What is being tested
Was a demand ratchet based on the applicable historical window and tariff definition? The boundary for this investigation is utility demand ratchet lookback window. Begin with the disputed transaction or population, then identify which demand history establishes the observed position and which ratchet provision supports the comparison. A difference in totals should not replace this question.
Evidence: demand history
For utility demand ratchet lookback window, demand history must be linked to ratchet provision. Document the observation window, units, inclusion criteria and export version. Identify gaps and corrected events before using the total. Keep raw observations separate from derived quantities so a reviewer can reproduce the population without assuming every logged event is independently chargeable.
Evidence: ratchet provision
For utility demand ratchet lookback window, ratchet provision must be linked to billing period. Retain the applicable wording, effective dates and scope of covered transactions. Identify the event or population that controls the calculation. Do not silently replace a contractual definition with a dashboard label, customary practice or the latest published rule.
Evidence: billing period
For utility demand ratchet lookback window, billing period must be linked to demand invoice. Record the date convention and timezone where relevant. Separate occurrence, notification and posting times. A later administrative entry may describe an earlier event; the review must use the event specified by the governing record rather than whichever date is easiest to extract.
Evidence: demand invoice
For utility demand ratchet lookback window, demand invoice must be linked to demand history. Keep the issued document version and line-level quantity, currency and service period. A header total cannot establish which component is being tested. Retain later corrections as linked versions, so a replacement does not create a second liability.
Reconciliation logic
Select historical peaks only from the stated lookback window and apply the contracted minimum rule. Build the comparison at the level identified by demand history and retain the governing version from ratchet provision. Show intermediate classifications and excluded items separately; a net total can hide an unsupported component or a correctly offset correction.
Exception conditions
A current low peak may not eliminate a valid historical ratchet. Treat the item as an unresolved exception only when the comparison described here cannot be supported by the linked demand history, ratchet provision, billing period, demand invoice. Document the conflicting input or rule. A plausible operational explanation requires validation, but it should not be discarded to maximize an apparent financial difference.
Human review and outcome
Energy specialists validate tariff applicability and interval evidence. Produce a historical-window demand bridge. Keep the reviewer's reason and source references with that disposition. A supported correction should be followed to the revised record or settlement; an accepted explanation can close the question with no adjustment. Missing authority or evidence should remain an open task rather than a confirmed recovery.
Limitations and processing boundary
The applicable tariff and customer evidence control the result; this method is not a universal utility formula. The authoritative utility calculation producer is not complete. Qualified reviewers must confirm meter interpretation and tariff eligibility before assigning a monetary variance. In this scenario, absence of demand history or ratchet provision limits whether the comparison can be completed. The review method describes what people should validate, not a promise that AuditRes automatically detects or executes this specific outcome.
AuditRes pathway
Discuss utility demand ratchet lookback window in the Energy workspace. Review current plans, the shared platform and secure evidence requirements; use the existing contact path to confirm the sources and validation this scope requires.
AuditRes Energy: Available for onboarding. Public previews use synthetic demonstration data; production processing remains gated until applicable customer sources and authoritative processors are connected and validated.
Neighboring financial questions
- Utility tariff effective date review
- Utility coincident versus noncoincident demand basis
- Utility seasonal rate period classification
- Utility billing days fixed-charge denominator
Energy resource hub · All guides in this evidence collection