Service
Tariff and Rate Audits
The right tariff for the way you actually use power.
At a glance
- Typical commercial savings
- 8 to 22%
- Engagement length
- 3 to 5 weeks
- Refund eligibility window
- up to 36 months
A tariff and rate audit verifies that your facility is billed under the optimal utility schedule for its actual load profile. Most commercial accounts in the BGE, PEPCO, and Delmarva service territories are eligible for multiple rate schedules, and many sit on the wrong one for years. We pull twelve to twenty-four months of interval data, compare your usage against every eligible schedule, and recommend the rate that produces the lowest annualized cost.
- Reviews all eligible rate schedules, not just the obvious ones
- Models seasonal and time-of-use exposure across rate options
- Identifies rate misclassification, the single most common large-dollar finding
- Quantifies refund eligibility for past misclassification where statutes allow
What we find
The specific patterns this discipline catches
- 01
Rate misclassification across general service, demand, and primary voltage tiers
- 02
Recent PSC or PUC rate case rulings that affect your effective charges
- 03
Regulatory overcharges where surcharges were ruled invalid or reduced
- 04
Aggregation opportunities for facilities with multiple meters
How this engagement runs
From first bill to documented savings
We pull interval data and twelve to twenty-four months of bills directly from your utility account. We model your consumption under every rate schedule your meter qualifies for, including any recently approved schedules and demand-managed alternatives. We then deliver a written recommendation with the projected annual delta, the switching procedure, and any refund or back-credit eligibility for prior misclassification.
In depth
Common questions, answered
What is a utility tariff and why does it matter?
A utility tariff is the rate schedule under which your meter is billed. Each utility files dozens of schedules with the state Public Service Commission, each engineered for a different customer profile: low-load general service, demand-metered medium load, primary-voltage industrial, time-of-use, interruptible, and so on. The schedule you are on dictates every line item on your bill: the base energy rate, the demand charge structure, the rider mix, and the eligibility for procurement competition. A facility billed under the wrong schedule overpays month after month, often by five or six figures annually, with no notification from the utility. Utilities are obligated to bill correctly under federal and state law, but they are not obligated to optimize for you.
How do you find rate misclassification?
We compare your actual usage profile against every eligible rate schedule. The work requires interval data, which utilities meter every fifteen to sixty minutes for any demand-metered account. We model your bill under each candidate schedule for the past twelve to twenty-four months, accounting for time-of-use windows, demand windows, ratchet provisions, and rider eligibility. The optimal schedule is the one with the lowest total cost across the modeled period. Misclassification typically surfaces in three patterns: a facility growing past a general service threshold into demand territory but never reclassified, a seasonal occupancy mismatch with the rate window, or a primary-voltage account billed under secondary terms.
What is a PSC or PUC rate case and how does it affect my bill?
A rate case is a regulatory proceeding in which a utility petitions its state Public Service Commission or Public Utility Commission to change the rates it charges. Cases happen every two to four years per utility. They can shift base rates, demand charges, rider components, and tax pass-throughs by single-digit to low-double-digit percentages, both up and down. Approved settlements take effect on a specific date, often retroactively in some components. We track every active rate case in BGE, PEPCO, Delmarva Power, and Washington Gas territories, calculate the effective change to your specific bill, and flag any refund or true-up obligations the utility owes you under the settlement.
Related services
Often deployed alongside
Send us a bill. We will tell you what we see.
Fifteen minutes with one of your invoices is usually enough to see whether there is meaningful savings on the table.