Zego Utility

Zego Utility is a utility-management service for multifamily operators, with resident billing also aimed at student housing. Its breadth—from invoice auditing to usage reporting—suits teams looking to connect utility costs with resident charges; custom pricing makes a quote essential before comparing costs.

Overview

Zego spans both sides of utility administration: it can retrieve and audit invoices, resolve billing errors with providers, and pay bills on a client’s behalf, then support recovery of eligible costs from residents. That end-to-end scope is useful for operators trying to bring utility expenses and resident billing into one workflow, rather than buying only an allocation tool.

Resident charges can be calculated from submeters or through Ratio Utility Billing Services (RUBS), then combined with rent and other items on a resident statement. The service can recover water, sewer, trash, gas, recycling, and electric expenses. Zego was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in San Diego.

Key features

Expense administration and billing

Invoice retrieval, auditing, provider error resolution, and payment on the client’s behalf address work before a utility charge reaches a resident. Submeter and RUBS billing cover different allocation approaches, while online collections, autopay, reminders, and a tenant payment portal support the collection side. The breadth is compelling for operators seeking a managed workflow; teams needing only a narrow billing function may not need the full service.

Reporting, integrations, and security

Zego Insights provides usage and recoupment reporting, portfolio benchmarking, alerts, and customizable dashboards. Utility invoice and payment details integrate into accounting software, and Zego names AppFolio, MRI Software, Resman, Rent Manager, and Yardi among its property-management partners. These connections can help keep utility activity in established operating systems, though the appropriate fit depends on an operator’s own setup.

Zego says it commissions an annual SSAE18 review, complies with PCI Level 1 requirements for card data, and uses 256-bit encryption for sensitive data. It also states that it offers 24x7x365 resident support and proactive Client Success Managers. Residents can view and pay statements from any type of device; staff can review prebills in the Zego Admin interface.

Pricing

Zego has no free plan and directs prospective customers to request pricing. Both named plans use custom pricing, so operators should request a quote for the scope they need and compare it with their expected property and billing requirements.

• Zego Utility — Utility Expense Management: custom pricing for multifamily utility accounts payable, auditing, and cost recovery. This is the plan to consider when invoice administration is the priority; resident billing is not part of its stated scope.
• Zego Utility — Resident Utility Billing: custom pricing for multifamily and student housing using submeter and/or RUBS billing. It suits operators focused on resident allocation and billing, rather than the broader accounts-payable workflow.

Neither plan has a published seat count, usage quota, trial, or renewal term. The plans’ stated scopes are the practical distinction to clarify during a quote.

Platforms

Zego supports Android, iOS, and web. Resident statements can be viewed and paid from any type of device, while staff use the web-based Zego Admin interface to review prebills.

Who it's for

Zego is best suited to multifamily operators that want utility invoice work and resident cost recovery handled together, and to student housing operators seeking submeter or RUBS billing. Its reporting and property-management integrations strengthen the case for teams managing utility activity across a portfolio. Operators seeking a free or transparently priced tool should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Covers invoice retrieval, auditing, provider error resolution, payment, and resident billing, reducing the need to assemble separate utility workflows.
• Pro: Supports both submeter and RUBS allocation, with recovery across six named utility types.
• Pro: Usage and recoupment reporting, benchmarking, alerts, and dashboards give portfolio teams several ways to monitor utility performance.
• Con: Pricing is custom and there is no free plan, so cost and budget fit require a sales conversation.
• Con: The two plan scopes separate expense management from resident billing; operators seeking both should confirm how the services fit together in a quote.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Property Management Utility Billing Software.

• Utility Ranger is a web-based paid option with a 60-day free trial and per-unit monthly pricing starting at $2 a month for Cadet, covering one utility bill and one property; consider it if a trial and a stated entry price matter.
• Livable offers a paid web-based Self Service plan with custom pricing, no stated unit minimums, allocation table generation, preview and charge approval, custom tenant fees, and utility opt-outs; consider it if those allocation controls are central to the workflow.
• Utilmate is a paid web option with a Starter plan at custom pricing, monthly subscription invoices, a five-user maximum, migration assistance up to 100 customers, and possible meter-read charges; consider it if those terms suit the operation.
• Ubility is a paid option available through API and web.
• Hadeda is a paid option for Android, iOS, and web.
• ResidentIQ Utility Billing is a paid web option.
• Vitality Utility Billing is a paid web option with no free plan.
• Smarty Utility Management is a paid option for Android, iOS, and web, with rental plans that include rent-to-own and monthly rental models.

Verdict

Choose Zego Utility if you manage multifamily properties—or student housing billing—and want utility expense administration, resident cost recovery, and portfolio reporting within a broad service. Its strongest case is the connection between invoice work and resident billing; its main drawback is custom pricing, which makes a quote necessary before judging whether that breadth fits the budget.