Anyone else dealing with franchise operations where corporate handles all the utility billing? I've got a potential client with 12 fast-casual restaurant locations across three states, but everything gets consolidated through their corporate office in Denver. Xcel, Ameren, and Duke Energy territories. The paperwork alone is giving me a headache.
Member Community
Enter your email to read this discussion
You're reading the AAUBA Member Forum — where Certified Utility Bill Auditors share case studies, tariff strategies, and industry insights.
Free to read. Enter your email to continue.
No spam. We'll send you one welcome email about CUBA certification. Unsubscribe any time.
Franchise billing nightmares
I've done a few franchise deals and they can be goldmines if you can get organized. The key is having one main contact at corporate who can facilitate everything. I recovered $47K across 8 locations for a pizza chain last year - mostly wrong rate classifications and missed efficiency rebates.
Bernard's right about the organization aspect. I require franchise clients to designate one person as the primary contact and they have to provide a complete spreadsheet with all locations, account numbers, and current contacts. If they can't do that upfront, I pass on the deal.
Good advice from both of you. This client seems pretty organized - they already sent me a detailed spreadsheet with 3 years of bills for all locations. Might be worth pursuing. What fee structure do you typically use for multi-location franchise deals?
I usually do 35% but with a minimum per location to make sure it's worth my time. Something like $1,500 minimum per location even if the recovery is smaller. Helps weed out the locations that aren't worth auditing.