This article is part of a series on our savings process. You can read more about our audit process here!
If you knew there was an 80% chance of reducing your expenses, would you go for it?
When it comes to our waste, utility, and telecom audits, the odds are in your favor! Over our 17 year history, we’ve seen that that 80% of companies nationwide can save on their utility and telecom - and 90% of companies can save on waste.
Dozens of companies like yours have already gone through our audit program - and saved thousands in the process.
One of the most frequent questions we get asked is “Where exactly do you find savings? What aspects of my portfolio show overlooked savings?”
Most savings we find generally fall into five buckets.
We usually find savings by:
Finding and implementing your ideal service levels
Changing on-site equipment
Finding credits
Reviewing meter usage
Reviewing on-going invoices
We’ve found substantial savings in just one of these buckets - and in all of them combined. It all depends on the specifics of your company. Let’s take a detailed look at each of these buckets.
Finding and implementing your ideal service levels
When we conduct our waste and utility audits, we often find that companies are not receiving their ideal service levels.
Psst! Download our free guide to savings!
We’re actually in the middle of an audit with one of our clients right now where we’re evaluating this very thing. This particular client has over a dozen hotels in the Midwest, and we’re going to determine if we should negotiate contracts with seasonal clauses.
Since hotels are typically booked more often during holidays and summer, their waste needs will likely fluctuate. They’ll benefit from service levels that reflect this fluctuation. So we’re crunching numbers and reviewing invoice history to figure out how much usage fluctuates over an eight month period. We’re comparing the number of overages to the occupancy rates to see if there’s a correlation.
Sound like a lot of effort? It is! But this level of scrutiny is what makes our audits so effective.
Changing on-site equipment
When we do a waste audit, we frequently find that by changing the kind of on-site equipment, the company can realize substantial savings.
Consider this example:
A recent client was using a 20 yard roll-off container on their location. These containers are often used at construction site for debris. They were using this size container at two different locations at the same property, but after analyzing their cost and the waste stream we determined that neither of these containers were a good fit.
We knew 8 yard dumpsters would be cheaper - and we knew that they’re easier to work worth, take up less space and look much better! We recommended replacing both of them with 8 yard dumpster to be picked up once per week.
The result? This simple fix saved the client $997/month!
Finding utility and telecom credits
Just this past month, we partnered with a client who had signed what turned out to be a pretty decent waste service agreement. They had specified in their contract that they were not going to be charged for a fee called Regulatory Cost Recovery. But guess what? A few months after the contract took effect, their vendor charged them for it - and didn’t stop!
We found several hundred dollars in credits, addressed the issue with the vendor, and got the client their credits in the span of about three weeks.
We apply this level of thoroughness to every aspect of your portfolio - whether it’s waste, utility, or telecom audits. Your bottom line deserves nothing less.
Reviewing meter usage
Meters gauge your energy consumption and your power quality measurements. Their readings are gauged and the electric company reads them to know what you should be charged each month.
How often do you check your meters? As companies grow and jobs change hands, meters can be forgotten in the shuffle.
The more meters you have, the more likely it is that you’re being incorrectly charged for them. You may be charged for meters that are no longer in use. You may have too many meters on your site.
We’ve seen this time and time again - companies grow, and buildings change hands. It’s easy to forget things like meter usage in the tyranny of the urgent. There will always be more pressing things to think about.
But the beauty of what we do is that whatever savings we find compounds. It’s not just about the savings you get in the first month; but in the overall savings you benefit from over time.
Saving $100 every month on your utility bill may not sound like much, but in the first year you’ll save $1200. In the next four years, you’ll save almost $5000. So in the life of your property, you can easily save thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Audits are zero-risk investment that compound over time.
Reviewing on-going invoices
We know it's not enough to find savings for you - we make sure your savings are protected. First, we ensure that your invoices are in accordance with the stipulations in your service agreement. As in the example above, sometimes service providers agree to one thing, then charge for another! Your vendors need detailed oversight.
Second, we seek credits on your behalf. We’ve come to realize that support staff and administrators often are pressed for time. They don’t always have the time to spare; they don’t have several hours over the span of a week to work out issues with their hauler. So we make those calls for you; freeing up your time and your staff’s time - and ensuring that you get whatever credits you’re due.
Read more about how we fight for credits!
How long will you wait to start saving?
We’ve tailored our process for cost-conscious companies that want to find savings, but who are short on time.
Our risk-free audit process requires zero capital outlay, and is guaranteed to be cash-flow positive. In other words, we’ve made sure you have nothing to lose - and everything to gain!
Want to learn more about the effects of our audits? What questions do you have waste or utility audits? Want to know more about them? Let me know your thoughts below!