How to Setup Sub-Meter Invoicing in REST Professional
Overview
Sub-meter invoicing creates and prints tenant invoices for sub-metered services such as electricity, gas and water based on the usage for each tenant in a building. Before using the sub-meter invoices, you must set up the system options, enter the master meters, attach the master meters to the owners and set up submeters for the properties.
The tenants to be charged must all be attached to the one owner. The owner must own all the properties in the building.
How to Setup in REST
The Steps to setup in REST are as follows:
- Setup in System Options
- Setup the Master Meters
- Setup Master Meter against the Owner
- Setup the Sub-Meter against the Property
- Setup Recovery of Management Fees from the Tenant (if applicable)
- Invoice the Tenant using Sub-Meter Invoicing
Steps
- Set up in System Options
- Go to the System Options, go to Other > Utilities > System Options > Other Tab and tick the option ‘Use sub-meter invoicing’
- Set Up Master Meter Types
- Go to Files > Descriptors and Comments > Commercial Master Meter Types
- Select ADD MODE
- Enter in the details of the Master Meter. Select the account code for the master meter. I.e./ 163 Outgoings – Water Usage and press enter
- Click OK F12 to save
- Set up Owner Master Meter
- Go to Files > Owner > Properties Tab
- Click the Master Meters button at the bottom of the tab
- Click Add
- Enter the master meter number
- Choose the master meter type (that you entered in the set up above)
- Leave the previous reading blank
- Enter the last cost, the last reading, the last number of units used and the last reading date
- If the bills are GST exempt like water usage, select the GST exempt checkbox
- Click OK to save the Master Meter
- Set up Sub-meter Against the Property
- Go to Files > Property > Other tab for each property in the building
- Tick Sub-metering Active
- Click on sub-meter details
- Select the Master Meter from the drop down list
- Click ADD
- Enter the sub-meter number
- The sort order refers to the order this property appears on the bill from the service provider
- Leave the previous reading blank
- Enter the last cost, the last reading, the last number of units used and the last reading date
- Enter the management fee to be charged on the collection of this invoice. This is defaulted from the Tenant Invoice Commission on the property but may be changed.
- Check the GST check box if the tenant is liable for GST on this charge
- Click OK to save the sub-meter details
- Recover Management Fees from the Tenant
If you wish to charge a management fee on the sub-meter amount and automatically recover that fee from the tenant, go to Files > Tenant and click on the Commercial Tab and tick ‘Recover fees on sub-meter/split invoices’. REST will charge the owner and recover the amount from the tenant.
- Invoicing Tenants Using Sub-Meter Invoicing
- Go to Transactions > Sub-meter Invoicing
- Owner Alpha - Enter the Owner Alpha and press enter
- Charge Owner M/Fee - Tick if you are charging Management Fees (this will default the amount of commission/management fee set up in sub meter details against your property details)
- Master Meter - Using the drop down menu, select the Master Meter. The tenants in the properties that have sub-meters attached to that master meter will be displayed.
- Start Date - Enter the Start Date (the day after the last meter reading)
- Reading - Enter the current reading from the bill
- Total Cost - Enter the total cost of the bill. If the master meter has been flagged as GST exempt, the label ‘Total Cost’ is changed to ‘Total Cost (Excl)’. In this case enter the amount of the bill and REST will add the GST to those tenants liable for GST. If the master meter has not been flagged as GST exempt, the label ‘Total Cost (Incl)’ is displayed and you should enter the amount as GST inclusive. REST will then share the GST included in the bill between the tenants.
- Supply Charge - Any supply charge entered will be divided equally between the tenants and displayed in the ‘Common Charge’ column in the grid.
- Invoice Total - This is the total of the cost and the supply charge
- Date Read - Enter the date the meter was read
- Total Units - The Total Units is calculated from the previous reading minus the current reading
- Non-Billable Units - Enter the number of units that are not billable and cannot be recovered from the tenants.
- Common Units - Enter any common units to be shared amongst the tenants
- Common Use - If you choose to allocate any common usage units equally, the cost is shared between the tenants and is shown in the ‘Common Charge’ column in the tenant grid below. If you choose to allocate the common usage units manually, REST zeroes the ‘Common Charge’ column and renames it ‘Common Units’. You should enter the number of common units to be charged to each tenant.
- Payment Due Date - Enter due date for the payment it cannot be in the past. The invoices will be created with this date as the due date.
- Tenant Grid – Enter details as follows:
- Invoice - Uncheck the ‘Invoice’ checkbox if you do not want to charge a tenant any part of the cost.
- Previous Reading - This is the previous reading saved in the sub-meter on the Files > Property Details > Other Tab for each property,
- Current Reading - Enter the current meter reading.
REST will calculate the usage based on the total units used and the total cost of the invoice and inserts the cost into the Usage Charge column.
