Hey everyone! Marc H. from Bakersfield here. After 3 months of cold calling and getting hung up on constantly, I finally landed my first utility audit client! It's a small manufacturing plant with about 200kW demand on PG&E Schedule A-10. Found $847/month in savings just from a demand charge error going back 18 months. The property manager was skeptical at first but when I showed him the tariff breakdown he was amazed. Sometimes persistence really does pay off!
Cold calling breakthrough - finally landed my first audit!
Congrats Marc! Margaret C. here from Indianapolis. That's a great first find. How did you finally get past the gatekeeper to speak with the decision maker?
Thanks Margaret! I started calling early morning around 7:15 AM and caught the property manager before his assistant arrived. Also helped that I mentioned I was reviewing their Duke Energy account for potential overcharges - got his attention immediately.
Outstanding work Marc! Randy Dawson here. That demand charge error is exactly the type of low-hanging fruit that builds credibility fast. For newer members reading this, property managers are often your best entry point because they're directly responsible for operating costs. Marc's early morning strategy is brilliant - decision makers are often most accessible before 8 AM or after 5 PM when gatekeepers aren't there. Keep us posted on how that relationship develops into referrals.
Great story Marc! Gordon C. from Santa Clarita. I've had good luck with manufacturing facilities too. Did you offer any kind of guarantee or was it straight fee-for-service? Still trying to figure out my pricing structure.
Gordon, I offered a satisfaction guarantee - if they weren't happy with my findings they didn't have to pay. Charged $1,200 for the audit which seemed fair for the size. The demand charge savings alone paid for it 18 times over so they were thrilled.
Steven from Denver here. That's inspiring Marc! I've been stuck in analysis paralysis for weeks. Think I just need to start dialing. Did you use any particular script or just wing it?
Steven, I kept it simple. 'Hi this is Marc calling about your electricity costs. I help businesses identify billing errors and rate optimization opportunities. Do you have 2 minutes to discuss your current utility situation?' Short and direct worked better than long explanations.
Marc, Joe T. from Irvine here. Curious about the demand charge error you found. Was it a billing mistake or wrong rate schedule? I'm seeing a lot of Schedule A-6 customers who should be on A-10 out here with SCE.
Joe, it was actually a meter multiplier error. Their CT ratio was 400:5 but PG&E was billing at 200:5 for over a year. Probably a data entry mistake when they upgraded the transformer. Always worth checking the actual meter against what's on the bill.
Wow that's a significant error! Cora J. from Jackson, MS here. How did you spot that? Do you always request to physically inspect the meter setup?
Cora, I always try to get on-site if possible. The bill showed unusually low usage for their operation size which was the red flag. Physical inspection revealed the actual CT configuration didn't match what was on file with the utility.
Marc, excellent detective work! Marcus T. from Dallas here. That client is going to refer you to everyone they know. Nothing builds reputation like finding real money. Have they mentioned any other properties or business contacts yet?