The Utility Manager Service Bureau

The Utility Manager™ (UM) Service Bureau processes and pays utility bills for organizations with multiple sites that receive hundreds, or even thousands, of bills each month.

Overview

When processing utility bills, a typical A/P department does not identify the errors or capture the detailed cost and usage data essential for energy managers to make informed decisions. SMR’s UM Service Bureau makes this easy. We assume all bill processing duties, from data entry to bill payment. Our utility bill processing experts capture key cost and usage information enabling organizations to effectively manage their utilities and realize significant savings. Should there be any questions on utilities, rather than the hundreds or even thousands of vendors organizations currently deal with, we serve as a single point of contact.

Benefits

• Recovers 1-3% of utility spend in the first year and 0.5% annually thereafter with bill and tariff audits
• Exceeds 99.9% accuracy on utility bill data capture
• Eliminates late fees – SMR pays all late fees
• Provides timely utility bill data entry
• Maximizes interest earned on cash flow with just-in-time bill payment methods

How it Works

Utility bills are redirected to the SMR office where they are typically entered into our customer’s database within 48 hours of receipt with an accuracy rate that exceeds 99.9%. Each bill is run through a 23-point system check to detect anomalies, after which historical and ongoing billing errors are identified and fixed. SMR uses a just-in-time payment method that allows organizations to hold on to their money until the day the bill is processed by the utility. Not only does this payment method maximize the client’s cash flow, but late fees are essentially eliminated. Any late fees that are incurred are paid by SMR. All this adds up to significant savings for the customer.