Distribute utility costs by meter
With a utility distribution key, you distribute utility costs (water, electricity, gas, heat) based on meter readings per unit. This happens in Cost allocation, not on the purchase invoice form itself.
When to use this
- The utility invoice is booked and appears in Cost allocation (often under Distribute later)
- Meter readings for the start and end of the period are available
- You want to allocate the amount by actual consumption
Prerequisites
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| Utility invoice booked | See Book a utility invoice |
| Meter readings entered | See Enter meter readings |
| Same building | Invoice and meters belong to the same building |
| Same supplier (if the key has a supplier) | Costs without a supplier (e.g. opening balance) do not match a key pinned to a supplier |
Steps
1. Open Cost allocation
- Go to Financial > Invoices > Cost allocation
- Select the building
- Find the supplier group or the cost under Distribute later
2. Register a utility distribution key
Click Register utility distribution key (or open an existing one via Edit).
Fill in:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Name | Recognisable name, e.g. Water consumption 2025-2026 |
| Utility type | Water, electricity, gas, heat |
| Supplier | Optional. If you pick a supplier, linked invoices must have that supplier |
| Period start date | Start of the consumption period |
| Period end date | End of the consumption period |
::: important Period ≠ invoice date The period is the consumption period, not the invoice date. An invoice dated 03/03/2026 may belong to consumption from 01/03/2025 to 01/03/2026. :::
3. Review start reading, end reading, and consumption
SNDQ shows per unit:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Start reading | Meter reading at period start |
| End reading | Meter reading at period end |
| Consumption | End reading − start reading |
| Share | Share of total consumption |
| Total | Amount for that unit |
4. Apply
Click Apply to write the distribution onto the selected cost line(s).
How SNDQ picks meter readings
Per meter, SNDQ looks for:
- The reading closest to the period start date
- The reading closest to the period end date
- Within a 30-day tolerance
Example — it works
For Majestic 1:
- You entered meter readings on 01/03/2025 and 01/03/2026
- On the utility distribution key Water consumption 2025-2026 you set:
- Period start date: 01/03/2025
- Period end date: 01/03/2026
- Per meter:
- Start reading = reading of 01/03/2025
- End reading = reading of 01/03/2026
- Consumption = end − start
- Example unit A1: start 510, end 555 (reading of 03/03/2026, within 30 days of 01/03/2026), consumption 45
Example — SNDQ cannot pick a reading
- You set period start 01/03/2025 and period end 01/03/2026
- There is no meter reading within 30 days of those dates (e.g. only a reading in June 2025, or no reading at all)
- Then start and/or end reading stay empty for that unit
- There is no consumption and no share (as with a unit showing a warning icon)
Common errors
| Message / situation | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice does not belong to the same building or supplier | Cost without supplier, or different supplier than the key | Use an invoice from the correct supplier, or create a key without a fixed supplier |
| Start/end reading empty | No meter reading within 30 days | Enter readings around the start and end dates |
| Cost not editable | Opening balance from opening data, or cost already (partly) settled | Use a normal utility invoice, or check settlement status |
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Need help?
Contact our team at info@sndq.be or use the Get Help option in the SNDQ application.