Commercial Utility Bill Audit in Illinois: Find Billing Errors

A commercial utility bill audit asks a different question than a pricing review: not is this rate competitive, but is every charge on this bill correct. On complex commercial accounts — multiple meters, demand billing, tax exemptions, transportation status — errors do occur, and they persist until someone checks.

Who this is for

Businesses with commercial or industrial accounts where billing complexity creates room for error: manufacturers with tax exemptions, multi-meter facilities, accounts that changed rate class, and any operation that suspects a charge doesn't look right.

What an audit examines

Rate class / schedule — is the account on the correct tariff for its usage and demand profile? An account can be left on a schedule that no longer fits.
Meter data and multipliers — are reads, multipliers, and any CT/PT factors applied correctly, and do interval sums reconcile to billed usage?
Tax status and exemptions — is an applicable exemption (for example, an Illinois manufacturing exemption) correctly reflected, or is tax being charged that shouldn't be?
Utility riders and adjustments — do delivery riders and adjustments match the tariff for the account's class?
Supplier charges — do supply charges match the executed contract (rate, term, pass-throughs, fees)?

What an audit is not

It is not a promise of a refund or a savings figure. Whether an error exists — and whether it is recoverable — depends on the specific account and the utility's tariff and timeframes. We describe what can be checked and what a confirmed error means, without inventing an outcome.

Audit and review together

The bill review and the audit start from the same document and are complementary: the audit confirms the bill is correct, the review assesses whether the pricing and contract timing are competitive. Running both gives a complete picture before a renewal.

Getting started

Provide one or more recent commercial bills — ideally with a 12-month history and, for larger accounts, interval data and the meter/account inventory. Bills contain confidential account information; submit them only through the secure request rather than any public channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

QWhat does a utility bill audit check?

Accuracy against the applicable tariff and account setup: whether the account is on the correct rate class, whether meter multipliers and reads are applied correctly, whether applicable tax exemptions (for example a manufacturing exemption) are in place, and whether utility riders and supplier charges match the contract and tariff. The goal is to catch errors, not to shop supply.

QHow is an audit different from a bill review?

An audit is about correctness — is every charge right for this account under the tariff. A review is about pricing and timing — is the supply rate competitive and when does the contract end. An audit can surface recoverable errors; a review informs the renewal decision.

QCan billing errors be recovered?

Sometimes. Where a genuine error is confirmed — a wrong rate class, a misapplied multiplier, a missed exemption — it may be correctable and, depending on the utility's rules and timeframes, adjustable retroactively. Outcomes depend on the specific error and the utility's tariff, and cannot be promised in advance.