Client runs a printing operation in Cincinnati on Duke Energy. Their kWh usage jumped 40% between March and April with no explanation. No new equipment, no change in operating hours. The facilities manager is convinced it's a billing error but I want to rule out operational causes first. What's your process for distinguishing a genuine usage increase from a billing error?
Usage jumped 40% — billing error or operational change?
First thing I check is whether the meter read is actual or estimated. If the prior month was estimated low, the current month's actual read will show a spike that looks like a 40% increase but is really just catch-up. Pull the meter read codes from the bills — "A" for actual, "E" for estimated. If March was estimated and April was actual, that's probably your answer right there.
Derek's right — check the read type first. After that, compare demand (kW) to consumption (kWh). If demand stayed flat but kWh jumped, it suggests the equipment is running longer hours, not harder. If demand also spiked, something new got turned on. Also check the billing period dates — sometimes what looks like a 40% jump is really a 35-day billing period following a 27-day period. Normalize everything to cost-per-day before comparing months.
One more thing — check if the meter multiplier changed. I had a client where usage appeared to double overnight and it turned out Duke had replaced the CTs during a routine meter swap and the new CTs had a different ratio. The multiplier went from 20 to 40. Nobody updated the billing system for two months.
Checked and March was an estimated read. Mystery solved — the April bill is catching up for a low estimate in March. Appreciate the quick responses. The meter read code check is going on my standard audit checklist permanently.
Glad you found it. Estimated reads are one of the most common causes of billing anomalies. Easy to spot once you know to look for it.