Mitchells of Lancaster Limited
Mitchells are a privately owned company that dates back to 1865. The company operates an extensive portfolio of both managed and tenanted properties in both rural and City centre locations.
The Problem
Managing a large portfolio of sites that need accurate utility accounts on time
Managing the complexities of utility bills for a large portfolio of premises was placing an increasing strain on internal resources. Mitchells engaged ECM to provide Bill Validation and Energy Management services, to release Mitchells staff and ensure their focus was on the core of their business operation.
Many multi-site companies are struggling with the day-to-day management of utility bills, a situation that both Energy Watch and OFGEM (industry regulator) acknowledge. Their issues are further compounded by the failure of suppliers to provide valid and timely accounts. This in turn is impacting on the accuracy and cash flow with regards to business budget information.
With the Utility Industry in an almost constant state of change, and with dramatically increasing energy prices, there has never been a greater need to validate the accuracy of accounts. Utility bills are complex - unlike typical bills they have many component parts that can be difficult to understand. To validate these charges correctly, expert knowledge of how the bills are compiled is essential.
The Solution
An outsourced independent Bill Validation and Management Service
ECM has developed a robust service for managing energy and utility bills on a day-to-day basis via a PO Box Postal System, enabling the accounts to be forwarded directly from the supplier to our offices.
The bills are then entered into a bespoke energy management system for bill validation and subsequent energy management reportage. The validation process raises any queries that are dealt with immediately by our team of skilled analysts. The approved accounts are then forwarded to the client for payment.
All data is recorded in the ECM Energy Management System for ongoing monitoring and targeting of cost and usage.
"With a large portfolio of properties and increasingly complex and more expensive utility accounts, getting accurate accounts proved to be a costly and time consuming task. Energy Cost Management helped us set up processes to ensure easy management of our utilities. This has helped us to control our costs, get an accurate picture of each properties energy usage, and improve the profit of our business.
Mitchells Of Lancaster"
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