Hello everyone — Marilyn D from Helena, MT. NorthWestern Energy territory. Just joined in January. My background is cattle ranching — 3,000-acre operation outside Helena for 25 years. When we semi-retired, I needed something to keep me busy. Found $8,200 in overcharges on our own ranch going back 3 years. Now I'm hooked.
Hi from rural Montana
Welcome, Marilyn! Montana is underserved for auditing. NorthWestern's territory is huge and rural commercial accounts are frequently misclassified. You're in a great position. — Randy D
Another Montana member here — Noel R from Missoula, MT. Welcome! The ranching background is a real asset. Nobody else understands irrigation loads and seasonal ag usage like someone who's lived it.
Thanks Noel! Have you worked with NorthWestern's commercial tariffs much? Their rate schedules seem simpler than what I read about other utilities.
Simpler, but errors still happen. Most common: agricultural accounts on general service commercial rates when they should be on the ag schedule. The difference is significant during irrigation season. — Noel R
That's exactly what was wrong with our ranch account. General Service instead of Agricultural Pumping. About $0.02/kWh difference, but running six center pivots all summer, it adds up.
How many irrigated farms in your area might have the same problem? — Walt D
Conservatively? Hundreds. Helena Valley alone has dozens of large irrigated operations. Plus livestock feeding operations, grain facilities, dairies near Great Falls. None of them are checking their rate schedules.
Sounds like you have a built-in referral network. Ranchers talk to each other. Do good work for a few neighbors and you'll have more clients than you can handle. — Anita W
Don't forget the small towns. Every rural Montana town has a school, clinic, grocery store, a few restaurants. Those are all commercial accounts nobody is auditing. — Wendell T
Small-town commercial is where a lot of easy wins are. The businesses are small enough that owners don't have energy managers. They just pay whatever shows up. — Terry M
Quick question — for small rural accounts, are the savings big enough to justify the audit? My $8,200 felt significant to me but how does that compare?
$8,200 on a single ag account is solid. For small rural commercial I typically find $2,000-8,000 per account. Not the $50K findings from big cities, but volume is there and competition is nonexistent. — Ken J
That's a solid plan forming, Marilyn. With your ag background and local knowledge, you're going to do very well. Keep us posted! — Randy D