Working on a large commercial client in Charlotte with Duke Energy. The supply portion of their bill shows charges that don't align with their contract with Energy Plus. Contract shows 7.2¢/kWh but bills are consistently showing 7.8¢/kWh over the last 6 months. Duke says they're just passing through what the supplier bills them. Anyone else seeing discrepancies between retail electric provider contracts and what shows up on the distribution utility bill? This is a $50k annual difference for my client.
Duke Energy Supply Charges Don't Match Contract - Need Advice
Derek, I see this all the time with IPL here in Indianapolis. The key is getting the actual invoice from the REP to compare line by line. Sometimes there are ancillary charges or transmission costs that aren't clearly disclosed in the marketing contract. Have you requested the backup documentation from Energy Plus directly?
In California we don't have this exact issue since we have CCAs, but similar concept. The devil is always in the details - index adjustments, congestion charges, capacity market costs. These often aren't highlighted in the sales pitch. Derek, check if there's an adder for NITS transmission or regional capacity charges that weren't disclosed upfront.
Same problem down here in Knoxville with a client on TVA territory who switched to a third party supplier. The math never adds up. I've learned to always request the supplier's tariff filing with the state PSC. Nine times out of ten there are pass-through charges buried in there that the sales rep conveniently forgot to mention.
Greg makes a good point about the IPL issues. Here in Ohio with FirstEnergy territory, I always cross-reference the supplier charges with the PUCO tariff sheets. Derek, also check if Energy Plus is adding any monthly service fees or minimum charges that weren't in the original contract terms. These can really add up on larger accounts.
Thanks everyone. Jim, I found the smoking gun - Energy Plus was adding a 0.4¢/kWh 'market adjustment' charge that was buried in the fine print of their tariff but never disclosed in the contract summary. The NCUC filing shows it clear as day. Client is looking at a $30k refund going back 18 months. This is why we do this job!
Outstanding work Derek! That's exactly the kind of thing they hope nobody catches. I'm going to start checking all my Indiana Commercial & Industrial contracts more carefully for these hidden adjusters. Did Energy Plus fight you on it or admit the error?
Derek, please keep us posted on how the refund process goes. I have a feeling this isn't isolated to just Energy Plus. These REPs are getting creative with their billing practices and counting on customers not having professional auditors reviewing their bills.