Who is Utility Management Services?
How does it work?
What if I have already had an audit done in the past?
How much in savings is worthwhile?
How many rates are available and why not just try to do this myself?
Will I need to change my operations or purchase special equipment?
Will you change my electric company or impact my service quality?
How much does it cost to have my accounts reviewed?
What do we need to do in order to have you review our electric accounts?
It sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?
Who is Utility Management Services?
Founded in 1998 by a power company executive and professional engineer, Utility Management Services (UMS) is the leading provider of electric bill auditing and rate analysis services in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. UMS is a long-standing member of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). In addition, we are Certified Energy Procurement Professionals, Certified Business Energy Professionals and White Sponsor of the World Energy Engineering Conference. In 10 years of service, we have obtained over $41 million dollars in electric refunds and savings for our customers.
How does it work?
We obtain one to two years worth of your billing histories directly from your electric company – you do not have to locate and copy all of your bills. We then conduct an off-site comprehensive audit and analysis to search for errors and overcharges on your billing. These overcharges could be due to inappropriate fees, billing errors, meter reading errors, incorrect or inappropriate rate applications, inaccurate base charges, and more. It typically takes us two to three weeks to complete the analysis. If we find that you have been overcharged, we will obtain the refunds, credits and savings for you due to those errors and overcharges we identify.
What if I have already had an audit done in the past?
Most internal audits look for blatant errors, and compare current month billing to previous month, or to the same month, previous year. There are other firms that offer energy management services, such as consulting on conservation efforts or efficiency programs, however, they do not have expertise in the complex world of electric billing and rate structures. We have conducted audits for numerous organizations that had some type of audit done in the past and have more often than not found significant savings for them. We do one thing and we do it very well. And since there is no cost to you to have us conduct an analysis, there is no reason not to do it.
How much in savings is worthwhile?
Any savings is worthwhile! Keep in mind that any money we find goes direct to your bottom line. This means that our recovering or reducing your electric operating expenses can have a very immediate and substantial impact — and make funds available that you didn’t have before. Whether you are spending $500 per month or $500,000 per month, a 10%, 20%, or even 50% or more recovery or reduction can be very significant.
How many rates are available and why not just try to do this myself?
A typical electric company has dozens of different rates which can be combined with various riders and qualifiers, resulting in even more complex combinations and possibilities. The electric companies, while governed by the Utilities Commission, are not required to audit their own billing. In addition, they are not required and do not have the incentive or capability to keep customers on the lowest rate possible for their particular usage and volume patterns. Further, they are ‘for profit’ and most are monopolies. That is why our company was founded — to offer our expertise to businesses in order to help them recover and save money. Our professional engineers, rate analysts, and billing auditors are industry experts — we do nothing other than electric rate and billing analyses. This includes staying abreast of everything the Utilities Commissions have pending with regard to rates and policies, as well as optimizing savings and reductions due to the frequent changes to rates, riders, and qualifiers that the electric companies impose.
Most power providers automatically place you on a default rate when you sign up for service. We help you find the rate that is best suited for your line of business. We will model your actual usage against all available utility rate schedules to ensure you are on the most advantageous rate and rider combination for your level and pattern of usage. There are never any costs to switch to a new rate with your electrical provider. We simply find a better rate for you.
Will I need to change my operations or purchase special equipment?
No. Your actual consumption and usage pattern is reviewed to determine whether refunds or savings are possible with no changes to your operations, no interruptions, no purchase, and no time required of you or your staff.
Will you change my electric company or impact my service quality?
No. We will not change your utility provider or impact the quality or reliability of your electric service. You will continue to receive the same electric service and continue to be billed from your electric company.
How much does it cost to have my accounts reviewed?
Nothing. There is no fee for us to conduct the historical audit and rate structure analysis. If we do not identify any savings, you don’t pay us a cent. If we do recover money or find savings for you, we split what we actually obtain, so you can only come out ahead.
What do we need to do in order to have you review our electric accounts?
Simply complete the customer authorization with your basic contact information and fax it to us along with a copy of one recent bill for each of your electric accounts. We will obtain one to two years of complete detailed billing histories directly from your electric company(s), and conduct the comprehensive analysis at our corporate office so we do not disrupt your office or take time away from you or your staff. We will typically have results of our review back to you within two to three weeks.
It sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?
There is no catch. You will find that the service we provide and our authorization form are simple and straightforward.
If you have any questions or need additional information,
please call our toll free number (1-888-867-3230), or
Contact your Area Manager
