We just hired two junior auditors here in Cleveland and I'm tasked with getting them up to speed on FirstEnergy's commercial demand tariffs. These are bright college grads but they're struggling with the concept of coincident vs non-coincident demand billing. What training methods have worked best for you folks when explaining these concepts? I've been using actual customer bills but wondering if there are better approaches out there.
Training new hires on commercial demand analysis - what's your approach?
Frank, I've had great success using TXU's online tariff simulator for training. It lets new auditors plug in different usage patterns and see how demand charges calculate in real time. Much more effective than just showing them static bills. The visual component really helps them grasp the 15-minute interval concept. Plus you can show them how a single spike can cost a customer hundreds of dollars per month.
I start my trainees with APS residential bills first, then gradually move to small commercial accounts. The jump from simple energy charges to demand billing can be overwhelming if you throw them into large industrial accounts right away. I also make them calculate bills by hand for the first month - no software shortcuts. Forces them to really understand what's happening under the hood.
Terry here from Knoxville. TVA has some excellent training materials on their website - including interactive modules on demand charges. I require all new hires to complete their online certification before they touch a real customer account. The modules cover everything from basic kW vs kWh concepts to complex time-of-use structures. Worth checking out even if you're not in TVA territory.
PSO here in Tulsa has a mentorship program where experienced auditors shadow new hires for their first 10 customer visits. Nothing beats seeing confused faces when you try to explain why their demand charge went from $800 to $1,200 because of a single morning coffee pot malfunction. Real-world experience accelerates the learning curve dramatically.
Great suggestions everyone. Up here in Seattle, PSE has been really cooperative about providing sample bills for training purposes. They even let us bring new auditors to their customer service center to observe actual billing disputes. Hearing customers' frustration firsthand really drives home the importance of getting our audits right.
Thanks for all the input. I'm going to try the hand calculation approach Sarah mentioned - that makes a lot of sense. And Terry, I'll definitely check out those TVA materials. Amazing how much we can learn from each other on this forum.
Frank, one more tip - have them audit their own office's utility bills first. Nothing like finding a $2,000 error on your own company's account to build confidence! Plus management loves seeing immediate ROI on training investments.