KEY POINTS
- Separate the causes of cost from the amount of energy used.
- Measure representative operation before selecting changes.
- Compare results against a baseline that accounts for production and working hours.
An electricity bill combines operating behaviour with tariff rules. Begin by understanding both before investing in equipment or promising a saving. These eight checks help turn a broad cost-reduction goal into a measurable brief.
1. Understand the bill
Collect bills covering representative seasons and production patterns. Identify the tariff category, energy, demand and other applicable charges. Use the utility’s current published information, such as PEA’s tariff page, to confirm the calculation. Rates and conditions can change.
2. Separate energy from demand
Energy in kWh measures use over time; demand in kW describes power required over the relevant interval. A change may affect one without reducing the other. Schneider Electric’s power-loading guide provides background on assessing demand and simultaneous loads.
3. Examine the operating schedule
Compare electrical records with shifts, production, cleaning and maintenance. Investigate unexplained consumption outside the intended schedule. Check operational and safety needs before changing any equipment’s running hours.
4. Identify where measurement is missing
Map existing meters to actual loads. If several processes share one meter, establish whether additional measurement would resolve a specific decision. Verify ratios, units and timestamps before using the readings as a baseline.
5. Review large equipment with its specialist
Discuss pumps, fans, compressed air and cooling equipment with the responsible team. Check whether the equipment’s operating pattern matches the process requirement. Controls, drives or replacements need an application assessment, including their electrical effects and maintenance needs.
6. Check power factor and power quality where relevant
Read the actual bill and measurement results before proposing correction equipment. Any design should consider the installation and possible interaction with harmonics. A capacitor bank is not a universal answer to a high electricity bill.
7. Compare complete project costs
Include equipment, installation, planned outages, commissioning and ongoing maintenance. Ask what assumptions drive the forecast and how sensitive the result is to operating hours, production volume and tariff changes. Avoid treating an estimate as a guaranteed saving.
8. Agree how results will be verified
Record the baseline, measurement boundary, comparison period and changes in production. Track both energy and cost so tariff movements do not obscure the technical result. Assign someone to investigate deviations and maintain the records.
For ETES, a useful starting brief includes recent bills, a single-line diagram, major loads and the decision you need to make. Our electrical services include load trending, and EcoXplore monitoring coordination can be discussed where ongoing measurement is needed.
ETES services for this work
References & further reading
Primary publications used in this guide. Confirm the requirements and editions applicable to your project.
Send ETES your site location, equipment details and planned schedule. Our team can discuss the work required.
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