CSA Secure Connect Newsletter
CSA Secure Connect Newsletter
In This Issue
Featured Article
Berkshire Property Advisors
CSASecure-enabled Marketers
CSA vs. No-CSA

Did you know...

U.S. Patent Office issued a patent to BluTrend in December of 2008 for systems, methods and computer program products for identifying utility theft?

 CSASecure®
Partners:
BluTrend Supports the following Apartment Associations:
AAA
AAGD
HAA
What Property Managers
are saying about CSASecure!
 
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CSASecure® Connect Newsletter
Greetings! 
 
Welcome to CSASecure® Connect, an e-newsletter with the latest news about utility savings for the multifamily residential industry. We welcome your questions, feedback and suggestions.
Success Story: Berkshire Property Advisors

When Stephen Shows joined Berkshire Property Advisors, LLC in 2007, it was an easy decision to implement CSASecure in the company's Texas communities.  Stephen had already experienced the benefits of CSASecure at his prior employer. Berkshire Property Advisors started CSASecure program with four communities in September 2007. Shortly after, with the help of Alan King, Division Vice President, the program expanded to all Berkshire communities, covering more than 4,800 units in Texas.
 
Alan King said "when you hear community managers commenting so positively about a program, you know the decision was right. We've been monitoring the benefits of the program and are very satisfied with the results. We're anxiously waiting for the program's expansion to our communities in other states."
CSASecure-enabled Marketers
 
The following Retail Electric Providers (REPS) in Texas are now CSASecure-enabled. If your community's CSA is with one of the following REPs, you can take advantage of the many benefits of the CSASecure program:
  • Direct Energy
  • Gexa Energy
  • Green Mountain Energy
  • Star Tex Power

In Georgia, communities served by Georgia Natural Gas will continue to lower gas vacant costs through CSASecure services. 

Due to strong demand from our customers, we are working diligently to expand CSASecure to other markets. In the near future, CSASecure will be available to communities served by the following utility companies:

  • Alabama Power
  • Austin Energy
  • Baltimore Gas and Electric
  • CPS Energy
  • Duke Energy
  • Georgia Power
  • Mississippi Power
  • Puget Sound Energy
To Be on CSA or Not to Be on CSA?

Many owners have been weighing the benefits of having a CSA agreement versus the financial impact of utility misuse and theft on their communities. Let's examine the benefits of each approach.
 
With CSA in place, the utility service is always on, which is convenient for residents at move-in and for community mangers when residents move out. With a CSA in place, residents are responsible for enrolling service in their own names and maintaining it until their move-out dates. In reality, more often than not, this doesn't happen on time. When residents don't enroll for service immediately or when they report a move-out to the utility company prior to their actual move-out, the owner ends up bearing the cost.
 
How often does this happen? Too often!
Based on Texas studies in 2008, more than 65.8% of all move-ins were in violation of their leases. And 13.6% of all move-out violators put the service back to the community more than 10 days prior to their lease end date.
 
Faced with the cost of electricity theft, it's understandable why some owners decide to avoid CSAs. But what's the cost of not having one? Well, consider the following: 

  • Mold growth
  • Delays in getting units ready
  • Negative interactions with residents
  • Less available inventory to show
  • Less appealing units at move-in
  • Management time spent dealing with these issues

With the introduction of CSASecure, owners no longer have to worry about CSAs. CSASecure provides daily reports alerting managers of lease violations and allowing communities to enjoy the benefits of a CSA with the security of no vacant theft.

We value your time and hope the information in this newsletter is beneficial to you. We welcome your feedback and suggestions to make future issues even more useful.
 
Sincerely,
 

Michael Anderson
Managing Partner 

BluTrend
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