Hey everyone — figured we could use a thread where those of us who joined in the early days can introduce ourselves properly. I'm Art K, based in Shreveport, LA. Got into auditing after 15 years in the oil and gas industry. When the downturn hit, a buddy suggested I look into utility bill auditing since I already understood energy. Found AAUBA, got certified, and haven't looked back. SWEPCO and Entergy territory down here.
Introductions — 2010-2012 Members
Good idea, Art. Randy D here — I'll kick it off from the admin side. As most of you know, I started AAUBA back in 2010 after seeing too many commercial clients in Memphis getting overcharged by MLGW. The forum was just a handful of us back then. Wild to see how it's grown.
Reggie H from Memphis, TN. Also MLGW territory like Randy. Former facilities manager at a distribution center. I started auditing my own employer's bills and realized the errors were everywhere. Joined AAUBA in 2010 and it's been my full-time gig since 2012.
Hi — Tom N from Portland, OR. PGE territory out here. I was one of the early members too. Came from a farming family and noticed the irrigation bills never seemed right. Turns out they weren't. My first real audit found a CT ratio error that had been running for 4 years.
Jack P checking in from Louisville, KY. LG&E territory. Former insurance adjuster, which turns out is surprisingly good training for utility auditing — you learn to read dense documents and spot inconsistencies. Joined in April 2010.
Vince S, Hartford, CT. Eversource territory. New England utilities are expensive enough without billing errors on top. I came from an IT background but pivoted after auditing my own office building's bills and finding $6,200 in overcharges. That was my lightbulb moment.
Love this thread. Kim S from Las Vegas, NV. NV Energy territory. Former casino operations manager — those buildings use insane amounts of power and the bills are incredibly complex. When I found a $22,000 demand charge error at my former employer, I realized this could be a real career.
Val M here, Birmingham, AL. Alabama Power territory. Joined mid-2010. I was a commercial real estate appraiser before this. Understanding operating expenses was already part of my job, so utility auditing was a natural extension.
Great to meet everyone. Greg L from Indianapolis, IN. IPL territory. Former industrial engineer at an auto parts manufacturer. The demand charge analysis skills transferred directly.
Dan W, Fresno, CA. PG&E territory. Ag water pumping is my bread and butter. California's tiered rate structures create a lot of opportunities for misclassification.
Hey all — Hank B from Minneapolis, MN. Xcel Energy territory. Former HVAC contractor. Understanding load profiles and equipment nameplate ratings gives me an edge when analyzing demand charges. Joined August 2010.
Felix A checking in, El Paso, TX. El Paso Electric territory. Border region utilities have some unique tariff structures. Not a lot of auditors working this area, which is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Good thread idea. Zach H from Mobile, AL. Alabama Power and Riviera Utilities territory down on the Gulf Coast. Joined early 2011. Hotels and restaurants are my primary client base.
Beth H, Jacksonville, FL. JEA and FPL territory. Former commercial property manager. I handle a lot of multi-tenant retail properties where the common area billing is a mess.
Nancy P here, Austin, TX. Austin Energy territory. Former accountant. The intersection of tax exemptions and utility billing has been my specialty — a lot of manufacturers in central Texas don't realize they qualify for sales tax exemptions on electricity used in production.
Great to see all the early members here. Carl N from Denver, CO. Xcel Energy territory on the Colorado side. Former energy broker who got tired of the sales side and wanted to actually help clients reduce costs through auditing.
Linda F from Milwaukee, WI. We Energies territory. Joined January 2012. Former purchasing manager at a paper mill. I mostly work with manufacturing clients because I understand their load profiles and production schedules.
Rob T, Columbus, OH. AEP Ohio territory. Former commercial loan officer — I got into this when a borrower showed me their utility bills as part of a loan application and I noticed the rate schedule didn't match the business type. That was my first audit.
Joining the roll call — Steve B from Tulsa, OK. PSO territory. Former oilfield services manager. Oklahoma gas rates are complicated enough to keep me busy year-round.
Ken J here, Omaha, NE. OPPD territory. Former grain elevator manager. Rural commercial accounts up here are often on the wrong rate schedule because the co-ops don't always reclassify when a business changes its operations.