Large Portfolios, Large Hidden Costs: How to Audit Property Companies' Electricity Bills

Why manual review is rarely enough

A property company with 150 metering points receives approximately 1,800 electricity invoices per year. Manually checking every line is not realistic – yet 1–2% of invoices contain errors. Annually, this amounts to several hundred thousand SEK that go unnoticed.

Types of errors frequently missed

• Estimated readings. If “estimated” appears instead of an actual reading, there is a high risk of later correction.
• Incorrectly charged power/demand tariff. The contract does not permit the tariff, or the fuse class is incorrect.
• Suddenly increased mark-up. The mark-up has changed without a written adjustment to the contract.
• Incorrect grid fee index. The index is applied to the fixed component when, according to the contract, it only applies to the variable component.
• Double billing during supplier change. The old supplier continues to bill for a period after the contract has ended.

Method for systematic review

1. Categorise metering points. Group by supplier, area, and contract type.
2. Set up automatic alerts for deviations. A consumption increase of more than 15% compared to the corresponding month last year warrants closer inspection.
3. Spot-check 10% each month. Vary across categories throughout the year.
4. Document complaints. A successful complaint sets a precedent for more.

Would you like a personal walkthrough?

This guide is free knowledge from Savera and is intended to provide you with concrete things to check on your own. We are an independent advisor in corporate electricity – if you would like us to specifically review your contracts, invoices, or consumption, you are welcome to book a free initial consultation.

Tip: Start with supplier changes from the last 24 months. This is where double billing errors are most often found – and they are easy to win in a complaint.