Utility billing for property residents has its share of potential complications: fluctuating energy rates, delinquent payments and the need to promote conservation. Taken all at once, this may seem difficult to manage; however, there are options.

All-inclusive billing and cost recovery
CAS Utility Services' all-inclusive bill-back service, along with convergent billing, covers every aspect of the billing operation for all major utilities — water, trash, gas and electric. Integration with Yardi allows for the tighter control of electronic data exchange. The system exports resident activity and imports charge files to the resident ledgers.

Convergent bills capture billing information on a single bill — current and past due utility balances, and the following month's rent charges. By providing multiple billing options to our resident — online bill pay or pay-by-check — we further enhance accessibility to make utility transactions quicker and more efficient.

These processes, together with on-site collections, can reduce water bill delinquency by 50-75 percent. The industry averages a monthly delinquency rate of more than 12 percent. CAS Utility Services, on the other hand, averages just 2 percent monthly delinquency.

Yardi integration also allows real-time access to move-in and move-out information. By ensuring accurate first- and last-month utility billing, the property recovers utility costs more expediently than through a third-party billing company.

Lastly, CAS Utility Services provides a unique final bill process, which links utility billing to Yardi's move-out screen, allowing property managers to easily access final utility costs and collect final payment when residents settle their accounts on move-out.

Conservation and green policies
Conservation and green policies are on the minds of residents and property owners alike, and encouraging conservation is a smart way to save money for the entire community. Residents become conscientious when monthly utility bills show a savings trend and over time, owners see a decrease in their property's collective consumption of resources. CAS Utility Services achieves an average savings of 10-20 percent for client properties.

With Riverstone Residential Group as our partner, property managers are assured of the highest level of service and the highest utility payment rates in the industry.

For more information, contact Rob Bishop at 214.965.6363 or rbishop@caspartners.com.