Enhancing Roots Management Groups Utilities and Services with Water Conservation

At Roots Management Group, our mission is clear: to make decisions that positively impact our residents, community managers, and employees.

We've been on a transformative journey, evaluating how to enhance all of Root’s utilities and service categories. Our commitment to using the best-in-class technology is unwavering, bringing us to continue focusing on– water usage and the need to conserve and reduce costs for our residents.

Traditionally, many communities have relied on the Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) to determine residents' utility bills based on various factors, including square footage and number of occupants in each home. We've noticed this system is being used as Roots Management Group has acquired properties.

However, Roots is focused on what's best for the residents and the environment, which is submetering. Submetering tracks usage at each home using meters connected with cellular data to track and manage water usage effectively. 

Roots was immediately attracted to the cutting-edge real-time digital monitoring provided by Metron Sustainable Services. Metron has yielded impressive results for Roots Management Group properties and residents. Tyler Brady, our Director of Revenue, shares a success story: "Just yesterday, we received a high-usage alert happening in real-time within one of our communities. This site-specific notification helped our community manager quickly identify a significant leak underneath a vacant home. Otherwise, undetectable. Thanks to this technology, our on-site management team fixed it the same day, saving thousands of gallons of water. Leaks are inevitable, but having this level of visibility has been an absolute game changer." Roots has been rolling out submetering in communities nationwide. 

“The meters provide 1 min data increments that allow for state-of-the-art leak detection, with real-time alerts.  They are also utility-grade meters.  With our sub-meters and monitoring devices, we can help the owners determine whether they have infrastructure leaks.  If the owners fix and monitor the leaks, the ROI is incredible,” says Luke Kosorok, VP of Real Estate at Metron Sustainable Services.

Metron Sustainable Services offers a state-of-the-art solution for monitoring water usage. Their system can detect anomalies down to the drop using cellular technology, immediately alerting community managers when unusual patterns are detected. This has proven invaluable in addressing issues like broken pipes and running toilets while saving water and money.

Adopting Metron meters isn't just about efficiency but liberating our maintenance teams. Tyler Brady notes that the automation of meter readings has allowed our teams to focus on more critical matters, eliminating the need for manual readings each month. Residents, too, benefit from this technology, with easy monitoring of their usage through their smartphones, PCs, or tablets.

Roots Management Group is taking a proactive step by covering the installation costs of the meters for residents and asking that the residents maintain the warranty of each unit for a small monthly fee. The long-term savings, ease of monitoring, and individualized billing make submetering an attractive proposition for management and residents. Tyler Brady is helping to make this possible for all of our properties with an introductory plan.

In Tyler’s words, "It's a win-win for everyone." Combining cost savings, efficient water management, and individualized billing creates a sustainable and harmonious living environment. As Roots Management Group continues to roll out this initiative across our communities, our aim is crystal clear – to bring down utility costs and make housing more affordable for residents facing financial challenges.

Our commitment to water conservation and cost savings through submetering reflects a forward-thinking approach to community management. As the trend grows, the positive impact on the environment and residents' wallets makes submetering an essential component of modern community living.