Strata/Community Title – meter installations, reading and utility account management
Water meters
Strata Water Solutions (SWS) has been supplying, fixing, reading meters and managing the SA Water accounts for Strata and Community Corporations for over 24 years. Meters are read throughout the state, across the Adelaide metropolitan area and currently extending to Roxby Downs, Port Augusta, Normanville, Whyalla, Wallaroo, Port Lincoln, Victor Harbor and Murray Bridge.
Meters are either fixed by our contract plumbers, are incorporated in new building developments or fixed by the customer’s own plumber. In our case we stock and install the same meters used by SA Water under current contracts – manufactured by Itron.
Meters are either fixed by our contract plumbers, are incorporated in new building developments or fixed by the customer’s own plumber. In our case we stock and install the same meters used by SA Water under current contracts – manufactured by Itron.
Example of our Itron conventional water meter
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Example of the Itron Cyble electronic meter
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Hot water meters
Hot water sub-meters allow for the splitting of common gas accounts in apartments where there are no gas sub-meters fitted and one primary gas meter, read and billed by the Corporation's preferred gas provider.
SWS can read these meters, and on receipt of the Corporation's main gas account can provide individual gas usage accounts to individual owners.
In cases where a gas provider takes quarterly reads of hot water meters for gas billing purposes, Strata Water Solutions can apply to the utilities provider to receive these reads in order to bill owners for quarterly water usage (ie. hot + cold water usage).
Hot water sub-meters allow for the splitting of common gas accounts in apartments where there are no gas sub-meters fitted and one primary gas meter, read and billed by the Corporation's preferred gas provider.
SWS can read these meters, and on receipt of the Corporation's main gas account can provide individual gas usage accounts to individual owners.
In cases where a gas provider takes quarterly reads of hot water meters for gas billing purposes, Strata Water Solutions can apply to the utilities provider to receive these reads in order to bill owners for quarterly water usage (ie. hot + cold water usage).
Reading - how it's done and who does it
Sub-meters are read by trained, experienced meter readers. Once every three months a reader will visit your property to take a reading from the meter, either electronically (from the street via a remote reading device) or manually from your sub-meter.
Water meters are read in accordance with the scheduled read window for each local councii area provided by SA Water.
Remote read meters
The fitting of a remote reading device to your sub-meter allows for the meter to be read remotely off-site. This option avoids any interruptions for you at reading time, and depending on your requirements can also allow the meter to be fixed in an obscure but more convenient position e.g. in the ceiling or below a kitchen sink.
Strata Water Solutions has been installing remote wireless readers since 2007. The reader has a battery life of approximately 12 years. It attaches to the meter but still permits the owner to read manually if required.
The readings are normally conducted from the front of the property and can range up to 50-100 metres from the site.
Remote read meters - Advantages
• No requirement for the meter reader to enter the property – particularly appropriate when tenanted
• No need to leave access gates unlocked, no security issues
• No need for reading to be coordinated by a designated on site owner
• Vacant units do not create a problem
• Abnormal usage can often be identified – the remote reader has a 10 litres per hour tolerance whereby an alarm is then triggered (retrospectively at time of read) – this could signify a leaking toilet cistern, faulty hot water service overflow valve or a faulty air conditioning valve.
Due to their proven effectiveness, we recommend these devices as essential for properties where access can be problematic.
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For more information on how a Cyble Remote Reader works download the PDF to the right.
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