Find the money in your utility bills
The checks Conduit runs on every bill, written up so you can run them yourself. Each one says what to pull, what to compare and who to ask.
How to check whether your RUBS billing recovers what you pay
Compare what residents were billed for each utility with what the property paid for the same months. A gap bigger than vacancy explains is money left unbilled.
Find utility cycles that were never billed to residents
When a utility bill arrives but no matching resident billing follows, the whole cycle is lost. Here is how to spot it and ask for a back-bill.
Stop utility late fees, partial payments and shut-off notices
Late fees are small one at a time and large across a portfolio. Look for partial payments, balances carried forward and bills that arrive by paper.
Find duplicate and overpaid utility bills
The same invoice paid twice, or a bill imported from two files, is one of the easiest recoveries. Match by account, date and amount.
Is your electric rate high? Compare it to the utility's published average
Divide current charges by kWh to get your effective rate, then compare it with your utility's average from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA-861).
Natural gas: when to rebid supply and what to ask for
Master-metered gas is often the largest utility line at older properties. Know your contract's term, index or fixed price, and expiry before it renews.
Spot water leaks and runaway meters from your bills
Compare each meter's daily use with its neighbours and its own history. A meter running several times its neighbours usually means a leak, irrigation or a billing error.
Cut utility costs on vacant units
Owners pay for power and gas in empty units. Most of it is unavoidable; the part that isn't comes from slow transfers and thermostats left running.
Lower trash and hauling costs
Trash is priced by container size and pickup frequency. Properties often pay for more service than they use, plus fuel and environmental surcharges added over time.
Bulk internet and cable agreements: check the margin
A bulk internet deal can earn money or lose it. Compare what the property pays the provider each month with what residents are charged for the service.
Are billing-company fees passed through to residents?
Billing companies charge the property a monthly fee per unit. If leases allow a utility admin fee and it isn't charged, the owner absorbs it.
Catch missing utility statements and move to e-billing
A missing statement hides a late fee, a missed billing cycle or a stopped account. List every account's expected statements and chase the gaps.
Build next year's utility budget from your bills
Start from 12 months of actual cost per account, adjust for known rate changes and occupancy, and keep resident recovery as its own line.
Utilities for small landlords (2–20 units): who pays what
For small properties the biggest savings are simple: put accounts in the right names, bill back what the lease allows, and catch leaks early.