How UrbanStayz Eliminated ₹3.2 Lakhs Annual Revenue Leakage Using Qube Smart Meters
UrbanStayz Rentals operates a fast-growing PG in Hyderabad with 110 rooms catering to young professionals. As occupancy increased, electricity billing was handled via shared spreadsheets, manual DG logs, and equal splits that ignored usage differences. The result: monthly revenue leakage and dissatisfied tenants. Qube delivered prepaid automation that stopped the losses overnight.
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Executive Summary
UrbanStayz transformed its billing workflow with Qube prepaid smart meters, resulting in:
- ₹3.2 lakhs annual revenue leakage eliminated through accurate, per-room billing
- 18% improvement in profitability with upfront collections
- Zero billing disputes thanks to tenant-facing usage dashboards
- Administrative workload reduced from 12 hours to 10 minutes every month
Background & Challenges
Manual processes could not keep up with UrbanStayz’s growth.
1. Revenue leakage of ₹25,000–30,000 per month
Shared-room misuse, incorrect DG calculations, vacant-room leakage, and human error compounded into a significant annual loss.
2. Tenants lacked transparency
Residents questioned every invoice—“We don’t use this much,” “DG charges are inflated,” “My roommate consumes more than me.”
3. Billing took 10–12 hours monthly
Collecting readings, splitting shared usage, calculating DG hours, preparing Excel invoices, and following up for dues consumed the operations team.
The Qube Solution
UrbanStayz deployed 110 Qube One smart meters with prepaid billing, connecting each room and shared area to WiFi for real-time control.
Capabilities enabled:
- Prepaid billing so tenants recharge before consuming electricity
- Automatic DG detection with instantaneous tariff switching
- Room-wise metering that removes equal-split disputes
- Vacancy mode to disable supply when rooms are empty
- Common-area deduction for accurate CAM recovery
- Public device pages giving tenants live usage and recharge history
Implementation Timeline
Phase 1: Assessment & Rollout Plan (Week 1)
- Audited existing wiring layouts and room categories
- Created prepaid tariff slabs for EB and DG consumption
- Communicated upgrade timelines to residents and operations staff
Phase 2: Installation & Configuration (Weeks 2–3)
- Installed Qube meters across 110 rooms and critical shared loads
- Linked meters to the property WiFi backbone and configured recharge flows
- Set up automated alerts for low balance, tamper, and DG switchovers
Phase 3: Go-Live & Adoption (Week 4)
- Trained wardens and residents on recharge options and dashboards
- Migrated manual billing into the Qube console
- Activated reconciliation reports for finance tracking
Results Achieved
1. Revenue leakage eliminated
Every unit consumed is billed with precision—no more missing DG charges or shared misuse.
2. Profitability increased by 18%
Upfront recharges eliminated follow-ups, improved cash flow, and boosted margins.
3. Billing disputes dropped to zero
Tenants track their own usage and DG allocation in real time, ending arguments.
4. Operations time fell from 12 hours to 10 minutes
Automated recharge reminders and daily summaries replaced manual spreadsheets.
5. Happier, more informed tenants
Residents appreciate predictable bills, fairness, and the ability to self-manage recharges.
Key Insights for PG Operators
- Prepaid metering stops revenue leakage by charging before consumption.
- Transparent dashboards build trust—tenants accept what they can see.
- Automation slashes manual workload and frees staff for guest experience.
- Vacancy controls protect margins by eliminating idle consumption.
Conclusion
With Qube, UrbanStayz replaced manual spreadsheets with a fully automated prepaid system. Revenue leakage disappeared, profitability improved, and tenants enjoy transparent, self-service billing—a blueprint for every PG operator aiming to scale confidently.
What’s Next for UrbanStayz
- Launch bundled recharge packs for long-stay tenants
- Integrate Qube recharge data into the property’s accounting platform
- Expand prepaid metering to upcoming UrbanStayz properties
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