Business energy bills are complex documents. This complexity creates fertile ground for billing errors — errors that, accumulated over several months, can represent very significant amounts. To better identify them, it is essential to understand the components of your bill.
Here are the five errors we detect most frequently during our audits.
Oversized subscribed power
Subscribed power (in kVA) determines the amount of your subscription and the fixed portion of your network charges (TURPE). It should match the power level actually required by your installations.
In practice, we frequently observe situations where subscribed power far exceeds actual needs: equipment removed but power never reduced, initial subscription overestimated as a precaution, or simply a contract never reviewed since it was signed.
Typical impact: a difference of a few kVA at an industrial site can represent several hundred to several thousand euros per year in unnecessary subscription costs.
Estimated meter readings not corrected
When the meter is not read (no smart meter, inaccessible meter, technical issue), the distributor bills based on estimated readings — a projection based on the site's consumption history.
The problem arises when these estimates are never corrected by an actual reading. Billed consumption can then diverge significantly from actual consumption:
- Overestimation: you pay more than you actually consume.
- Underestimation: a late correction can generate a very high catch-up bill.
Good to know: with the rollout of smart meters, estimated readings are becoming less frequent in low voltage. However, they remain common for high voltage sites (HTA/HTB) and gas meters.
Taxes and exemptions not applied
The excise duty on electricity (formerly TICFE/CSPE) provides reduced rates for certain categories of businesses and uses. If your activity makes you eligible, you must request it from your supplier.
The most common cases of unapplied exemptions:
- Electro-intensive companies that have not asserted their eligibility.
- Industrial sites using electricity for specific processes (electrolysis, metallurgy) qualifying for a reduced rate.
- Supplier change without transferring the exemption to the new contract.
Impact: for a site consuming several GWh per year, the difference between the full rate and a reduced rate can represent tens of thousands of euros annually.
Errors on the TURPE (network charges)
The TURPE is a regulated tariff published by the CRE. Despite this, application errors exist:
- Wrong tariff version applied (the TURPE is updated periodically).
- Voltage domain error: a site classified as HTA when it is actually LV, or vice versa, leads to the application of incorrect tariff grids.
- Miscalculated withdrawal component: error in the hourly weighting coefficient or reference power.
These errors are particularly difficult to detect without specialised tools, as they require recalculating each line of the TURPE from metering data.
Tacit renewals on unfavourable terms
Many professional energy contracts are tacitly renewed at expiry, sometimes on tariff terms significantly different from the original ones:
- Renewal price significantly higher than the initially negotiated price.
- Switch from fixed to indexed pricing (or vice versa) without clear notification.
- Modified contractual terms: change in pricing formula or termination clauses.
Note: the law requires the supplier to notify professional clients before tacit renewal. But the notice period can be short and the notification may go unnoticed.
How to protect yourself
A few best practices to limit the risk of errors:
- Centralise bill management: consolidate all bills in a tracking spreadsheet to spot amount or volume anomalies.
- Check meter readings regularly: ensure bills are based on actual readings, especially for sites without smart meters.
- Review subscribed power annually: compare subscribed power to actual power demand over the past 12 months.
- Anticipate contract deadlines: note end dates and notice periods in a calendar.
- Have your portfolio audited: a specialised external review can detect errors that internal teams may overlook.
Need an outside perspective? At Unisave, we audit your energy bills free of charge to detect these errors and help you recover overpayments. Request your audit.
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