What is Utility Auditing?

3 Ways an Utility Audit Can Help Your Business Thrive

utility auditing

Are you concerned about how high your energy bills are becoming? Are you looking for solutions that will help you cut costs and save your bottom line? While possessing the potential to be incredibly beneficial, the specifics of a commercial energy audit can remain a fuzzy gray area for many people. Whether you’ve been approached by another company offering to audit your facility, or you simply want to learn more about the process, Green Line Rates has all the information and guidance you need to answer the question, “What is an energy audit?” and how it can impact your business for the better. Read on to get started.

What is a Commercial Energy Audit?

No matter which strategies are used, the main goal of a commercial energy audit is to find cost-saving opportunities for your business. In many cases, the main driver behind that work is an on-site audit of your building, in which an auditor will collect data and suggest ways you can update your power systems and building to save on energy costs in the long run.

However, at Green Line Rates, we don’t believe you should have to spend money just to try saving it later. Our proprietary commercial energy audit algorithms and negotiation strategies are designed to tackle your excessive energy costs at the source: your power company rates and contracts. Additionally, our services cost nothing upfront, meaning you won’t owe us a thing unless you’ve fully realized your savings.

Types of Utilities That Are Audited

The utilities listed below are typically a variable cost for most businesses. By comprehensively auditing these utilities, businesses can identify opportunities for optimization and cost-saving measures across multiple areas. Here are the primary types of utilities typically audited:

Electricity Consumption:

Electricity is one of the most significant expenses for many businesses. Auditing electricity consumption involves analyzing usage patterns and therefore creating insights for ways to save on this cost.

Common areas of focus include lighting systems, HVAC systems, machinery, and many other industry specific equipment that uses electricity to operate.

Natural Gas Usage:

For businesses that rely on natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, or industrial processes, auditing natural gas usage is crucial. Assessing gas consumption patterns can reveal areas of inefficiency and opportunities for optimizing gas-powered systems.

Water Consumption:

Water is another essential utility that businesses consume daily. Auditing water consumption involves analyzing usage patterns, identifying leaks, and implementing water conservation strategies.

Areas of focus may include plumbing systems, irrigation systems (for outdoor landscapes), cooling systems, and processes that require water as a primary resource.

Waste Management and Recycling:

While not traditionally considered a utility, waste management plays a significant role in a business’s environmental footprint and operational costs. Auditing waste management practices can identify opportunities for waste reduction, recycling initiatives, and cost-saving measures.

Why You Should Have Your Utilities Audited

The short explanation for why a business should have their utilities audited is to save in the short term, and the long term. For a business looking for areas to save on their overhead costs, this can be a great place to start. It can be easy to overlook why your costs are so high in your utility bills, but when you actually look and investigate, there can be several areas for improvement and quick ways to cut costs. These savings can be a quick relief for a business in the short term and can yield great results in the long term as well.

While the primary focus of utility audits is on cost reduction and financial savings, it’s worth noting that these initiatives also have positive environmental implications. By minimizing energy consumption and adopting energy-efficient practices, businesses inadvertently reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to environmental sustainability.

What are the Steps of a GLR Energy Audit?

1. Kick-Off

The first step of an energy audit is for your auditor to learn more about your business and your facility. For example, Green Line Rates will start the audit process with a call, email, or a visit to you in person, asking questions that will help us identify your power sources and energy consumption schedule.

2. Utility bill analysis based on historical data

Regardless of what method you use, an experienced energy auditor will then go on to analyze your utility bills. This part of the process is where you begin to pinpoint your actual savings.

After analyzing your utility bills, auditors can then provide a summary of the areas and processes served by each utility service feed. It’s also where they will be able to:

 

  • Check for important contract compliance or billing errors
  • Discover both immediate and potential service optimization services
  • Find potential areas where negotiation can result in better rates or contract terms
  • File important missing paperwork
  • And begin to develop key overarching cost-saving strategies

 

Our proprietary algorithm analysis and negotiation tactics are designed to make the most of these opportunities, delivering a more profitable business to you.

3. Detailed Saving Report & Final Implementation

Once the auditor’s work is done, they will present a projected savings report for your review and approval. Once you approve and sign the Customer Contract Agreement, the auditor begins the implementation with your utility providers. From there, all you will have to do is watch the monthly savings roll in.

Utility Auditing Done Easy with Green Line Rates to Reduce Your Energy Expenditures

At Green Line Rates, we are ready to be your partner in reducing your commercial utility costs. Working on a contingency basis, we don’t require any upfront payment to save your company money. Instead, if we find utility cost reduction opportunities that will cut your annual expenses, we simply earn a percentage of those savings. If there aren’t any opportunities found, you don’t pay a thing.

 

If you’d like to get started on your risk-free energy audit, please contact our team today and get started on the next steps within 10 minutes.