Utility bill audits for plastics manufacturers
Plastics plants turn electricity into heat and motion: barrel heaters, hydraulic and electric presses, extruder drives, chillers, cooling towers, resin dryers and compressed air. Most run long shifts at high load, which puts the rate class, demand and power factor at the center of the bill.
Why plastics bills drift
- A plant that added presses or a second shift may now qualify for a large-power or high-load-factor schedule it was never moved to.
- Press and extruder start-ups create demand spikes; under a ratchet, one bad month can set billing demand for a year.
- Large motor loads lower power factor, and some tariffs charge for it or bill on kVA.
- Chillers and cooling work hardest on summer afternoons, when capacity tags and seasonal rates are set.
- Plants that take service at primary voltage can be billed at the secondary rate if the meter or account setup is wrong.
What an audit checks
| Check | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Rate class against load factor | Round-the-clock molding and extrusion often fit high-load-factor schedules |
| Demand and ratchets | Start-up peaks can set billing demand for months |
| Power factor | Charges billed on wrong readings, or penalties a correction could remove |
| Service voltage | Primary-voltage plants billed at secondary rates |
| Meter multiplier | Service upgrades for new presses can change the multiplier without the bill following |
| Capacity tags | Summer chiller load sets a year of PJM capacity cost |
saved for a multi-location manufacturer. See the manufacturing results and all case studies.
Buying power for steady plastics load
A plant that runs steadily across shifts is easy for suppliers to price, which tends to favor fixed or block and index contracts in deregulated markets. An audit first, then procurement, keeps the contract from locking in a wrong rate class or capacity tag.
Frequently asked questions
What drives a plastics plant's electric bill?
Heat and motion: barrel heaters, press and extruder drives, chillers, cooling towers, dryers and compressed air, usually across long shifts, so demand and rate class matter as much as kWh.
Can a plastics plant be on the wrong rate class?
Often. A plant that added presses or shifts may qualify for a large-power or high-load-factor schedule. Only the utility's tariff decides.
Will an audit disrupt production?
No. Audits work from bills, tariffs and utility records, so presses and lines never stop.
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.