Rachel from Atlanta. Found a case where the billed demand on a client's account was consistently 12 percent higher than the metered demand in the interval data for eight consecutive months. The utility's billing system was applying a multiplication factor that should have been removed after a meter upgrade. Has anyone seen this kind of systematic billing error?
Billing demand higher than metered demand — utility billing error
Walt. Systematic billing errors tied to meter upgrades are more common than they should be. The billing system is often updated separately from the metering system and the two get out of sync.
Derek. Eight months at 12 percent above actual means this client was paying demand charges on kW that did not exist. That is a straightforward retroactive recovery.
The utility acknowledged the error quickly once I showed them the interval data versus the billed demand side by side. They processed an $11,400 credit within 45 days.
Mike D. The side-by-side comparison is the most effective way to present this type of error. No interpretation required. The numbers simply do not match.
Terry. Good case to document for your portfolio. Clear error, fast resolution, meaningful recovery.
Agreed. The client was very pleased and renewed for a second engagement covering gas utility accounts.