The Submeter: Water and Heating

Understanding the Different Meters

1. What is a sub-meter?

By using a meter, you control your consumption.
The sub-meter is considered a sub-meter: while the main meter is installed at the building's main water supply, the sub-meter is intended to manage only one part of the installation (your dwelling), at its entry.
There are two types of meters:

• The energy meter: it is installed on each heating element (non-electric radiators) to know the energy used for the comfort of the home. This allows you to avoid contributing to the heating costs of a neighbor when they are present more often than you.
• The water meter: mandatorily installed by your water company, it measures the volume of water used in daily life. Thanks to it, you pay for the water you consume and do not participate in your neighbors' expenses.

2. Why does the law require me to install an individual meter?

We are increasingly aware of the consequences of our impact on the environment, which is why we are all responsible for our consumption. Regulating is a step towards a new quality of life. This is the aim of the State, which encourages us to improve our consumption for heating and sanitary needs. Despite a one-time purchase cost, nearly 15% savings can be achieved on heating, according to ADEME (the French Agency for the Environment and Energy Management). The obligation to install water meters is being implemented gradually in France, under two conditions:

• The installation cost must not incur excessive expenses,
• It must be technically possible to install them.

3. What are the conditions for installation?

Installing an element to individualize heating costs in a condominium requires the agreement of each co-owner. For the water meter, it must be present. Adding one for rainwater recovery depends solely on you!
Next, the average water consumption for heating and sanitary needs must be analyzed based on the data from the last 3 years.
Once everyone agrees, you can proceed with the installation of the water meters.

Radiator Meters

1. The Heating Cost Allocator

To measure the water heating your radiators, you will need a heating cost allocator to be installed directly on them.
In a recent building, each apartment includes a dedicated distribution station. This distributes water with various controls for everyone's comfort (temperature, pressure, and flow) and includes a part where a probe valve can be adapted for your thermal meter.

If your housing association wishes to implement this system, we have selected for you thermal modules and their accessories from reputable brands in this field.

2. What should I do before installing an energy meter on my radiator?

After installing a water meter, you can place a heat allocator on each of your radiators. For better performance, we recommend flushing your heating circuit and using thermostatic heads on your radiators.
To understand what flushing is, we have prepared an article for fighting black sludge that clogs your radiators.
We also assist you in replacing your radiator valves and choosing the right thermostatic heads .

3. A Little Help from the State

By acquiring an individual metering device, you are eligible for the tax credit for energy transition (CITE), amounting to 30% of renovation and energy performance improvement works in your home. You can also benefit from a reduced VAT rate of 5.5%.

Sanitary Water Meters

1. Sanitary Water Meters

A water meter is installed at the entrance of an apartment or house when used to measure tap water.
You can also use it personally to accurately determine your water consumption from a rainwater recovery tank or a well, in particular.
With it, you can find out how many liters your pool consumes, how much water is used for watering, toilets, or washing machines.

2. Aquadis+ Meters

A water meter reading must be performed once a year by an agent from the water company that supplies you, or by the building manager. If you are absent, a notification will be left for you to manually report the meter reading to the company within 24 hours.
Heating cost allocators are also read annually and then reset to zero.
When you read the index on the hydraulic meter, the red figures correspond to your water volume consumed in liters, while the black figures indicate water consumption in cubic meters.

3. Narval Cyble Meters

The Narval is a robust and reliable meter that is commonly installed in collective buildings. Very versatile, it can rotate 360° for optimal reading. The Narval from Itron features an extra-dry totalizer to protect the gears from impurities in the water. Only its turbine is fully submerged. A protective filter is integrated directly into the pipe, upstream of the Narval. Equipped with patented Cyble technology, this volumetric water meter can be connected to remote management and reading systems. It’s an ideal way to adapt to today's and tomorrow's communication technologies.

It is recommended to install a stop valve between the water supply and the device. This should be as close as possible to the meter, in case you need to change your hydraulic meter.
The measuring device only measures within a certain pressure range; therefore, any pressure reducer must be placed after the meter.