New client in Spokane on Avista Schedule 25. Their demand never goes above 45kW but they're being billed on the demand schedule. Avista's tariff says customers under 50kW "may be" on energy-only billing. How do I request the change?
Avista tariff question - demand billing vs energy billing
Call Avista's commercial customer service and reference Schedule 11 (energy-only). They usually require 12 months of demand history below 50kW. The savings can be substantial - no monthly demand charges.
We've done this several times in Connecticut with Eversource. Similar rules apply. Make sure to document the request in writing after the phone call. Utilities sometimes "forget" these conversations.
Update: Avista approved the change! Took 3 months but they backdated it to my original request date. Client is saving about $180/month on eliminated demand charges.
Nancy - what was the exact wording you used in your request? I have a similar situation with a client in Rapid City on Black Hills Energy.
Rate schedule optimization is one of the easiest wins in utility auditing. Always verify that clients are on the most appropriate schedule for their usage patterns. Many utilities will make changes retroactively if requested properly.