Rate Structure & Utility Litigation
Billing analysis, rate optimization, and formal utility litigation to recover overcharges for commercial and industrial facilities.
Rate Structure and Billing Analysis
Energy Consulting Services can analyze your electric and gas bills to ensure that your facility is receiving the best possible utility rates. We can also help you apply for and enroll in any utility rebate programs. Often these rebates allow your company to purchase our other services at reduced cost.
- Verify proper electric rate.
- Check meter usage against utility bill.
- Identify electrical demand and consumption peak anomalies.
Key Questions to Ask About Your Meter
- Do you know the last time your meter was tested and recalibrated?
- Did you receive the recalibration report?
- If your meter was recalibrated and you were overcharged, did you receive a letter of explanation and a refund check?
Utility Billing and Energy Usage Litigation
Utility Companies Still Rely on Manual Meter Readings.
A utility company meter reader may not be able to gain access to the meter and an estimated usage is billed. An estimated bill is usually re-billed as soon as the meter reader gains access. A problem happens when more than a month goes by before readings get revised.
Electrical demand is read each month and most meters hold only the highest reading. The customer may be billed incorrectly for this high electrical demand for more than one month. For a commercial user this could equate to thousands of dollars in overcharges. For an industrial user this could equate to tens of thousands of dollars in overcharges. In addition, if a summer seasonal high rate change has occurred, then that overcharge could be tripled.
Utility meters are usually accurate and highly reliable. However, over time meters can become inaccurate or break. A zero reading is easily detected but a 5% error is not, especially if it starts at 1% and gradually increases. Most utility companies have a meter testing and exchange program every few years. Do you know when your meter was last tested or changed out?
Utility companies have complex rates for many different types of usage. When your account was first opened you were assigned a rate. Do you know what this rate is? Does this rate still reflect your type of usage? Is there another rate that will save your company money?
We recover overpayments due to inaccurate utility charges, misapplied electrical rates, or inaccurate meter readings. Our methodology consists of rate structure analysis, historical trend analysis, energy usage auditing, or installing temporary electronic check metering equipment at the facility.
Energy Usage Litigation
The utility companies have rules and regulations they must abide by. The public service commission oversees the utility companies. Do you know the rules and regulations that apply to your rate? Does your utility contact person know your facility and how it uses energy?
What if your usage and equipment changed and your utility bill did not? What if that equipment is no longer there and you believe that at that time you were overcharged on your utility bill?
We provide the documentation and representation to go before the utility through their formal appeals process in order to recover overpayments. Forensic energy usage analysis is an invaluable asset for historical recovery of utility overcharges.
Think You May Have Been Overcharged?
Contact us for a billing analysis and find out if your facility is on the right rate.
Contact Us