Where are you approved to provide utility allowances?

Zappling meets compliance requirements and provides utility allowance services in all 50 states; we have professional engineers on staff and are accepted due to our deep experience and familiarity with housing finance agencies across the nation. We are also one of the few approved providers in Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. Other major markets include Texas, California, Indiana, Virginia, and New England States.

What should I expect to receive once my utility allowance is completed?

Utility allowance schedules that identify the dollar amount of utility allowances for tenant-paid utilities are presented directly on the required HUD Form 52667. Consumption-based utility allowance schedules are also available. All schedules are delivered in an easy-to-use, downloadable pdf.

Technical documentation will be provided to support the utility allowance calculations. Zappling will submit records of all utility rates referenced in the utility allowance study. A separate technical document will detail how UApro™ methodology complies with HUD regulations.

For UApro+™ (ECM), Zappling also issues a detailed technical documentation report that outlines the methodology, consumption value, and is consistent with state housing finance agency requirements

What kind of experience does your firm have in calculating utility allowances?

Zappling (formerly under 2rw) has calculated utility allowances for Public Housing Authorities with individually metered utilities since 1994. Since that time, we have developed utility allowance reports for hundreds of Public Housing Authorities and privately-owned properties. Over 95% of our clients re-subscribe after their first year - a testament to their satisfaction.

Furthermore we conduct 1000’s of utility allowance studies annually across the nation and have the relationships/recognition with regulators and compliance monitors

I am ready to engage with the HUSM or ECM. What kind of information do I need to provide to Zappling?

Contact Sales@Zappling.com and simply complete our provided set-up form. Needed information includes building location, utility providers, unit size, and heating fuel type. For ECMs, we request architectural drawings and MEP details as well. Scenario modelling is more involved and will require discussions with your construction manager, engineer, or architect to evaluate potential options.

For actual consumption studies, signed tenant waivers authorizing utility bill releases are required from property managers.

That's it! We take it from there.

How much time will be required to complete a utility allowance study?

New UApro™ (HUSM) utility allowance reports are usually delivered within 3 weeks or less from receipt of the completed setup form. Turn-around time may vary depending upon responses from utility providers and current pipeline. Renewals for HUSM usually are within 2 weeks.

New UApro+™ (ECM) studies require up to 1 month for turnaround after receipt of the completed setup form and architecturals. Renewals are usually 2-3 weeks.

What methodology does UApro™ (HUSM) use to calculate utility allowances?

UApro uses calculated consumption data along with local utility rates and weather trends to compute utility allowances for specific unit types at specific locations. Annual utility allowance estimates are adjusted for building type and climate characteristics. Read more.

Regressions from an energy consumption database are used to estimate reasonable consumption values for a specific location. Energy consumption data are available from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), which is a nation-wide study conducted and periodically updated by the United States Department of Energy. The RECS database is formatted such that utility data for climate region, housing unit type, size, age, heating system, fuel, and end-use can be extracted with multi-variate linear regressions. These regressions are then used to compute consumption allowances specific to individual unit characteristics. Finally, location-specific weather data are applied to localize the heating and cooling consumption values.

Is the UApro™ allowance calculation methodology compliant with HUD regulations?

Yes, UApro™ allowances are compliant with 24 CFR 982.517 and 24 CFR 965.501-507.

Why are my allowances from this year different from last year?

Utility allowances must be updated every year. Utility allowance values can change from year to year due to:

• Changes in calculation methodologies if you are new to UApro™

• Updates to the HUD model

• Changes in utility rates

• Updates to consumption data from RECS

• Modifications in weather adjustments