utility expense reduction
When speaking with many community managers, I often hear this: “We will just install water sub-meters” in response to their ever increasing water and sewer utility costs. However, this choice is much more complicated and treacherous than it seems.
The CPUC sets rates every three years in a public process, which includes public participation hearings held throughout SCE’s 50,000-square-mile service area. SCE files thousands of pages of documents to detail why the funding is needed and responds to requests from the commission’s public interest arm, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates, and other public interest groups.
One of the advantages of the trend toward a paperless world is that almost all city-operated utilities and utility companies now allow you to have online access to your utility bills, generally for up to a retroactive 3-year period of time!
Some residential consumers spend hours researching different smartphone data plans and cable services to save only a few dollars a month. By understanding what utility tariffs are and which ones are available, residents can unlock a new way to save more money in less time.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a utility audit is a formal review of a house’s energy use that provides recommendations for energy-efficiency measures such as weather-striping, caulking and insulation. But a different type of utility audit examines your utility use and whether you are being overcharged for your utilities. The first question to ask yourself is: Are you paying too much for utilities?