Utility bill audits by industry
Every industry overpays on its utility bills in its own way. A cold store's risk is demand and ratchets; a paper mill's is standby service and boiler gas; a private equity portfolio's is the accounts that changed hands at closing. Each page below covers what goes wrong in that industry, what we check and what clients have recovered.
Discovery Energy audits electricity and natural gas bills on contingency for multi-site commercial and industrial companies in 11 industries: manufacturing, chemical distribution, food and protein processing, agribusiness, steel and metals, renewable natural gas, cold storage and logistics, warehousing and distribution, plastics, paper and packaging, and private equity portfolio companies.
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Industries we serve
| Industry | Facilities | What we check first | Documented result (client) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Multi-plant manufacturers | Demand, ratchets, rate class and gas service | $374,326 in refunds, national steel company |
| Chemical distribution | Warehouses, terminals, acquired sites | Acquired and closed sites, rate classes and riders across every utility | $500,000+ a year across 215+ facilities |
| Food and protein processing | Meat, poultry, dairy, bakery and beverage plants | Seasonal rates, demand, ratchets and gas service | $166,957 recovered, protein processor |
| Agribusiness | Grain elevators, flour and feed mills, oilseed plants, irrigation | Agricultural rates, riders, ratchets and meters | $117,412 in refunds, about $120,000 a year |
| Steel and metals | Steel mills, foundries, galvanizers | Gas schedules, demand, ratchets and rate class | 17 misclassified accounts, $150,000+ a year |
| RNG producers | Renewable natural gas plants and fueling stations | Compression power, demand, gas service and fueling station bills | $3,959,202 in refunds across 10 states |
| Cold storage and logistics | Refrigerated warehouses, cold chain 3PLs | Demand, ratchets, time-of-use, capacity tags and rate class | Industrial services provider: late fees ended across 103 facilities |
| Warehousing and distribution | Warehouses, distribution centers, 3PL networks | Rate class, charging demand, estimated reads and closed-site accounts | Industrial services provider: 100% of spend in one dashboard |
| Plastics | Molders, extruders, film plants | Rate class, demand, power factor and voltage | All case studies |
| Paper and packaging | Paper mills, converting and box plants | Standby service, demand, power factor, boiler gas and classification | Steel company: 17 misclassified accounts, $374,326 in refunds |
| Private equity portfolio companies | Platform and add-on companies | Diligence, the 100-day plan, add-on integration, exit readiness, Scope 2 data | Chemical distributor: $300,000+ in refunds across 215+ facilities |
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What every industry has in common
The industries differ in load, but the errors come from the same places: an account set up for how a site used to run, a meter changed without the multiplier being updated, a seasonal rate applied on the wrong date, a rider nobody opted out of, or an acquired site billed under its old owner's classification. The billing error library explains each one.
The work is the same in every industry: we review 36 to 48 months of electricity and natural gas bills for every account against the tariffs, file documented claims you approve, and are paid only from refunds and verified savings. Nothing on the plant floor changes and no site visit is needed. How a utility bill audit works.
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Industry not listed?
Past clients range from regional credit unions to global manufacturers. Any organization with many electric or gas accounts, several utilities, mixed load profiles or recent acquisitions is a fit. Multi-site energy management covers portfolios of 10 to more than 1,000 accounts across the US and Canada.
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Questions buyers ask
Which industries do you audit utility bills for?
Manufacturing, chemical distribution, food and protein processing, agribusiness, steel and metals, renewable natural gas, cold storage and logistics, warehousing and distribution, plastics, paper and packaging, and private equity portfolio companies, plus other multi-site organizations with many utility accounts.
Does an audit disrupt production?
No. The audit works from bills, tariffs and utility data, with no site visit. Service is never interrupted, and you approve every claim and account change before it is filed.
What does it cost?
Nothing upfront. Discovery Energy is paid 15% to 50% of refunds and verified savings, only after you receive them.
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.