Point of Use (POU) meters are designed to provide a submetering solution for those properties that cannot be submetered with conventional submeters due to plumbing designs that bring multiple pipes into the apartment or office (stacked pipes). The meters were specifically designed for stacked standpipe configurations typically found on properties that use a central boiler to provide hot water.

In a typical installation, very small flow meters are installed discreetly at each hot and cold water outlet to the shower/tub, toilet, sink, dishwasher, and clothes washer. Depending on the manufacturer, flowmeters either have a built-in transmitter or are connected to a transmitter/interface board. The transmitters report the usage information to a central processing computer which, in turn, sends the usage information to a billing center where invoices can be printed and sent to the end user.

Equipment and installation costs are typically higher than traditional systems, but payback is typically less than a year. When deciding on a POU meter, a primary consideration should be that the meters can be read by any Automated Reading (AMR) System. This allows the property owner to choose from many billing companies and does not lock them into equipment that only a few companies can read.

Numerous studies have shown that submetering reduces usage by up to 39%. Although POU meters have been available for over ten years, they have not been widely used until recently. With today’s interest in green solutions and rising water and sewer costs, properties that in the past could not traditionally be metered are now installing POU meters and benefiting from the same type of usage reductions that properties with conventional plumbing have. accomplished for years. With approximately 50% of apartments and 90% of office buildings using stacked risers, the benefits of submetering with POU meters have hardly been touched.