Advantages of remote water meter readings for building owners' associations

Remote meter reading is not just about meeting the legal requirement by 1. 1. 2027; in practice, it changes how SVJs and individual owners manage water and heat consumption.

Accuracy and up-to-date data

Data from the meters are transmitted automatically, without manual transcription of readings. This eliminates the risk of transcription errors and the time-consuming collection of data from individual owners once a year.

Manual meter reading is also always just a snapshot: the meter status at the moment someone physically enters the flat. Remote reading instead collects data continuously, so annual consumption reflects the household's actual behaviour, not just one selected day.

Overview for the entire building and individual flats

The SVJ committee or building manager can view the entire building's consumption in one place thanks to remote meter reading, while each owner has access only to their own data. Both levels of overview operate independently and do not require anyone to manually request data from the other party.

Monthly consumption overview for owners

The law stipulates that with remote meter reading, flat owners must receive information on their consumption at least once a month. The owner can thus monitor water and heat consumption continuously, not just once a year during the annual settlement, and can react themselves if consumption unexpectedly rises.

Faster detection of water leaks

Regular data allows you to notice unusually high consumption in a specific flat much earlier than it appears on the annual statement or before a leak causes damage to property.

Without remote meter readings, water leaks in an apartment are often detected only after a year's delay, when an unusually high bill arrives, or even later based on visible damage to the ceiling of the neighbouring flat. With continuous data, however, it is enough for the owner or manager to notice a deviation from usual consumption and address the issue within days or weeks, not months.

Lower risk of disputes between owners

If the cost allocation is based on a single annual reading, it is difficult to trace back exactly when increased consumption occurred and what caused it. Continuous data from remote meter readings, on the other hand, allow consumption to be traced for a specific period, which facilitates explaining disputed items in the settlement and reduces the scope for misunderstandings between owners.

No more going around flats to take meter readings

Without remote meter reading, the administrator or authorised person must arrange appointments once a year with all owners and tenants to physically read the meters. With remote meter reading, this obligation is eliminated, data are collected automatically and no one needs to visit anyone for a reading. This saves time for the SVJ board and for people in the building.

Reduced administrative burden for the building's owners' association board

The SVJ board usually prepares the annual allocation of water and heating costs and must process meter readings from all flats. If some data are missing or illegible, the entire allocation is delayed. Remote reading simplifies this step by making data available to the system continuously, eliminating the need to collect it later from individual owners.

Documents for cost allocation

Data from remote meter readings serve as the basis for allocating water and heating costs between individual flats, in accordance with Act No. 67/2013 Coll. On services associated with flat usage. More accurate and continuous data mean fewer disputes over billing between owners.

Exporting data for the purpose of cost allocation eliminates additional manual work, supporting documents are available electronically for the selected period, so the person preparing the allocation does not need to manually transcribe meter readings from paper records or subsequently obtain them from individual owners.

The advantages apply regardless of house size.

The described advantages, data accuracy, monthly overview, faster leak detection and reduced administrative burden, apply equally to a small house with a few flats as to a larger residential complex. The only difference is the number of meters and flats managed by the system; the underlying principle remains the same.