Got an interesting call from a ComEd account manager yesterday. I've been auditing several large industrial accounts in their territory and found some significant overbilling on Schedule D-3 customers - we're talking about $340K in refunds over the past two years. Now this rep wants to set up an in-person meeting to "discuss my concerns and improve our working relationship." Part of me wonders if they're trying to shut me down or limit my access. Anyone dealt with utilities trying to manage auditor relationships this way?
ComEd rep wants to meet in person - red flag?
Yuri, I'd actually see this as a positive development. When MLGW reached out to me for a similar meeting a couple years back, I was suspicious at first too. Turned out they wanted to understand my audit process better and identify systemic issues that were causing the billing errors in the first place. That meeting led to them proactively fixing several tariff interpretation problems that were affecting multiple customers. I'd take the meeting but bring documentation and be prepared to discuss your methodology professionally.
Randy's right about it potentially being positive. APS did something similar with me last year after I found some issues with their Schedule E-32 time-of-use calculations. The meeting actually resulted in them streamlining their refund process and assigning me a dedicated contact for complex billing questions. Just make sure you document everything and don't agree to any limitations on your audit scope.
I'd be cautious but not paranoid. OPPD tried to have a similar conversation with me, but it felt more like damage control than genuine partnership. They kept steering the conversation toward "collaborative approaches" that would have basically meant running my findings by them before presenting to clients. I politely declined and maintained my independence. The key is setting clear boundaries about your role.
Don raises a good point about boundaries. When DTE wanted to meet with me, I made it clear upfront that my obligation is to my clients, not the utility. That said, I'm always willing to help them identify and fix systemic problems that affect multiple customers. It's actually in everyone's best interest when billing is accurate from the start.
Tina's approach sounds perfect. I'd add that you should consider bringing a witness - maybe another auditor or your client's facility manager. Having someone else there keeps everything above board and professional. MidAmerican meetings go much smoother when there's more than one person in the room representing the customer side.
Great advice everyone. I'm leaning toward taking the meeting but with clear ground rules. Rosa's suggestion about bringing someone else is smart - I think I'll ask my biggest client's energy manager to join me. We've recovered over $150K for his facility alone, so he has skin in the game.
One more thought - ask them to send an agenda ahead of time. Delmarva Power did this for our meeting and it helped me prepare better. Also showed they were serious about making it productive rather than just trying to intimidate me. If they won't provide an agenda, that might be your red flag right there.
Laura, that's brilliant. I'm definitely asking for an agenda. If they're legitimate about improving the relationship, they should have no problem laying out their objectives beforehand. If they start hemming and hawing about it, I'll know something's up.
Perfect approach Yuri. Keep us posted on how it goes. These utility relationship meetings can be game-changers when handled right, but you're smart to go in with your eyes wide open and clear boundaries established.