
Specific project management services and a high-level overview of the process include:
- Identify jurisdictions where water submetering is required in new construction apartment projects. Assist in determining whether a RUB program would be preferable where no requirement is in place.
- Select meter installation company to ensure coordination and RF pairing with the resident utility billing company. If a plumbing contractor is used, URS also assists in identification of meter numbers with installed units to avoid confusion in downstream transition to property management.
- Solicit and evaluate proposals from utility billing companies and select company to provide the monthly billing service to residents.
- Negotiate utility billing company contract to ensure optimal terms for client.
- Setup and/or transfer of utilities to the proper legal entity name and billing address (including but not limited to: water/sewer, stormwater, trash, pest, cable, and phone). Coordinate transfer of information to the billing vendor and community. If the community is using a billing vendor to pay/process utility bills, manage the setup of the funding source by the billing vendor.
- Setup online access for company and vendor, where applicable, for access to billing information.
- Gather all rate information and determine most effective methodology for highest utility income recovery.
- Provide entire setup of community’s account with the billing vendor: specifying fees, methodologies and any additional billing items.
- Conduct a compliance review to ensure fees, methodologies and any additional billing items meet any jurisdictional regulatory requirements.
- Review billing setup with regional, community manager and/or any specified corporate employee (e.g., project manager) for approval.
- Provide billing setup to the billing vendor in timely fashion to allow earliest commencement of billing to residents.
- Provide resident utility information to the community manager and communication tools to explain charges clearly to residents.
- Review pre-billing reports prior to the first set of bills being sent to residents to ensure billing is as specified. Continue pre-bill review service over specified period of time contracted.
- Provide support to manager in regard to utility billing. (Questions, issues with residents, etc.)
- Perform seamless handoff to community manager to manage all utilities.