PPL in Allentown has 8 different commercial rate schedules. Client could fit several of them. Anyone have a tool that compares multiple rate structures automatically? Doing it manually is time consuming.
Rate comparison tool anyone?
Built one in Excel with VBA macros. Input usage data and it calculates costs under different rate schedules. Works great for Dominion Energy Virginia rates. Pretty complex to set up though.
There's commercial software called RateAnalyzer that does this. About $500 but handles demand charges, time-of-use, seasonal variations. Used it for Avista rates in Spokane.
I just make a comparison matrix in Excel. Row for each rate schedule, columns for different usage scenarios. Simple but effective for Florida Power & Light rate shopping.
The key is having clean usage data first. Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure you have 12 months of accurate interval data before running any rate comparison.
Working on something similar for SDG&E rates in San Diego. Their tiered demand structure is complicated. Would love to see what others have developed.
Rate comparison tools are becoming essential as utilities offer more complex pricing options. Even a simple Excel model beats manual calculations every time.