Utility bill audit vs energy procurement
A utility bill audit is backward-looking: it tests whether historical and current bills were calculated correctly and recovers overcharges. Energy procurement is forward-looking: it sets the price and terms of future supply. They solve different problems, so a good supply contract does not fix past billing errors, and fixing past bills does not secure future pricing.
| Utility bill audit | Energy procurement | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Were we billed correctly? | What should we pay for future supply? |
| Time direction | Past and present bills | Future contracts |
| Where it applies | Every market, regulated and deregulated | Only where customer choice exists |
| What it changes | Rate class, riders, meters, classifications, refunds | Supplier, product, term, timing |
| Typical result | Refunds plus lower recurring bills | Lower or more predictable supply cost |
| Typical fee | Contingency on results | Monthly fee or supplier commission |
Discovery offers both because they depend on each other. See utility bill audits and energy procurement.
Questions buyers ask
Which should come first?
Usually the audit. If an account is on the wrong rate class or misclassified, that error becomes part of the baseline used to evaluate supply bids.
Does procurement work in regulated states?
Competitive supply is only available where the state allows customer choice. Audits apply everywhere, regulated or not.
Find out what your bills should have cost.
Send one recent bill per site, or a list of accounts. We tell you where we expect findings before you sign anything. No upfront audit fee.