DoorbookMaster utility bill split
Start with the master bill and the rooms it serves. The calculator keeps the common-area portion visible, distributes rounding remainder fairly and proves that the room amounts add back to the bill.
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01 Collect
Bring the master bills together
Enter the electricity and water totals, then separate any common-area portion that should not be assigned to rooms.
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02 Allocate
Choose a defensible basis
Use people, equal room shares or sub-meter units. Add the rooms and keep the headcounts and units beside the apportionment.
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03 Prove
Print the reconciliation
The remainder from money rounding is distributed to rooms instead of disappearing. The reconciliation line should read zero before the table is issued.
Master utility bill split
Room-by-room master bill apportionment
Keep this table with the master electricity and water bills. The common-area portion is shown separately and the reconciliation should be zero.
- Real bill total
- £2,650.00
- Common-area portion
- £150.00
- Bill apportioned to rooms
- £2,500.00
- Room amounts total
- £2,500.00
- Reconciled difference
- £0.00
- Effective rate per allocation unit
- £208.33
Method used: Per person
| Room | Headcount | Sub-meter units | Amount charged | Amount per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-101 | 3 | 112 | £625.00 | £208.33 |
| A-102 | 2 | 74 | £416.67 | £208.34 |
| A-103 | 4 | 96 | £833.33 | £208.33 |
| A-104 | 3 | 88 | £625.00 | £208.33 |
Charging above the actual utility cost is a common audit finding. Keep the master bills and this reconciliation with the allocation.
Keep this table with the master electricity and water bills. The common-area portion is shown separately and the reconciliation should be zero.
Questions to check
A sound split is easy to explain when the basis and the proof line travel with the bill.
What does the common-area portion do?
It remains part of the real bill but is not assigned to a room. The proof adds the room amounts and the common-area portion back to the master bill.
How is a rounding remainder handled?
The calculator works in the currency's smallest displayed unit, gives each room its whole share and distributes the remaining units by the largest fractional share. Nothing vanishes.
Which method should a dormitory use?
Use sub-meter units when the meters are reliable. Use headcount when rooms share a meter and occupancy is the agreed basis; equal room shares are a simple fallback that should be documented.
Why show an amount per person as well?
The room amount is the charge to reconcile. The per-person figure makes an uneven room mix easier to review, without changing the room-level total.
Can this charge more than the utility bill?
It should not. Keep the effective rate and reconciliation with the master bills; charging above actual cost is a common audit finding.