I've been dabbling with Python scripts to automate some of the repetitive tasks in my audit process for Idaho Power accounts. Built a simple script that can parse PDF bills and extract key data points like kWh usage, demand charges, and rate schedule information. It's saved me hours on large portfolio reviews. Anyone else going down this rabbit hole? Would love to share ideas and maybe collaborate on some tools.
Anyone using Python for utility bill analysis?
Warren, that sounds intriguing. I've been thinking about learning Python but wasn't sure if it was worth the time investment for utility auditing. How difficult was the PDF parsing? Some of these MLGW bills are pretty complex layouts and I imagine the OCR could get messy with tables and multiple rate components.
I've been using Python for about six months now, mostly for National Grid analysis here in Providence. The PDF parsing is definitely challenging - some utilities format their bills better than others. I've had good luck with the pdfplumber library for extracting tabular data. Built a script that can process 50+ bills in minutes versus hours of manual data entry.
This is fascinating stuff. I'm still pretty old school with Excel but the time savings you're describing are hard to ignore. Anthony, would you be willing to share some sample code? I'd love to see how you're handling the data extraction. Most of my Dominion Energy bills have fairly consistent formatting so Python might be worth exploring.
Bill, I can definitely share some examples. The key is building in error handling because PDF layouts can vary even within the same utility. I've also started using pandas for data analysis once I get the information extracted. Makes it easy to spot trends and anomalies across multiple accounts. One script flagged a billing error on a Schedule 9 account that saved my client $12,000.
Count me interested too. I've been doing everything manually for Duke Energy accounts and it's getting unsustainable as we grow. Warren, what's your learning curve been like? I have zero programming background but I'm willing to invest the time if the payoff is there. The $12,000 error you caught definitely makes a compelling case.
Wayne, I started with zero programming knowledge too. The learning curve is steep initially but there are tons of resources online. I'd recommend starting with simple data manipulation tasks before jumping into PDF parsing. Once you get comfortable with pandas and basic Python syntax, the utility-specific stuff becomes more manageable.
This thread has me seriously considering diving into Python. I've been using mostly Excel VBA for automation but it feels limited compared to what you folks are describing. Anthony, do you have any specific online resources you'd recommend for getting started? Particularly anything focused on data analysis and file processing?
Paula, I started with the Python for Data Analysis book and supplemented with online tutorials. Codecademy has a decent Python course too. The key is finding projects that relate to your actual work - it keeps you motivated through the learning curve. I'll put together a basic utility bill parsing example and share it here next week.
This is a great discussion. I've been thinking about automation for TVA account analysis but wasn't sure where to start. Warren, I'd definitely appreciate seeing that example when you get it together. One question - how do you handle bills with multiple rate schedules or accounts? Some of my commercial clients have several meters with different tariffs.
Dale, that's where Python really shines. You can build loops to process multiple accounts and use conditional logic to apply different parsing rules based on rate schedule or account type. I have a script that processes an entire portfolio and generates individual reports for each account. Takes about 10 minutes to run versus a full day of manual work.
Jumping in late here but this is exactly the kind of innovation our industry needs. I've been pushing for more automation in my work and Python seems like the way forward. Warren and Anthony, would you guys be interested in presenting this at the next regional conference? I think a lot of members would benefit from seeing practical examples of these tools in action.