Working on a K-12 district in suburban Chicago (ComEd territory) and their summer usage is through the roof even though school's out. We're talking 40% higher than winter months when buildings should be mostly empty. Thinking either massive HVAC issues or cryptocurrency mining in the computer labs. Anyone seen patterns like this?
School District Summer Usage - Something Weird Here
Donna, check if they're running summer programs, camps, or rental activities. Also, some districts leave HVAC running all summer to prevent mold/humidity issues in older buildings. But 40% higher is definitely suspicious - we found a district in Ohio where custodial staff were running personal welding businesses after hours, jacking up the bills by $1,200/month.
Omar's got good points. Also check the athletic facilities - pools, weight rooms, and sports camps can run 24/7 in summer. We found a high school in Texas where the pool pumps had failed sensors and were running constantly, costing an extra $4,800 over the summer break.
Update: found the culprit! District IT department was using the server room for summer "projects" - turns out they were running Bitcoin miners using school electricity. Principal nearly had a heart attack when we showed them the evidence. Savings should be around $3,200/month once they shut it down.