Electricity meters are critical for cost allocation, energy efficiency and regulatory compliance in multi-residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Whether for tenant billing, energy benchmarking or power quality monitoring, choosing the right meter helps reduce operational costs, ensure fair billing and improve sustainability efforts.
With advancements in smart metering, IoT integration and wireless connectivity, modern electricity meters provide real-time insights, automated reporting and seamless integration with energy management systems (EMS).
This is the complete electricity meters guide; The Complete Utility Metering Guide from QMC is also available if you’re looking for information on specific categories of meters and submeters.
Why Accurate Electricity Metering Matters
Accurate electricity metering is the foundation of effective utility management. For property owners, developers and facility managers, choosing the right meter ensures that tenants are billed fairly, operational costs are optimized and regulatory requirements are met. Inaccurate or outdated metering systems can lead to disputes, missed savings opportunities and compliance risks.
When meters are revenue-grade and certified, they provide legally verifiable data that protects both landlords and tenants. Beyond billing, modern meters also support energy benchmarking and load management—two critical functions for reducing peak demand charges, identifying inefficiencies and supporting sustainability goals.
Today’s electricity meters are no longer just passive devices. Smart meters with IoT connectivity offer real-time data, automated reporting and remote access. This eliminates the need for manual readings, improves data accuracy and enables better decision-making across entire building portfolios.
Key benefits of accurate electricity metering include:
- Fair Tenant Billing – Revenue-grade meters ensure tenants are only charged for their actual energy consumption, preventing overbilling and disputes.
- Energy Benchmarking & Load Management – Helps identify trends in usage, supports efficiency programs and reduces unnecessary energy waste.
- Regulatory Compliance – Certified meters meet strict standards like Measurement Canada (MC) and ANSI C12.20, ensuring legal billing practices.
- Automated Data Collection & IoT Connectivity – Wireless-enabled meters streamline data reporting and reduce the burden of manual readings.
Single-Point vs Multi-Point Meters – Which One Do You Need?
When selecting the right electricity meter system, one of the first decisions to make is whether a single-point or multi-point (MCMS) solution fits your building and operational needs. This choice is influenced by your property size, tenant configuration, and the level of data visibility required across your electrical infrastructure.
Single-point meters are most commonly used in apartments, condos and small commercial spaces, where individual meters are installed for each tenant or circuit. These meters are ideal when properties have a limited number of units and require straightforward, one-to-one billing. Each meter tracks energy usage independently, which works well for properties that need clear separation of tenant data but don’t require centralized monitoring.
In contrast, multi-point meters—also known as multi-customer metering systems (MCMS)—are designed for larger buildings with many tenants or sub-circuits. These systems consolidate data from multiple units into a single, central metering panel. This makes them a cost-effective and space-efficient solution for properties such as commercial towers, institutional campuses or mixed-use developments. MCMS are also easier to integrate with building automation systems (BAS), energy management systems (EMS), and sustainability reporting platforms.
Multi-point meters also offer better scalability. As a building expands or tenant needs evolve, additional circuits can be added without the need to install separate meters for each new tenant. This allows property owners and facility managers to maintain a streamlined infrastructure while still capturing accurate, real-time data across all areas of the building.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of both options:
| Feature | Single-Point Meters | Multi-Point Meters (MCMS) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Apartments, condos, small commercial spaces needing tenant billing | Large buildings with multiple circuits & tenants needing centralized monitoring |
| Installation | One meter per unit | Consolidates multiple meters into a single panel |
| Scalability | Limited (requires more meters as the building expands) | Highly scalable, easily integrates with EMS/BMS |
| Integration | Supports BACnet, Modbus, pulse data collection | Seamless connection to EMS, BMS & billing platforms |
💡 Still unsure which metering approach is right for your project?
Explore your options:
🔗 Single-Point Meters | 🔗 Multi-Point Meters
Revenue vs Check Metering – Ensuring Accuracy & Compliance
Understanding the difference between revenue metering and check metering is essential for property managers, developers and facility operators who are responsible for tenant billing, energy benchmarking and system performance monitoring.
Revenue-grade meters are designed and certified for legal billing purposes. These meters meet stringent accuracy requirements set by regulatory bodies such as Measurement Canada and ANSI C12.20, ensuring that tenants are billed fairly and precisely for the energy they consume. In multi-residential and commercial applications, using revenue-grade meters is often a legal requirement to allocate utility costs across tenants or business units.
Revenue-grade meters are also tamper-proof, calibrated to high precision, and typically come with features like demand tracking and time-of-use measurement. They are commonly used in buildings where tenant billing is required or where energy costs need to be passed through to occupants with complete transparency.
On the other hand, check meters are used for internal monitoring and energy management, not for billing. These meters provide valuable insights into system load patterns, equipment performance and energy waste, making them ideal for benchmarking, load balancing and verifying energy savings initiatives. However, they are not certified for billing purposes, and using them to invoice tenants can result in compliance issues or legal disputes.
If your goal is to allocate costs across multiple tenants or departments, a revenue-grade meter is mandatory. If you’re tracking internal systems for efficiency, a check meter may be all you need. In many cases, both types of meters are used in parallel: revenue meters for billing, and check meters for monitoring, diagnostics and sustainability reporting.
Quick comparison of key differences:
- Revenue-Grade Meters – Certified for billing by Measurement Canada & ANSI C12.20, suitable for legal tenant billing and energy cost allocation.
- Check Meters – Used for internal monitoring and energy management, but not suitable for invoicing tenants or legal cost recovery.
Key Takeaway: If billing tenants, always choose a revenue-grade meter to ensure compliance, accuracy and peace of mind.
Need a certified metering solution? Explore our Electricity Meters
Wired vs Wireless Electricity Meters
Choosing between wired and wireless electricity meters depends largely on your building’s infrastructure, long-term scalability needs and preferred method of data collection. Both technologies have distinct advantages and limitations, and selecting the right option can improve installation efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and enhance system flexibility.
Wired electricity meters are best suited for properties that already have an existing centralized metering room or structured cabling system in place. These meters provide reliable, consistent data transmission with minimal interference. They are commonly used in institutional or commercial properties where infrastructure is already designed to support hardwired connections. While highly dependable, wired systems can become expensive and time-consuming to install in retrofit scenarios or buildings with limited conduit access.
On the other hand, wireless electricity meters offer greater flexibility for new builds, distributed networks and sites with limited infrastructure access. These meters use technologies such as LoRaWAN, LTE and other IoT protocols to transmit energy data securely over long distances, without relying on a building’s internet or wired network. Wireless meters significantly simplify installation, particularly in multi-building properties or mobile structures, and can scale quickly as buildings or tenant needs grow.
For property managers and developers dealing with remote sites, existing infrastructure constraints or rapid deployment needs, wireless metering can offer significant time and cost advantages. Additionally, wireless meters integrate seamlessly with cloud-based energy management platforms, enabling real-time consumption tracking, automated reporting and remote diagnostics.
Here’s a quick comparison of both options:
| Feature | Wired Meters | Wireless Meters |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Properties with existing infrastructure | New builds, distributed networks & remote sites |
| Installation Complexity | Requires hardwired connections | Easier installation with wireless transmission |
| Scalability | Limited, requires additional wiring for new meters | Highly scalable, no need for extra wiring |
| Integration | Stable, supports Modbus, BACnet, FTP push | LoRaWAN, LTE cellular, connects to cloud-based EMS |
Considering wireless metering for your next project?
Read: Wireless vs Standard Socket Meters – Which Should You Choose?
The Role of Power Quality Meters in Energy Optimization
Power quality meters go beyond standard energy consumption tracking. They are engineered to measure the integrity and consistency of the electrical power flowing through your facility. These meters are essential in environments where equipment sensitivity, voltage stability and energy efficiency are mission-critical—such as manufacturing plants, data centers, hospitals and large commercial buildings.
One of the primary benefits of power quality metering is the ability to detect voltage fluctuations, sags, swells and harmonic distortions—conditions that can damage sensitive electronics or reduce the life span of equipment. By identifying these anomalies in real time, facility managers can take immediate action to protect systems, prevent downtime and maintain operational continuity.
In addition to voltage monitoring, power quality meters also track power factor, which indicates how effectively electrical power is being used. A poor power factor can result in increased utility charges or penalties, especially in commercial or industrial settings. By monitoring and improving power factor through load balancing or capacitor banks, organizations can reduce unnecessary energy waste and avoid avoidable costs.
Another key benefit is demand charge management. Utilities often impose additional fees based on peak demand usage, and power quality meters allow you to track and anticipate these spikes, helping you shift loads or adjust operations to lower demand-related costs.
Modern power quality meters also offer real-time data access, event logging and remote alerting, which are critical for ongoing monitoring and proactive maintenance. With IoT integration, data from these meters can feed directly into building automation or energy management systems, enabling more comprehensive control and analytics across your utility infrastructure.
Core benefits of power quality meters include:
- Detects voltage fluctuations & harmonics – Identifies electrical issues that can harm sensitive equipment and affect uptime.
- Tracks power factor & demand charges – Helps optimize how energy is used, reducing operational inefficiencies and utility costs.
- Supports real-time power monitoring – Enables instant alerts, automated diagnostics and historical data tracking for energy teams.
Looking for advanced power monitoring? Explore Power Quality Meters
How to Integrate Metering Data for Energy Reporting & Compliance
As sustainability standards and energy reporting requirements become more stringent, organizations are under increasing pressure to collect, centralize and report utility data accurately. For property owners, facility managers and energy consultants, this means moving away from siloed, manual processes and toward fully integrated metering systems that streamline both data access and compliance.
QMC’s MeterConnex platform is purpose-built to meet this need. It serves as a centralized utility data management system, capable of aggregating data from electricity, water, gas and thermal meters across a building or portfolio. Whether you’re tracking consumption by tenant, verifying equipment performance or submitting compliance reports, MeterConnex eliminates the fragmentation that often comes with managing multiple metering platforms.
The platform is especially valuable for organizations participating in programs like ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) and Natural Resources Canada’s RetScreen. MeterConnex is approved for direct data exchange with ESPM, allowing automated, secure submission of energy consumption metrics—without requiring time-consuming spreadsheets or manual entry.
By consolidating metering data from various sources into one accessible dashboard, MeterConnex also simplifies internal sustainability reporting, GHG tracking and utility cost recovery. For building owners and operators managing multiple sites or complex utility setups, this level of integration is critical to maintaining oversight, improving transparency and ensuring long-term compliance with evolving energy standards such as ISO 50001, ASHRAE 90.1 and ESG frameworks.
Key benefits of using MeterConnex for integrated reporting:
- Unifies data from electricity, water, gas and thermal meters – Offers a single source of truth for all utility tracking.
- Automates reporting to ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) and RetScreen – Reduces time spent on data collection and formatting.
- Eliminates manual reconciliation – Simplifies operations for property managers, energy consultants and institutional energy teams.
Learn more: How MeterConnex Streamlines Utility Data
Frequently Asked Questions on Electricity Metering
What is the difference between electricity metering and submetering?
Metering refers to the measurement of total utility usage entering a building, while submetering breaks down usage by unit, tenant or system within the building. Submeters provide granular data for cost allocation, energy optimization, and tenant billing.
Are revenue-grade meters required for tenant billing?
Yes. In Canada and the U.S., any electricity meter used for tenant billing must be revenue-grade and certified by standards such as Measurement Canada (MC) or ANSI C12.20. Using a non-certified meter for billing can lead to disputes, legal issues or failed inspections.
Can electricity meters help reduce energy costs?
Absolutely. Submetering helps identify high-usage areas, track load patterns, and uncover inefficiencies in lighting, HVAC, or plug loads. This enables building operators to implement targeted conservation strategies and reduce overall consumption and demand charges.
What types of electricity meters are best for commercial buildings?
It depends on the building layout and reporting needs. Single-point socket meters work well for standalone tenant units, while multi-point meters (MCMS) allow centralized monitoring of multiple circuits or tenants from one panel — ideal for larger commercial properties.
Can smart electricity meters integrate with my energy dashboard or BMS?
Yes. QMC’s smart electricity meters support protocols like Modbus, BACnet, and FTP push, and integrate with MeterConnex, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and RetScreen. This makes it easy to automate reporting, track performance and meet compliance requirements.
Explore QMC’s Full Range of Electricity Meters
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