Terms

The utilities have two types of master meter tariffs-one for customers who do not submeter tenants, the second for those who do submeter tenants. For simplicity, the first type (without submetering) will be referred to as the Master Meter Tariff, the second type (with submetering) will be referred to as the Master Meter/Submetering Tariff.

When a multi-unit building (or facility) owner (or operator) takes service under either the Master Meter Tariff or the Master Meter/Submetering Tariff, the building (or facility) owner (or operator) is the utility customer of record, not the individual tenant. When the building (or facility) owner (or operator) does not submeter the tenants, in other words, takes service under the Master Meter Tariff, the master meter customer is prohibited by utility tariff rules from separately charging its tenants for energy usage; instead energy charges must be bundled in rent. When the building (or facility) owner (or operator) does submeter its tenants by taking service under the Master Meter/Submeter Tariff, the master meter customer may not charge rates to the submetered tenant in excess of the rates that would otherwise be charged by the utility, consistent with Pub. Util. Code § 739.5.¹