Individual billing per apartment: how does it work technically and administratively?

With collective charging infrastructure in an apartment building, individual billing per user is not a luxury but a necessity. Here is how to ensure it is handled correctly, both technically and administratively.

The technical basis: measuring per charging point or per user?

Option A: Per charging point. Each individual charging point has its own meter (integrated into the post), linked to one resident. This is simple, but it does not work if multiple residents use the same post.

Option B: Per user via RFID. Each resident receives a personal RFID card or app. The system registers who is charging, regardless of which post is used. This is more flexible and the standard in modern installations.

In most residences, option B is chosen, with the added advantage that visitors can also be granted temporary access via a guest pass at an adjusted rate.

Administration: four possible invoice flows

Flow 1: Direct billing by the management platform. Residents pay the CPO (e.g., My.Certipower) directly based on their consumption. The VME is not involved, and the property manager has no administrative burden.

Flow 2: Billing via the VME. The management platform provides monthly overviews to the property manager, who includes them in the regular settlement of communal costs. This requires slightly more work but gives the VME an overview of the whole.

Flow 3: Billing via resident account. Every resident has their own account in the charging point management platform with automatic collection. This works best in larger residences with >20 charging points.

Flow 4: Prepaid model. The resident tops up their account in advance, and consumption is deducted from the balance. This is particularly useful for residences with tenants where collection is administratively more difficult.

The rate: what do you charge?

Three components:

1. kWh price: actual supplier price of the VME or a fixed rate (with annual indexation).
2. Capacity surcharge: to cover the annual grid connection cost — typically €5–€15/month per active user.
3. Management fee: to cover platform costs — typically €3–€8/month per user.

Transparency is key here: residents must understand where the €0.38–€0.42/kWh total price comes from. List the three components separately on the invoice.

What is fiscally important

For VMEs with VAT status (rare): direct billing to residents avoids VAT complications. For regular VMEs: consumption is passed on without VAT based on the VME’s own supplier price. The reimbursement to the VME by residents is a mere pass-through, not a commercial activity.

What goes wrong in practice

Three classic mistakes: manual entry of charging data (errors guaranteed), no agreed rate indexation (after 3 years, residents pay 30% too little or too much), and no guest pass arrangement, resulting in visitors charging for free at the community’s expense.

Our advice

Choose a platform that automates the three flows (measurement → billing → collection), with annual rate reviews and transparent billing rules. Manual work in this chain is not an option for more than 5 active users.

See also

• Who pays for the charging infrastructure in a co-ownership?
• Charging infrastructure in an apartment building: the decision-making process in a VME step by step
• Load balancing: what and why?