Hi everyone! I just joined the forum after deciding to start my own utility auditing business here in Spokane. I have a background in accounting and energy management, but I'm completely new to the auditing side. Avista utilities here in Washington has some pretty complex rate structures and I'm hoping to help local businesses make sense of their bills. Can anyone recommend good resources for getting started? Also wondering what kind of liability insurance you all carry - that seems important but I have no idea what coverage levels make sense for this type of work.
New member introduction - what am I getting myself into?
Welcome Willa! You're jumping in at an interesting time. The utility auditing landscape has changed a lot over the past few years, but there's still good work out there if you know where to look. For insurance, I carry $1 million general liability and $2 million professional liability through NAPSLO. It runs about $3,200 per year but gives good peace of mind. Avista can be tricky - they have some unusual demand ratchet provisions that catch a lot of people off guard. Make sure you understand their Schedule 25 and Schedule 31 inside and out.
Thanks Rosa! That insurance info is really helpful. I've been reading through the Avista tariffs and you're right about them being complicated. The demand ratchet language in Schedule 25 is particularly confusing - something about billing demand being the higher of current month or 80% of peak demand in the previous 11 months. I found three businesses in Spokane Valley that seem to be getting charged incorrectly based on that provision. Sounds like there might be some opportunities here after all.