expenses by repairing leaks, fixing dripping faucets, and installing low flow.
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Utility Support and Contacts The information provided below contains details of who to contact should you experience any of these situations on your property. If you need support for something not outlined in the following, please contact Systems Support for guidance. [email protected]
Extraordinary Usage of Water/Sewer If it is determined that extraordinary usage occurred in the common areas for events such as, power washing exterior, pool or spa filling or repair, etc. please contact the utility company and inquire about receiving a credit for the sewer portion of the monthly expense. In addition, contact the corporate office at [email protected] and include a description of the usage, an estimate of the number of gallons used and the date of usage. An analysis of the usage will be reviewed and the appropriate expense reduction will be determined prior to the RUBS allocation of the expense. Do not expect or promise the residents a reduction in cost. For water line breaks, follow the same procedures as other extraordinary usage, but ask the utility provider for a credit of both the water and sewer portions of the bill for the approximate number of gallons lost. If the break occurred on the cities portion of the pipe or due to any act by their personnel, they will credit both the water and sewer portions. Otherwise a credit for the sewer portion is all we expect.
Disputed Electric/Gas Recovery If resident is billed electric or gas recovery and they feel it is not accurate, the information below outlines what should be done to dispute the charges.
The following information must be obtained for ALL types of disputes:
• Resident must provide a copy of their bill from the Utility Company, indicating service in their name
• Obtain a copy of the RUBS VCRO (vacant recovery) bill from the Service Provider website that Milestone paid so that the ESI# or account#, address, and service dates can be compared
If the resident paid electric or gas recovery to Milestone and was billed by the Utility Company, the following must occur:
• Provide the resident with a copy of the actual Utility Invoice, indicating the service in Milestone’s name during occupancy dates of the resident and a copy of their payment to the property, recorded in Yardi. The resident will need to contact the Utility Company to resolve the issue
• Copy all documents and forward to Systems Support If a refund is received:
• Resolution will be distributed by email notification to the site and supervisor, from Systems Support
• Reverse charge in Yardi after receiving approval email with a description of “Paid to Milestone” If the resident paid the Utility Company and then receives a RUBS bill from Milestone, the following must occur:
• Resident to provide copy of the method of payment to the Utility Company
• Copy all documents and forward to Systems Support If it is determined that the utility was double billed:
• Resolution will be distributed by email notification to the site and supervisor, from Systems Support
• Reverse charge in Yardi after receiving approval email with a description of “Paid to the Utility Company” If the resident paid the Utility Company and paid the Milestone RUBS bill:
• Resident to provide a copy of the method of payment to the Utility Company
• Copy all documents and forward to Systems Support If it is determined that the utility was double billed:
• Resolution will be distributed by email notification to the site, supervisor from Systems Support
• Reverse charge in Yardi after receiving approval email with a description of “Paid to the Utility Company and Milestone”
Note: Some utility bill images are not available on the Service Provider website. You will need to provide the electronic file that is
available.
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Milestone Action Plan for Unexpected Interruption of Power (Electric or Gas) If the power (electric or gas) goes off on any part of your community, please follow the below instructions: 1.) Make sure it is not a blown fuse or an area outage. Contact the following Service Provider Representatives IMMEDIATELY –
PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE A VOICE MAIL ONLY. Continue to contact until you talk with a person.
PayLease UtilitiesPlus Dept. (UtilitiesPlus@Service Provider.Net) Phone – 866-850-3500 x 205 PayLease UtilitiesPlus Dept. (UtilitiesPlus@Service Provider.Net) Phone – 866-850-3500 x 228 ConService – Mike Newton, National Account Manager ([email protected]) Phone – 801-317-6275 ConService – Rebecca Barnes, Billing Manager ([email protected]) Phone – 435-750-8328 AUM – Michelle Byrnes, Senior Account Manager ([email protected]) Phone – 630-218-1438 AUM – Elizabeth Sitarz, Account Manager ([email protected]) Phone – 630-218-1477 Additionally, contact the following Milestone Associates IMMEDIATELY – PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE A VOICE MAIL ONLY. Continue to contact until you actually talk with a person. Ann Cashion, Contract Manager ([email protected]) Desk – 214-561-1265 Monica Johnson, Contract Utility Coordinator ([email protected]) Desk – 214-561-1284 Jeff Sherman, Vice President Information Technology ([email protected]) Desk – 214-561-1270 Mobile phone – 469-446-4114 Beth VanWinkle, Regional Vice President ([email protected]) Desk – 713-361-7176 Mobile phone – 713-539-7047 Eve Horn, Regional Vice President ([email protected]) Desk – 214-561-1260 Mobile phone – 214-234-6158 Kellie Jackson, Regional Vice President ([email protected]) Desk – 904-739-9107 Mobile phone – 904-509-6575 Mary Beth Woodard, Regional Vice President ([email protected]) Desk – 980-859-1220 Mobile phone – 704-534-3757
2.) What information you will need to have…
• Your community name
• Your community address
• The provider (if known) that disconnected the power
• The meter number that has the “red tag” on it
• Approximately when the interruption of service occurred
3.) What to tell your residents?
• Until we know what caused the interruption of service, please do not speculate as to the cause
• Let the resident know that as soon as we can determine why the power is out, we will let everyone know
• We will push to have our power restored IMMEDIATELY; however, we are at the mercy of the power company
If you notice the power provider standing next to a meter and they are holding a “red tag”, please request the provider’s employee come to your office. Contact the Service Provider Representatives and Milestone Associates as if power has been disconnected. This will allow research and contact to the correct people to stop the disconnection before it begins.
