I believe it has to do with energy consumption and efficiency, the older heaters require more maintenance and consume more energy, in theory, but again it all depends on your unit, the manufacturer, and how it was maintained.

Hording away gallons of salt, sugar, soup, water and gasoline aren't going to do it.

They have done water studies where water consumption dropped as much as 60% when tenants are being billed back.  

The boiler may be new, but if your hydronic system has a leak in it, it will be making-up water and this  extra consumption would correspond with the heating season.Additionally, are the DHW lines insulated?  

Because, ya know, WORLD WAR and the consumption of such. 

You are dealing with older architecture, different electric consumption methods and regulations, different water consumption methods and regulations..

They also sell devices you can install to track consumption/usage of things like water.

If you can't submeter, then I would suggest structuring the lease in such a way as to include utilities based on current consumption and allow for increases if utilities dramatically increase.  

For example an investor cannot have a business on the property that engages in any of the following “sin” businesses: any private or commercial golf course, country club, massage parlor, hot tub facility, suntan facility, racetrack or other facility used for gambling, or any store the principal business of which is the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises.With these factors in mind, I would think caution would be in order for any investor looking to defer taxes through this program.

I do the front end of purchase and sales.You have different levels of property management.On the large end you have specialty turnaround groups that have teams of people (consultants) for shopping centers and multifamily,hotels,etc.Their job is to do a forensic analysis and to try to squeeze every last cent out of the property.Property management is highly litigous and usually the owner and the tenant want to blame the broker and then the broker has to clear their name.Pay out is low and time consumption is high.If rent on a SFR home is 600 a month and to manage that property you are getting 60 bucks a month so 720 a year isn't squat.Most of those property managers are working for a company and do not get all that money anyways.So if managing a property gets you say half of the 720 which is 360 a year and you put in 5 hours a month.360 divided by 60 hours in a year equals 6 bucks and hour gross before taxes and other expenses!!