Invoice validation
Business energy invoices are often wrong. We check every invoice against your actual meter data, site by site, so mistakes are caught before they reach your accounts team.
Why validate your energy invoices?
Business energy invoices are long, technical and often wrong. Most finance teams check them by hand, but without knowing the intricacies of unit rates, standing charges, meter reads and third-party costs, errors slip through and get paid.
Invoice validation takes that job off your accounts team. Every invoice is checked automatically against the energy you actually used, and anything that doesn't match is flagged and resolved before you pay.
Why energy invoices go wrong
- Supplier billing errors. The most common cause: problems on the supplier's own billing systems, such as wrong rates, duplicated charges or incorrect contract details.
- Meter reading issues. Automated meter readings can fail or be estimated, so bills no longer reflect what you used.
- Mismatched data. Meter, contract and billing records that don't line up, especially across multiple sites.
- Inactive or lapsed contracts. Supplies left on expensive default rates without anyone noticing.
How it works
- Every invoice is checked. Each invoice is compared with your actual meter data, site by site. It can be as granular as every half hour.
- Problems are flagged early. You're alerted to errors, unusual usage patterns, estimated reads and inactive contracts, before they turn into overpayments.
- We resolve them for you. Your dedicated customer success manager takes discrepancies up with the supplier and keeps you informed.
What you get
- Every invoice checked against real meter data
- Site-by-site checking, down to half-hourly
- Alerts for unusual usage and estimated reads
- Warnings about inactive contracts and high default charges
- Validated data ready for carbon reporting
- A dedicated customer success manager
Saves time as well as money
Validating energy invoices by hand is slow, and few finance teams have the specialist knowledge to do it well. Automating it frees up their time, gives them invoices they can trust, and stops money leaving the business through billing errors.
Supports your carbon reporting
Accurate, meter-level consumption data is the foundation of reliable carbon and sustainability reporting. The same validated data used to check your invoices can feed straight into your reporting, so your figures are based on what you really used rather than on estimates.
Works around your current arrangements
- Already in a contract? Invoice validation can start at any time. You don't need to wait for your renewal or change supplier.
- Already using a broker or consultant? We can work alongside them. Invoice validation runs in conjunction with your existing adviser, so nothing needs to change.
- Worried about past invoices? We can check historic data as well, so earlier errors are picked up, not just new ones.
To recover overcharges from previous years in full, see also our bill checks and overcharge recovery service, which looks back over up to six years of bills.
Invoice validation FAQs
Are business energy invoices really often wrong?
Yes. Errors are common. Most come from billing problems on the supplier's systems, or from issues with automated meter readings, such as missed or estimated reads. Without checking, they're easy to miss and expensive to put right later.
How often are invoices checked?
Every invoice is checked as it arrives. Meter data can be reviewed as often as every half hour, so unusual patterns are spotted quickly rather than at the end of the year.
Which meters does it work with?
It can collect data from any UK electricity or gas meter, across a single site or a whole portfolio.
Can it help with carbon reporting?
Yes. Because your consumption is captured accurately, meter by meter, the same validated data can support your carbon and sustainability reporting.
Who looks after it?
You have a dedicated customer success manager who manages the service for you, raises any discrepancies with your supplier, and keeps you updated.
Can I use it if I'm already in an energy contract?
Yes. Invoice validation can be set up at any point during your contract. You don't need to wait for your renewal or change supplier.
Can you work alongside our current broker or energy consultant?
Yes. We can work in conjunction with your existing broker or consultant. Invoice validation adds a layer of checking without changing who manages your contracts.
Can you check past invoices as well?
Yes. As well as checking new invoices as they arrive, we can go back over historic data to pick up earlier errors.
How is this different from your bill checks service?
Invoice validation checks every invoice on an ongoing basis, and can review historic data too. Bill checks focus on recovering overcharges from up to six years of past bills. Many clients use both.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the number of sites and meters. Talk to us and we'll explain the costs clearly before you commit.
Related services
Bill checks & overcharge recovery
We check your bills going back up to six years and pursue refunds wherever you've been overcharged.
Multi-site portfolios
One common end date across all your sites, so you buy as one larger customer and save time at every renewal.
Energy management & rebates
Cut waste, claim the rebates and incentives you're entitled to, and keep usage under control.
Stay ahead of your next energy renewal
Share your contract end date and the team will contact you in good time, giving you plenty of time to review the market and decide what works best for your business. Or call us on 07940 181000.