UTILITY AUDIT ADVISOR NEWSLETTER FOR COMMUNITY MANAGERS

Community managers helping other community managers.

We were started by community managers as a resource for other community managers dealing with increasing utility costs! Our newsletters are designed to inform and educate subscribers about the utility industry trends and developments and how it impacts your community associations, annual budgets, reserves and homeowners. If you want more information on rising utility costs, the latest utility trends, alternative utility rate schedules, and utility auditing, you will find that information provided in these newsletters. We welcome your feedback, and your requests will be addressed in future newsletters!

PACIFIC UTILITY AUDIT IS NOW A CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE PROVIDER FOR CAMICB!

All annual utility costs continue to increase year after year.

All community managers have to deal with these increasing utility costs.

Let us help you to learn ways to decrease these utility costs for the properties that you manage, while earning continuing education credits for CMCA Designations!

We would be happy to host a Lunch and Learn for your company!

You can set this up through Erin Kelly, Director Of Operations, at 800-576-1010 or puainc@yahoo.com.

Course Description Overview:

Annual Utility Costs Keep Increasing! What Can You Do About It?

PACIFIC UTILITY AUDIT WAS CREATED TO HELP COMMUNITY MANAGERS!

Community managers helping other community managers.

We were started by community managers as a resource for other community managers dealing with increasing utility costs!

As community managers, we had access to dozens of contractors and professionals for everything from repairs, landscaping, accounting, reserve studies, painting, legal advice etc., but NOBODY to contact about one of the top three annual budget costs - utilities!

The reason that we started this company in 1990 was to help community managers and board members to have a resource and a contact for utility questions and increasing utility costs!

We saw a trend of increasing utility costs for communities and associations and responded to that need by starting Pacific Utility Audit.

Sitting in hundreds of monthly board meetings and ......

WEST COAST UTILITY COSTS RISING SIGNIFICANTLY COMPARED TO NATIONAL AVERAGE

On the West Coast, particularly in California, utility costs, especially electricity rates, are significantly rising, often considered among the highest in the nation.

With rate increases outpacing the national average due to factors like wildfire prevention measures, investments in renewable energy, and increased demand during peak hours, this has resulted in higher bills for residents and businesses alike.

From 2019 to 2023, the power rates for California's three large investor-owned utilities (IOU), which include PG&E, have increased by between 48% and 67%.

California's electricity rates have historically been higher than the national average, but the gap has been significantly larger in recent years, outpacing increases in other states, according to state figures.

Key points about rising West Coast utility costs...

ANNUAL UTILITY AUDIT EXPERTS

Utilities are the TOP THREE annual budget expenses…

don’t leave them to a non-professional!!!

NON-UTILITY EXPENSES OPTIONS:

CPA = TAX EXPERT

ATTORNEY = LEGAL ADVICE EXPERT

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT = INVESTMENT EXPERT

RESERVE STUDY COMPANIES = RESERVE MONEY EXPERT

UTILITY EXPENSES OPTIONS:

Landscaper or Landscape Committee?

Property Manager or Management Company?

Board Members?

WHY???

Don’t leave your annual utility budget and expenses to a non-professional!

It will cost you thousands and thousands of dollars every year!

A utility audit can reduce your annual utility budget by approximately 20% and it costs nothing upfront, so there is no out-of-pocket expenses and no risk!

Utility providers change rates, billing structures and meters every year, increasing the chances for utility billing errors and overcharges.

Every business and community should make a utility audit an annual event!

Thank You for taking the time to read our newsletter!

Erin Kelly, Pacific Utility Audit, Inc.