San Diego County Submetering
"SDG&E rates are among the highest in the nation. Here's how to allocate them fairly."
San Diego property owners face some of California's steepest utility rates. SDG&E's commercial rates, aggressive drought penalties from local water districts, and complex tiered billing make accurate submetering essential for revenue recovery.
San Diego by the Numbers
San Diego Utility Providers We Work With
Deep expertise with every major utility in San Diego County
SDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric)
Electric & Gas
SDG&E serves 3.6 million people across roughly 1.5 million electric meters, at some of the highest rates in the nation. Their commercial tariffs like AL-TOU require precise interval metering for accurate tenant billing.
AL-TOU Commercial TOU-A Demand ChargesCity of San Diego PUD
Water & Sewer
The city's Public Utilities Department serves over 1.4 million people. Their tiered water rates and drought surcharges can significantly impact multifamily operating costs.
Tiered Rates Drought SurchargesCarlsbad Municipal Water District
Water
Carlsbad's water rates include significant conservation incentives and penalty tiers. Properties exceeding allocation face steep surcharges.
Conservation Tiers Allocation-BasedOtay Water District
Water
Serving eastern San Diego County, Otay's rates include imported water premiums. Large commercial users benefit from deduct metering.
Imported Water PremiumHelix Water District
Water
Covering La Mesa, El Cajon, and surrounding areas. Their budget-based billing structure rewards conservation.
Budget-Based BillingPadre Dam Municipal Water District
Water & Sewer
Serving Santee, Lakeside, and unincorporated areas. Integrated water and sewer billing creates opportunities for deduct meter savings.
Integrated BillingSweetwater Authority
Water
Serving South Bay communities including National City, western Chula Vista, and Bonita—nearly 190,000 residents. Tiered rates and drought restrictions impact multifamily properties.
Tiered Rates South Bay CoverageSan Diego Community Power (SDCP)
CCA Electric
Community Choice Aggregation serving San Diego, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, and La Mesa. Default provider for many properties—different rates than SDG&E bundled service.
CCA Rates Power Charge Indifference PCIAClean Energy Alliance
CCA Electric
CCA serving Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Solana Beach. Properties in these cities are automatically enrolled unless they opt out. Rates differ from SDG&E bundled.
CCA Rates North CountySan Diego-Specific Challenges We Solve
Regional issues that require local expertise
Highest Electric Rates in California
SDG&E's rates are consistently 30-50% higher than the state average. Without submetering, property owners absorb these costs entirely, devastating NOI.
Solution: Revenue-grade electric metering with TOU billing support
Aggressive Drought Penalties
San Diego's water districts impose steep surcharges when properties exceed allocations. One wasteful tenant can trigger penalties for the entire building.
Solution: Individual water metering identifies the responsible party
Complex TOU Rate Schedules
SDG&E's Time-of-Use rates vary dramatically by season and time of day. Flat-rate tenant billing leaves money on the table.
Solution: Interval metering captures true TOU costs for accurate recovery
Sewer Charges on Irrigation Water
Many properties pay sewer fees calculated on total water use—even for irrigation that never enters the sewer system.
Solution: Deduct meters separate irrigation from sewer calculations
Why San Diego Rates Hurt So Much
SDG&E charges significantly more than the state and national average
Average residential rates, June 2026. SDG&E is the utility's residential average rate reported to the CPUC; California and national figures are EIA averages. Commercial rates vary by tariff and time-of-use period.
Our San Diego Services
Full-stack submetering tailored to San Diego's unique utility landscape
SDG&E Tenant Billing
Revenue-grade electric metering with full TOU, tiered, and demand charge support for SDG&E rate schedules.
Water Submetering
NSF/ANSI 61 certified meters with leak detection. Compliant with all local water district requirements.
Gas Submetering
Pulse output retrofits for SDG&E gas meters. Bill tenants based on actual consumption.
Deduct Metering
Separate irrigation water from sewer calculations where your district bills sewer on metered water.
Drought Compliance
Individual unit metering to identify waste and pinpoint which units drive penalty-tier charges.
Utility Bill Auditing
Analysis of your current SDG&E and water bills to identify recovery opportunities.
Ready to Understand Your San Diego Utility Costs?
Get an analysis of your current utility bills. We'll show you exactly how much revenue you're leaving on the table.
San Diego Water Bill Audit
Send us your master water bill. We'll analyze your tier usage and show how individual metering can optimize your overall costs.
Request Audit