Utilities for not-for-profit and government
A city, a county office, a library system or a charity with several sites often holds dozens of utility accounts. Each one has its own meter, rate class and billing history.
A partner firm can review whether those accounts are billed as they should be. Fairview Audit connects not-for-profit and government bodies with partner firms. Fairview does not perform the review itself.
Why utilities matter for not-for-profit and government bodies
Public and charitable bodies tend to collect accounts over time. A building is acquired, a program moves, a lease ends. The account stays open, and the bill keeps arriving.
Some accounts exist for unusual purposes: street and signal lighting, water and sewer service to parks, pumping stations, community halls and emergency shelters. These can be billed on terms that differ from a normal office account.
Tax and fee treatment is a second issue. Utilities may add sales tax or other charges, and some public bodies and charities qualify for exemptions. An exemption only helps if the utility has the right certificate on file for the right account. [VERIFY: which exemptions apply in your jurisdiction and how certificates are filed]
What a review typically examines
A partner firm may look at the following for a body of this type:
- Accounts with little or no use that are still billed.
- Meters serving sites you no longer occupy, or sites now run by a tenant or another agency.
- Whether each account sits on the correct rate class for its actual use.
- Whether exemption certificates are on file and linked to every eligible account.
- Whether tax or surcharge lines appear on accounts that should be exempt.
- Street lighting inventories against what the utility bills for, such as fixtures removed or replaced.
- Late fees and deposits that were never credited back.
- Whether a grant or program should be paying for a given account, rather than the general fund.
Shared sites raise a further question. When a charity occupies part of a building, or an agency shares a facility, the split of the bill should match the sharing agreement.
Tip: Start with a list of every site you pay for today. Sites that cannot be matched to a current program are the first place a review looks.
What to have ready
- A list of accounts with the service address and the department or program responsible.
- Twelve months or more of bills, where available. [CONFIRM: partner industry detail on how much history a firm asks for]
- Any exemption certificates and letters from the utility.
- Franchise or service agreements with the utility, if your body has one.
- Street and signal lighting inventories, where they apply.
- Lease or sharing agreements for shared sites.
- A list of billing problems your staff has already raised.
How matching works
Pick the request path that fits: larger business, smaller business or not sure or another need. There is no fixed size cut-off between the two types of firm. Your request goes to the matched partner firm, or to Fairview for manual matching. After that you talk with the firm directly, and any fees are agreed between you and the firm.
Public bodies may have rules on how outside firms are engaged. Check with your procurement office before agreeing to anything. If you want to see the whole sequence, read how it works.
An independent partner firm that specializes in utilities handles this work. Fairview Audit makes the match. We do not perform the review ourselves.Who does the work
FAQ
Can a review cover accounts held by several departments?
Yes. Gathering them into one list is often the first step, and the partner firm works from that list.
Does an exempt organization still need to check its bills?
Yes. An exemption on paper does not guarantee the bill reflects it. A review compares the two.
Who deals with the utility if an error is found?
You and the partner firm agree how to approach the utility. You stay involved, and you decide how to proceed.
Related pages
See the parent page on utilities and the not-for-profit and government industry page. Organizations with grant funding may also read grant and single-audit compliance for not-for-profit and government.
Tell us what you need reviewed. We match you by hand with an independent partner firm. You keep your existing vendors.Find out what you are overpaying.