Managing utility cost across several sites

Start with one record of every site and every supply, with the contract, end date, meter type and occupier against each. Reconcile that record against the invoices, then compare sites on a basis that removes size, such as consumption per square metre or per opening hour. Hold all renewal dates in one calendar, and check each period's invoices against the contract so exceptions are caught as they arise rather than at renewal.

Not necessarily. A single agreement across the estate simplifies administration and lets the volume be tendered together, but it also means every site takes the same term and the same price date. Where sites have very different demand profiles or uncertain tenure, keeping some separate can be the better answer. The comparison is made on your actual sites rather than as a rule.

Compare consumption against a unit of activity rather than against cost. Per square metre, per bed, per cover or per opening hour, depending on the trade. Then compare base load, meaning what continues overnight when the site is closed. A site that is high on both is usually a controls or plant question rather than a behaviour one.

Send the invoices and the date you handed the site back. A supply left in your name after a lease ends is normally billed at deemed rates, and the correction depends on evidencing the change of occupancy to the supplier. That is raised with the clause and the dates behind it, and any credit is recorded on the file when it lands.

No. The supply record, the invoices, the contracts and the meter data are enough to build the comparison and find the billing errors. A visit is only needed where a finding points to plant or controls and somebody has to look at the equipment.

The first review across your invoices costs nothing. You see what reconciles against the contract and what does not before any fee is discussed. Where you then appoint us, the fee and how it is calculated are set out in writing and agreed before the work begins.

A recent full invoice for each meter, the supply numbers, the contracts or agreed rates, a list of sites with the tenure of each, and a signed letter of authority so we can put questions to suppliers on your account.

Invoices each period, so an error is caught in the month it appears. The site ranking is usually enough quarterly, and the renewal calendar should be reviewed at least as often as your shortest remaining contract allows time to tender.