Utilities stop being the late item
Accruals, cost center coding and variance notes, ready for month-end close.
Utility bills arrive on dozens of cycles, and close does not wait for them. The accrual copies last year, the variance is explained weeks later, and AP keys every bill by hand. We deliver the accrual, coding and reasons on your close calendar.
Why utilities hold up close
Bills after close
Many bills land after the books close, so the accrual copies last year’s number.
Allocation by hand
Meters shared across cost centers are split on a spreadsheet only one person can follow.
Variance without reasons
Budget variance arrives as a number; the reason (weather, rates or a new site) comes weeks later.
AP keying load
Accounts payable keys hundreds of small bills a month, each with its own account number and due date.
Where finance teams usually start
Bill Desk
A monthly accrual file, GL coding per meter and a CSV export, from $12 per meter a month.
Peg Baseline
A weather-normalized baseline per site, so budget variance splits into weather, rate and usage.
Back-Bill Review
Thirty-six months reread for a fixed fee from $3,500, every correction documented for your auditors.
Portfolio Energy Plan
A five-year cost plan by site that FP&A can load straight into next year’s budget.
Three closes to a quiet one
- First close
Meters coded
Every meter tied to a site, cost center and GL code your controller approves in writing.
- Second close
First accrual file
Estimated cost for every bill not yet received, by cost center, on the day your close calendar sets.
- Third close
Variance explained
Budget against actual by site, each swing split into weather, rate and usage, one line apiece.
Questions from controllers and FP&A
How do you estimate the accrual?
From each meter’s own history, adjusted for weather and days in the period, then priced on the current rate schedule. When the actual bill arrives, we show the difference against the accrual so the true-up is one line. The method is written down, so your auditors can follow it.
Can you map costs to our chart of accounts?
Yes. Every meter is tied to a site, cost center and GL code your team approves before the first report. Shared meters get a written split rule. When a cost center changes, we change the mapping from a stated date, and never backdate it without your sign-off.
Do you pay the bills or change our AP process?
No. AP keeps paying the utilities. We check each bill before its due date and send a coded file your team can import or key from, so approvals rest on a checked number. Where a utility offers summary billing, we can help you request it.
What audit trail do you keep?
Every bill, the check we ran on it, any dispute filed and the credit that followed, stored by account and month. Baseline changes are logged with a date and a written reason. At year-end you receive the full file, and the data stays yours if we part ways.
Can you help build next year’s utility budget?
Yes, site by site. We start from the baseline, apply known changes such as openings, closings and longer hours, and price them on current tariffs with any filed rate cases noted. You get a monthly budget per site with every assumption listed beside it.
Tell us about your portfolio
A 30-minute call, three recent bills if you have them, and a plain read on where to look first.