Every store bill, read the same way
We track each store’s meters through openings, closings and lease changes.
A chain of 60 stores can carry 150 utility accounts, each too small for anyone to read closely. An error on one store’s rate schedule often repeats at every store opened the same way. We read them all against one peg, store by store.
Where store utility costs slip
Many small accounts
Each store carries two to four accounts, too small to audit alone and too many to skip.
Openings and closings
New stores start on the default schedule; closed stores keep billing until someone stops the account.
Landlord-billed utilities
Strip-center and mall tenants pay a landlord’s allocation, often with no meter read to check it against.
Rooftop unit demand
Rooftop units starting together on a July afternoon can set a small store’s demand charge for the month.
Where retail teams usually start
Bill Desk
Every store bill checked each month, from $12 per meter a month with a $450 monthly minimum.
Peg Baseline
A signed baseline per store, so an opening or closing changes the numbers in writing, not by accident.
Interval Watch
Interval data from stores with smart meters shows which rooftop units stack into a demand peak.
Rate Fit Review
Checks whether stores opened on a default schedule belong on another, up to 20 accounts per utility.
Ninety days, store by store
- Days 1 to 30
Map every store
Letters of authorization signed, bills pulled, and each meter tied to a store number and cost center.
- Days 31 to 60
First monthly read
Every store bill checked against the tariff; accounts still billing at closed stores and default schedules flagged.
- Days 61 to 90
Landlord charges checked
Landlord allocations compared with the lease clauses you send, and questions drafted for your real estate team.
Retail chain questions, answered
Can you check the utilities our landlord bills us for?
Yes, if you send the lease clause and the landlord’s invoices. We compare the allocation method in the lease with what is charged, and with any submeter reads or master bill the landlord shares. We draft the questions; your real estate team decides whether to send them.
What happens when we open or close a store?
We add or retire the store in writing the month it changes, so the baseline moves for a stated reason. For an opening we check the rate schedule on the first bill. For a closing we watch for bills that keep arriving after the final read and flag them to you.
Our stores are small. Does per-meter pricing make sense?
It depends on how many meters you have, so start with the free Three-Bill Read. Bill Desk is from $12 per meter a month with a $450 monthly minimum, which a very small chain may pay in full. If a smaller scope fits better, we say so in writing.
Can you help with rooftop unit demand charges?
We can show when and where the peaks happen. On stores with interval or smart meters, we find the demand intervals that set each month’s charge and the hours the units were starting. Changing controls or schedules is work for your mechanical contractor; we give them the times and the numbers.
Do you track stores outside Colorado?
Yes. Stores in any U.S. state are tracked remotely with the same method and the same monthly report. Each analyst learns the tariff books of the utilities in your portfolio before reading an account. Site visits outside the Front Range are billed at cost, and most retail work needs none.
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.