Notes from the audit desk
What we learn auditing commercial utility bills, written for finance, facilities and energy teams.
AP operations · October 14, 2026
Why utility bills are the least-audited line on a multi-site P&L
Rent, payroll and freight get reviewed line by line. Utility bills get paid on approval. Here is why, and what it costs a 200-site operator.
- September 2, 2026How demand ratchets quietly inflate cold storage billsOne spike can set your billing demand for the next 11 months. How ratchet clauses work, why refrigeration triggers them, and how to find a false one.7 min
- July 21, 2026Back-billing windows: why waiting a quarter to audit costs real moneyRefund lookback periods are finite and they move forward every month. What that means for the timing of an audit and a claim.6 min
- June 9, 2026Rate class drift after a store remodel or refrigeration upgradeA remodel changes the load, but the rate schedule on the account may not follow. How to spot a site billed on the wrong class after a capital project.6 min
- May 12, 2026Power factor penalties: reading the kVAR lineWhat kVAR and kVA mean on a commercial bill, how utilities penalize low power factor, and how to tell a real penalty from a billing or metering error.7 min
- April 14, 2026What a utility actually needs to approve a refund claimUtility billing analysts approve claims they can verify. A practical list of the documents, calculations and tariff references that get a refund accepted.6 min
- March 17, 2026Sewer charges on water that never reached the sewerCooling towers and irrigation consume water that never enters the sanitary sewer. How sewer billing works and how deduct and irrigation meters correct it.6 min
- March 2, 2026Utility data for Scope 2 reporting without a second data projectThe same bill data that drives an audit also feeds Scope 2 emissions inventories. How to capture it once and use it for both.6 min
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