Your Utility Bill Does Not Tell the Full Story 

If you have any interest in saving money on energy costs, utility bills are, of course, a great source of information. But they may not be enough. For many utility customers, 30% or more of what they pay can be the result of higher energy usage during periods of intensive demand. These are known as demand charges and can be measured in increments as small as 15 minutes. Because these tiny increments are responsible for a disproportionate percentage of your bill, it helps to know about them. 

That’s why interval data exist. Interval data give you insight into what’s driving costs in these micro segments of each day. 

Here’s what else interval data can enable: 

Understanding whether lights and other building systems are coming online and offline each day exactly when they should  
Understanding whether unexpected energy surges, even small ones, could be the result of equipment failure 
Deriving more value out of demand-response programs that reward building owners for lowering energy consumption during periods of high demand 
Selecting a utility rate schedule or tariff that will save the most money. Avoiding demand charges is one way to advantageously time energy usage. The right tariff can help you do this as well. 
Aligning building operating hours with your rate schedule to save money 
In situations where there is sub-metering, ensuring specific usages are charged to the right tenant 

Camber Creek portfolio company Arcadia has valuable interval data via integrations with more than 400 utility companies. To learn more, visit www.arcadia.com and look for their Plug Intervals product. 

Photo by Arthur Lambillotte