PES Was Listed As The 3rd Fastest Growing Private Company In Silicon Valley By The San Jose Business Journal
Fequently Asked Quesitons (FAQ's)
Q:Why would we need an audit of our utility and telecom bills? A:You need an audit to verify the accuracy of past charges, to study all options available and to assess your pricing in the market. Beyond finding errors it is nearly impossible to recover past overcharges without an experienced auditor. That's because most major utilities and telecom vendors have created massive bureaucracies which do little except to cause frustration in trying to deal with them. Our experienced staff get past the layers and to the decision makers who can authorize payment. We are well known to most utilities across the nation and they know that we only present well researched, documented claims.
Q:How can an audit reduce my costs? A:Most vendors have options available to you, but do not offer them unless you specifically request them. It's like checking into a hotel and asking the price. They may say its $150 per night. That may be the rack rate. You could accept it or ask "Is there a AAA discount?" "Yes, that reduces your cost to $135" You could continue to ask "Is there a business rate?" "Yes, that reduces your cost to $120". And so it goes. If you don't know what to ask for you don't get it. We know what to ask to get you the best pricing. And because we see so many contracts, we know just how good the good deals are.
Lastly, a change in operational characteristics affecting usage patterns, tariff changes by the vendors or changes in the regulatory process are compelling reasons to have an on-going review.
Q:How do you know the best option for me? A:We study your bills and identify your usage patterns. Then, we use our proprietary software to predict load profiles, perform checks on the bills and project costs under various scenarios. We will not only identify savings, but we will also probe for misapplied or miscalculated taxes and credits. Since 1988 we have continuously improved our methods of auditing to insure that our customers reap all financial benefits available today and in the future. There are a few off-the-shelf software packages that promise to optimize your rate plan, but almost all were originally designed for another purpose and not specifically to optimize your plan. These packages use what's called SIC based analysis. They use generalized data about your industry and base all assumptions on the industry average. This is a very gross method that could increase your costs. All of our analysis are site and customer specific.
Q:What do I need to do to get an Audit? A:It is easy and simple. After you sign the agreement, all we need is a Letter of Authorization (LOA - which we will supply) and the most recent bills, to get us started. The LOA will allow us to contact your utility vendors, obtain the past billing histories, and represent you..
Q:How much time should I expect to spend to perform the audit? A:Hardly any time. The process for getting started should take no more than one hour inmost cases. As our service is turn-key, we will initiate all claims and follow-up on our recommendations with the utilities. The utilities may require that you sign off for any claims and changes.
Q:When do I know the results of the audit? A:As soon as we finalize the review process, we will issue a customized comprehensive report for every account. The report will detail our findings and recommendations. It will also include the letters of authorization to implement the new options. Most of our audits are completed within six weeks from the date of the agreement.
Q:How much does PES charge to perform the audit? A:We are compensated on performance in a shared savings arrangement. A set up fee based upon the number and size of your accounts, is required upon the execution of the contract. This one time up-front fee applies to all utility bill audits collectively. In other words we will audit your electric bills, your gas, water, sewer and telecom bills and continue monitoring those costs over the life of the agreement for only one fee.
