What is the difference between a meter connected to a local and a meter connected to a building?
The way a meter is connected determines how its consumption is billed to tenants. There are three connection scenarios, each handled differently:
Scenario 1: Meter directly assigned to a local (direct)
The meter's local_id points to a specific building local. The tenant occupying that local gets 100% of the meter's consumption. No distribution rule is needed — billing is direct.
- Example: A dedicated electricity sub-meter inside Apartment 3B
- Allocation: 100% to the tenant in that apartment
- Source type in billing: "direct"
Scenario 2: Meter linked to locals via allocation table (local_allocation)
The meter is connected to one or more locals through the meter_local_allocations table, each with a specific percentage. This is for meters that serve multiple locals.
- Example: A floor-level heating meter shared between Office 301 (60%) and Office 302 (40%)
- Allocation: Based on the percentages you configure
- Source type in billing: "local_allocation"
Scenario 3: Building-level meter distributed via rules (distribution)
The meter is a main building meter with a distribution rule that splits consumption across locals. This is the most common setup for main utility meters.
- Example: The building's main electricity meter split proportionally by local area
- Allocation: Based on distribution rule percentages
- Source type in billing: "distribution"
Priority order: If a meter appears in multiple scenarios for the same local, the system uses: direct > local_allocation > distribution. This prevents double-counting.
How to check your meter's setup: Buildings → select building → Meters tab → click on a meter. The assignment_type field shows "building", "local", or "common_area". The Energy Allocations section shows how consumption flows to tenants.