Before you start
Pick one summer bill with a demand charge. Open it beside last year’s bill for the same month and the current rate schedule.
Work in order: a wrong meter near the top spoils every later check. Note each mismatch with its line and amount.
Unfamiliar line? See the glossary.
The 16 checks, in bill order
Mark each one pass, fail or ask the utility.
Right account
The account number and service address match a site you actually operate.
Right meter
The meter number on the bill matches the meter on the wall or in your site list.
Read type
Both reads are actual, not estimated. Two estimates in a row need a call.
Read dates
The period starts the day the last one ended, with no gap or overlap.
Meter multiplier
The multiplier matches last year’s bills. A change rescales every number below it.
Usage math
End read minus start read, times the multiplier, equals the billed kWh.
Usage trend
Compare kWh with the same month last year. Any swing over 10% needs a written reason.
Billed demand
Billed kW equals measured peak, or the bill shows the ratchet or minimum that raised it.
Rate schedule
The schedule code is the one you expect, and the site still qualifies for it.
Prices match tariff
Energy and demand prices match the current tariff for this schedule and season.
Rider lines
Each rider listed applies to this schedule, and none appears twice.
Customer charges
One customer charge per account or meter, as the tariff sets, and none on closed accounts.
Power factor
If a power factor adjustment appears, the tariff allows it and the math checks out.
Taxes and fees
Sales tax and franchise fees match the service address; any exemption on file is applied.
Late fees
No late fee on a bill paid on time, and the last payment credited to this account.
Total adds up
The line items sum to the amount due, and that matches what accounts payable will pay.
When to call us
Call when a check fails and the utility’s answer does not settle it, when the same error shows up on several sites, or when you have more meters than hours. Bill Desk reads every bill against the tariff each month, from $12 per meter a month. A Back-Bill Review checks the last 36 months, from $3,500.
Or send us three bills
We run every check on three recent bills and write up what we find, free, within five business days.