Hey folks — Floyd H here from Topeka, KS. Second intro thread since my original one was in the 2013-2015 era. I wanted to share something: I worked for Westar Energy (now Evergy) for 11 years before becoming an auditor. Meter reading, billing, then rate analysis. I've seen the billing process from the inside and the errors are systemic, not occasional. If anyone has questions about how utility billing departments actually work, I'm happy to share.
Intro - former utility employee
Floyd, this is incredibly valuable. Having an insider's perspective is rare. Can you give an example of a systemic issue? — Randy D
Sure. When a commercial account gets a new meter installed, the billing system requires a manual entry for the meter multiplier. If the tech installs a 200:1 CT ratio but the clerk enters 20:1, the customer gets billed at 1/10th or 10x actual usage. And nobody catches it unless the customer complains.
That's terrifying. A 10x billing error could just sit there indefinitely? — Mike D
I've seen one sit for 7 years. Small manufacturing shop overbilled by about $2,800/month for 7 years. Refund was over $230,000. The utility's internal audit never flagged it.
$230K from a data entry error. That's exactly why our profession exists. How common are meter multiplier errors? What percentage of new installs? — Walt D
In my time at Westar, I'd estimate 3-5% of new commercial meter installs had some kind of multiplier or CT ratio entry error. Most were caught within a few months. But the ones that slipped through could run for years.
3-5% is higher than I would have guessed. If a utility serves 50,000 commercial accounts and turns over 5% of meters annually, that's potentially 125-250 new errors every year. — Yuri P
Your math checks out. And that's just one type of error at one utility. Multiply across rate classification, demand billing, rider application, tax exemptions — the total error rate is staggering.
Floyd, does being a former utility employee give you an advantage when disputing errors? Do billing departments take you more seriously? — Angela R
Yes and no. They take my technical arguments more seriously because I speak their language. But some old-timers at Evergy remember me and there's an awkward dynamic — like I'm airing the family's dirty laundry.
I can see how that would be awkward. But the customers deserve accurate bills. — Terry M
Exactly. Fixing errors isn't adversarial — it's accountability. That's what I tell myself when former colleagues give me the cold shoulder.
Most utility employees I've dealt with are actually grateful when errors get corrected — it's the management that gets defensive. The billing clerks know the systems are broken. — Randy D
Floyd, what about rate classification errors? Is that also a manual process or is there some automation? — Phil G
Rate classification is semi-automated. When a new account is set up, the system suggests a rate schedule based on the service type and estimated demand. But the customer service rep can override it, and they often do — sometimes correctly, sometimes not. There's no systematic review of those overrides.
So a CSR having a bad day could put a large commercial account on a small general service rate and nobody would question it? — Derek O
That's exactly what happens. I saw it at least once a month during my time in the billing department. The system would suggest Schedule GS-2 and the rep would select GS-1 because the account name sounded small. No verification of actual load data.
This is gold. Floyd, have you ever thought about writing a guide for auditors on how utility billing systems work? I bet every member here would benefit from that insider knowledge. — Rachel K
I've thought about it. Maybe I'll write something up for the forum. It would cover the typical billing system workflow, where errors get introduced, and what to look for in the bill data that indicates a system error vs a legitimate charge.