ResidentIQ Utility Billing vs Smarty Utility Management

ResidentIQ Utility Billing handles utility billing for multifamily properties, combining resident charges and fees into a single monthly bill. Bills can be full-page, postcard or electronic, and residents can pay online through their existing rent payment portal. The service imports utility invoices, scans and verifies them, then schedules payment for each property. It supports submeter installation and existing systems nationally, with readings stored and validated. Using move-in and move-out data from property management software, it can calculate RUBS or read submeters and post amounts to resident ledgers. Vacant Unit Cost Recovery matches charges to occupancy dates so residents are billed for fees incurred while they occupied a unit. Billing fees and methods are audited initially for compliance, and properties receive annual reviews for regulatory changes. Portfolio charts and graphics support performance comparisons, with data export to an external tool of the customer's choice. The web service is powered by AMS Billing and integrates with major property management systems, which the product page does not name. Pricing is on request; prospective customers can schedule a demo.

Smarty Utility Management is Punch’s sub-metering and utility management service for multi-unit properties. It covers prepaid and smart electricity, water, and gas metering, alongside automated billing, vending, collections, and arrears recovery. Punch meters are installed as secondary meters, leaving municipal meters untouched and the supply live. Property teams can use NERSA-aligned time-of-use, block, seasonal, fixed, and demand tariffs, as well as Free Basic Electricity support. Billing options include flat, usage-based, tiered or block, time-of-use, demand, reactive-energy, percentage-based, and fixed-fee methods. The STS vending dashboard supports multiple payment channels and automated token receipts. Monitoring includes real-time consumption data, remote connection and disconnection, tamper, bypass, and leak alerts, plus tariff switching among grid, solar, and generator sources. Residents can use an installable Progressive Web App to check balances and purchase history and make vending purchases. The service also offers single and bulk SMS, audit trails, and lookup. Pricing is on request; listed plans are Rent-to-Own (36 months), Monthly Rental (Evergreen), and Upfront Purchase.