Who is the best candidate for an audit? Someone who is short on time - and sees the cost-reduction potential in an audit!
Most people don’t know they’re sitting on savings. What they do know is that they don’t really have the time or resources to find them.
We help companies champion their bottom lines through our exhaustive audits.
Let’s take a few minutes to examine five aspects that make you a great candidate for an audit.
You have:
Not evaluated your invoices in the past year
Multiple utility meters
Expense line items that you can’t explain to your fifth grader
Multiple telephone lines
Multiple locations
Sound familiar? If one of these rings true, you’re likely sitting on savings.
Your Invoices Aren’t Monitored
So if you haven’t really looked at your utility invoices recently - don’t worry! You’re in good company. With all the different responsibilities you have, sometimes there simply is no time.
(Curious what an audit is?)
Our services are perfect for people who don’t have the time or resources to complete their own audit. We do all the work for you, then show you the exact steps to take to save.
But even if you aren’t going to do your own audit, it’s still helpful to know what to look for an your invoice.
To find your ideal usage status, all invoices need to be analyzed for:
Meter usage vs energy usage
Line item status
Potential errors
When we find discrepancies in any one of the categories, you are owed credits!
And to really find where you’re overspending, your invoice history needs to be reviewed. We typically examine the last 12 months of all utility and telecom invoices for each of your locations. We occasionally go beyond the last year, but most states operate under a statute of limitations of 36 months.
This means that if we found that you were due a credit on a bill that is more than 36 months ago, you probably aren’t legally eligible to receive it.
You Have Multiple Meters
The more meters you have, the more likely it is that you have billing errors for them. Meters gauge your energy consumption and your power quality measurements, but they can also show device inefficiencies.
Examining your meters can yield billing credits or savings as the result of finding inefficiencies.
You Have Inexplicable Line Items
In order to understand your bill, you have to know what you’re being charged. That can be really difficult, because line items aren’t always clear.
Examples of some telecom line items are:
Access Recovery Charge: this is basically a made-up charge; it’s not technically associated with any real cost. It’s not a tax, and it’s not a government fee. Telecom companies charge it to make up for lost revenue.
Universal Service Charge: this charge supports telecommunications services at affordable rates for people in high-cost or rural areas.
Minimum Monthly Charge: you incur this cost when you don’t make long distance calls.
(Find more information about these charges and many others here!)
Some of these charges are legitimate, others are not.
To tell the difference, ask your telecom provider for help deciphering your phone bill. Don’t be afraid to ask about reducing or eliminating some of these charges from your phone bill - they may be willing to work with you.
You Have Multiple Telephone Lines
If you have more than just a few phone lines, you’re likely an ideal candidate for a utility audit. More lines = more savings opportunities.
Say you have 100 phone lines, and you find a $1.00 fee reduction for every line. You’re already saving $100 a month with just that one change!
You Have Multiple Locations
More locations can mean more savings. You can get better rates and any changes you make to your utilities will have a bigger impact.
If you have multiple locations, you can take advantage of standardized pricing. Suppose you have three different office buildings, but they’re all getting charged at different rates by the same electric company. You can ask the utility provider to provide standard pricing for all three.
Standardizing the pricing will help you save - in the short term and in the long run! You won’t be overpaying at any of your properties once the new pricing takes effect. And you can also budget with confidence since you’ll know what your prices will be for the foreseeable future.
Savings Can Be Yours!
Did these scenarios ring true to you? If so, why not reach out for a free audit? It requires zero-capital outlay from you, and the results can positively impact your organization for years to come.
Our audits work! 80% of companies in the US are overpaying for their utilities and telecom. Why be one of them?