The following are some of the billing errors that occur on a regular basis:

• bills for non-existent meters
• bills with overlapping readings or billing periods
• bills calculated with wrong meter multipliers
• bills calculated using incorrect rates
• bills that are overestimated

Depending on the size of the building, these overcharges can cost thousands of dollars each month.

Example #1

A hospital in NYC was being billed for one of its water meters that had been previously removed. For nearly five years, the water company billed this non-existent meter based on "actual" readings. Our site-survey led to the discovery that this meter no longer existed. Upon advising DEP of this blatant error, ATUC obtained a refund for the customer of more than $400,000.

Example #2

For the same hospital, ATUC discovered that the bills for a gas meter increased by 10 times as much, after the said meter was replaced. Our analysis revealed that the replacement meter's instrument drive was incorrectly set. Our claim to the utility company resulted in a refund of approximately $500,000.

Example #3

A branch office in NYC for a large outdoor advertisement company was being issued estimated water bills, which increased in a year's time from approximately $1,000 annually to more than $12,000. For four years, the client paid the high bills. ATUC took actual readings during the site-survey, and presented the water company with historical readings showing how this customer could never have consumed this much water. As a result, the customer was credited close to $40,000.

Example #4

Our telecom audit for a hotel chain revealed that they were being billed incorrectly for the mileage component of one of their high capacity circuits. We obtained a refund of about $18,000 and future savings of about $12,000 annually.