Rubs & Utility Billing
Understanding Your Utility Bill
Most SGH properties use RUBS (RatioUtility Billing System) for shared utilities.
Simply put, RUBS is a way to dividecertain utility bills among residents when each residence does not have its ownseparate meter.
Here is how it works.
WHAT IS RUBS?
RUBS stands for Ratio Utility BillingSystem.
At many SGH properties, certain utilitiesare shared. Instead of the utility company sending a separate bill to eachresidence, one bill is sent for the property.
SGH then divides the applicable costamong residents using the billing method set for that property.
WHAT UTILITIES ARE INCLUDED?
Depending on the property, RUBS mayinclude:
● Water
● Sewer
● Trash
● Common-area electricity
Gas and electricity inside the residenceare handled differently. Depending on the property, residents may be requiredto put electricity only or both gas and electricity in their ownname.
HOW IS MY SHARE CALCULATED?
The calculation depends on the propertyand the type of utility.
The cost may be divided based on:
Number of People Living in the Unit
Some utility costs are divided based onhow many people live in each unit.
Number of Units
Some costs are divided among theapplicable units at the property.
Size of the Unit
At some properties, the size of the unitmay be used to calculate the share.
The calculation method is not always thesame for every property or every utility.
A SIMPLE EXAMPLE
Suppose the applicable utility bill for aproperty is:
$1,000
After any applicable property deductions,suppose $900 needs to be divided among the residents.
RUBS uses the billing method for thatproperty to divide the $900.
For example, if water is divided based onoccupancy, a unit with more people may pay a larger share than a unit withfewer people.
This is why two units at the sameproperty may have different utility charges.
WHY DOES MY UTILITY CHARGE CHANGE?
Your RUBS charge may not be the sameevery billing period.
The amount can change because of:
● Property utility usage
● Utility company rates
● Number of residents
● Billing period
● The calculation method used forthe property
Your charge is based on the applicableutility bill and allocation—not a fixed monthly amount.
WHEN WILL I SEE THE CHARGE?
SGH must first receive the utility billfrom the utility company.
After the bill is received and processed,your share will be calculated and added to your Tenant Portal.
Because utility companies bill after theutilities have already been used, the charge you see today may be for anearlier usage period.
Example
A utility charge added to your portal in Augustmay be for utility usage from June or July.
This is normal.
WHERE CAN I SEE MY CHARGE?
Your RUBS charge will appear on your TenantPortal.
The utility charge will be shownseparately from your monthly rent.
For example, your account may show:
Monthly Rent— $2,500
Utility Charge — $85
The $85 is a separate utility charge. Itis not part of the $2,500 monthly rent.
WHY ARE THE BILLING DATES DIFFERENT?
Utility companies do not all use the samebilling schedule.
Some bills may cover one month, whileothers may cover a longer period.
Because SGH can only calculate theresident's share after receiving the utility bill, there may be a delaybetween:
Whenthe utility was used → When SGH receives the bill → When the charge appears onthe Tenant Portal
This is normal.
WHAT IF I JUST MOVED IN?
Residents are charged according to theapplicable billing period and their period of responsibility.
If a utility bill covers dates before andafter the move-in date, the applicable charge will be calculated according tothe property's billing method and rental documents.
WHAT IF I MOVE OUT?
Utility companies sometimes send theirbills after the usage period has ended.
Because of this, a final utility chargemay still need to be added to the resident's account after move-out if itrelates to the resident's period of responsibility.
WHAT ABOUT MY OWN GAS OR ELECTRIC BILL?
RUBS is separate from utilities that aredirectly in the resident's name.
Depending on the property, residents maybe required to establish:
Electricity only
or
Gas and electricity
directly with the utility provider.
Those bills are paid directly to theutility company and are separate from RUBS charges through SGH.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR UTILITY CHARGE?
If something on the Tenant Portal doesnot look right or a resident does not understand a utility charge, pleasecontact SGH Property Management Inc.
Please provide:
● Resident name
● Property address
● Unit number
● Utility charge amount
● Date of the charge
This will help us review the charge.
CONTACTSGH →
QUICK SUMMARY
What is RUBS?
A way to divide shared utility costs among residents.
What utilities can be included?
Water, sewer, trash, and common-area electricity.
How is it calculated?
It depends on the property. The calculation may useoccupancy, number of units, unit size, or another applicable method.
When will I see the charge?
After SGH receives and processes the utility bill.
Why can the charge be from an earliermonth?
Because the utility company sends the bill after theutilities have already been used.
Where will I see it?
On the Tenant Portal, separate from monthly rent.
Utility billing and calculation methodscan vary by property. Please refer to the rental agreement and utility addendumfor the specific terms that apply to the residence.
