Introduction
EnergyCAP serves a remarkably diverse client base, supporting organizations of every size and mission including K-12 school districts, colleges and universities, healthcare systems, and local governments to commercial real estate, manufacturing, hospitality, and Fortune 500 enterprises. Whether managing a handful of utility accounts or thousands of meters across an international portfolio, every EnergyCAP customer starts from a different place. What they share is a need for centralized, trustworthy utility data and a utility bill management solution that drives better decisions and greater value.
In our survey, we asked customers to be candid in order to provide EnergyCAP, as well as other organizations considering Utility Bill Management (UBM), a realistic view of the results. A clear pattern emerged: EnergyCAP customers overwhelmingly report both meaningful returns in savings, time saved and broader operational value that comes from clarity and confidence of a single view of utility data. This means the ROI of EnergyCAP extends beyond how quickly the software pays for itself—it reflects a unique combination of financial returns, time savings, and operational benefits shaped by what matters most to each customer.
Does EnergyCAP reduce billing errors?
Key findings:
The value most customers get from EnergyCAP compared to the cost
of customers save money on billing
issues, overcharges, and errors
the average annual utility cost savings from billing errors and ECMs combined
Fewer billing errors, more savings recovered
Nearly 9 in 10 customers find savings because EnergyCAP identifies billing errors, unusual charges, and other costly discrepancies, giving teams a clear place to start saving—and keep saving on an ongoing basis.
Among organizations reporting savings from these issues, the average annual savings equals 3% of total utility costs. One in three saves more than 3%, while 15% saves more than 5%.
Customers save money on billing issues, overcharges, and errors
Annual utility savings from billing issues EnergyCAP surfaced
EnergyCAP’s take
A 3% average recovery on total utility spend from billing issues aligns with what EnergyCAP has long seen in practice. For organizations with large or complex portfolios, this savings adds up fast, and doesn’t require new equipment, capital investment, or even organizational change to achieve. Billing audits and flags offer customers a consistent source of quick wins with relatively little effort.
How much can EnergyCAP save through energy projects?
79% of customers say the data in EnergyCAP helps to identify energy conservation measures (ECMs) and cost avoidance opportunities. Almost 1 in 2 see six-figure annual savings from ECMs identified with the EnergyCAP software, and 8% see more than $1 million annually.
On average, ECM savings equal 5% of a customer’s annual utility spend with 1 in 5 customers seeing savings above that.
EnergyCAP identifies ECMs and cost avoidance opportunities
Annual value of ECMs identified by EnergyCAP
Savings are a joint effort: EnergyCAP surfaces trustworthy insights, and customers turn those into results. Over the past decade, customers have logged thousands of energy conservation measures in our platform, representing billions in savings – more than $250,000 per project on average. Controls upgrades and recommissioning deliver some of the biggest returns for our customers.
This survey reinforces that record; customers save an average of 5% on their annual utility costs by using the insights surfaced in EnergyCAP to take informed action. EnergyCAP makes the opportunities clear; customers make the changes that deliver lasting returns.
Does EnergyCAP save money year over year?
86% of customers save money on their utility bills year-over-year after adopting EnergyCAP. Two-thirds see consistent or growing savings, with steady, moderate savings as the most common pattern.
86% of customers report saving money on utility bills year over year after implementing EnergyCAP, a strong result. But does that mean the remaining 14% aren’t seeing value? Not at all! Lowering utility costs isn’t the primary goal for every customer. In fact, cost savings ranks fifth among the reasons customers buy EnergyCAP, behind priorities like centralizing data and improving reporting. So it makes sense that year-over-year savings isn’t universal.
The survey results show strong value across the board: 94% of customers say EnergyCAP meets or exceeds expectations, and 100% report better visibility into their data. Whether the goal is lower costs, better reporting, stronger data management, or greater efficiency, EnergyCAP is delivering against the outcomes customers care about.
And for customers focused on reducing utility spend, the pattern is clear: savings that hold steady or grow over time. Reported savings from billing errors and energy conservation measures reinforce that finding, pointing to a clear path to lower utility costs whenever a customer is ready to take it.
"EnergyCAP flagged what initially appeared to be an inefficiency in our irrigation schedule, but upon investigation, we discovered it was actually a significant billing error from our utility provider. This was just one of many instances where catching utility mistakes and cost discrepancies has helped Pepperdine capture over $500,000 in savings, far exceeding our ROI expectations.”
Rubén Orozco Catalán, Facilities Data Specialist, Pepperdine University
Is EnergyCAP worth the cost?
94% of customers say EnergyCAP software unlocks financial value for their organization. Around half of respondents (49%) unlock at least $100,000 annually, nearly one third (31%) unlock at least $250,000, and one in ten (9%) see at least $1 million in annual value. Compared with the cost of the software, customers report that EnergyCAP delivers more than three times the value they pay for.
The all-in financial value of EnergyCAP
EnergyCAP’s take
The average value customers get out of EnergyCAP is 3x the price they pay for the software. We’re incredibly proud of what that represents. This figure captures not only financial returns, but the time saved, costs recovered or avoided, reporting efficiencies gained, and broader organizational benefits customers experience. It puts a dollar figure behind something we’ve always stood for: EnergyCAP’s value extends far beyond paying back the cost of the platform, strengthening operations and advancing goals across the organization.
Can EnergyCAP catch operational issues early?
94% of customers say EnergyCAP has helped them identify operational issues that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Operational benefits customers experience
EnergyCAP’s take
EnergyCAP improves more than one part of the utility management process. On average, customers report three operational benefits across their organization, from faster reporting and better collaboration to more efficient workflows and greater confidence in decision-making.
"EnergyCAP helps us understand energy consumption across our county campuses and flags anomalies early, so we can find the cause before it turns into a bigger, costlier problem. Seeing energy use month over month and year over year lets us prioritize the right efficiency projects and focus on the buildings that need it most.”
Jill Diliberti, CEM Energy Manager, Facilities Management Oakland County, Michigan
How much time does EnergyCAP save?
Key findings
save time on utility bill processing activities
save time on utility data management and analysis
According to the 2026 Value of EnergyCAP survey of 100+ customer organizations, 92% of customers save time on front-end bill processing activities including collecting, entering, and validating utility bill data. 95% of customers save time on utility management and analysis activities such as benchmarking, reporting, submeter and emissions insights, and surfacing wasteful or costly problems.
EnergyCAP’s take
Manual utility data work including collecting bills, entering data, and mining for insights is one of the most common reasons organizations look for a better process. EnergyCAP saves time on both ends: getting data in and putting it to use.
Organizations often think of EnergyCAP as a purchase “for” their energy team. But unifying and activating on utility data within the EnergyCAP platform benefits everyone–we had reports of reclaimed work hours from executives, financial, facilities, and energy roles, to project management staff, teachers, and administration. The reconciliation, validation, analysis, and payment of utility bills are team endeavors across an organization.
Time savings by department
EnergyCAP’s take
We’re not surprised that energy and accounting teams report saving substantial time with EnergyCAP. Facilities professionals spend 60% of their time on administrative work, making every hour immensely valuable. Often they, along with overloaded finance teams, worry that adding an energy management tool will create more work, not less. EnergyCAP customers report the opposite—identifying issues early and focusing on the highest-impact priorities makes work easier to plan, prevents larger problems down the line, and reduces time spent reacting to the unexpected.
"EnergyCAP has consistently performed above expectations. It’s given us a level of clarity, accuracy, and operational confidence in our utility data that we simply wouldn’t otherwise have. The platform has helped us identify issues earlier, strengthen our internal processes, and make better-informed decisions across energy management, facilities, and finance. EnergyCAP has proven to be the strongest solution available for trustworthy utility data and actionable insights. It has exceeded our expectations in both performance and value.”
John R. Lord Senior Manager II, Energy Management Education Fairfax County Public Schools
Does EnergyCAP improve utility data accuracy?
Key findings
of customers are more confident in the accuracy of their utility data thanks to EnergyCAP
report reduced organizational risk, across an average of three areas per organization
Confidence in your utility data
According to the 2026 Value of EnergyCAP survey of 100+ customer organizations, 100% of customers say EnergyCAP improves visibility into utility spending, and 98% say it improves confidence in the accuracy of their data. Most customers rate the improvement as significant or exceptional on both measures.
Improved spending visibility
Improved confidence in data accuracy
EnergyCAP’s take
We say it all the time: “You can’t manage what you can’t see”. Nor can you trust decisions built on unreliable numbers. Visibility into utility spending shows teams where to focus; confidence in the underlying data gives them a reliable basis for budgeting, reporting, and pursuing savings. With 99% and 97% of respondents reporting improvement, the results show that EnergyCAP strengthens the foundation for nearly every single customer.
Does EnergyCAP reduce risk?
Risk reduction improves for most customers. 95% of customers say EnergyCAP helps reduce risk, and two-thirds (68%) describe the improvement as solid, very good, or exceptional. Impact spans multiple areas. On average, EnergyCAP helps reduce risk across at least 3 areas per customer organization.
Impact spans multiple areas. On average, EnergyCAP helps reduce risk across at least 3 areas per customer organization.
Areas of risk reduction for EnergyCAP customers
What is the ROI of EnergyCAP?
94% of customers say EnergyCAP meets or exceeds their ROI expectations, including nearly 1 in 4 who say it exceeds them.
EnergyCAP’s ROI performance
EnergyCAP’s take
Meeting ROI expectations is important; exceeding them shows that customers continue to uncover value beyond what they anticipated when they invested. We’re thrilled that, for nearly every customer, EnergyCAP delivers what our customers expect, or more.
"[Getting EnergyCAP] helped us learn about flaws in our internal processes that need to be updated in order to take real advantage of energy management. This is the first time staff at all levels are actually thinking about energy management—which is an immeasurable win.”
Deborah Moran Sustainability Manager, Town of Leesburg, VA
What do organizations use EnergyCAP for?
On average, customers use EnergyCAP for 33% more reasons than they originally purchased it for, and every category of use shows growth from intended use to actual use.
Intended use vs. actual use
What these findings mean
Customers buy EnergyCAP with a business case in mind, but the value they realize extends well beyond it. The survey identifies average annual savings of 3% from billing issues and 5% from energy conservation measures. In our broader experience, actively engaged customers often reach 10% savings or more when they consistently use interval data, emissions insights, and other platform capabilities to uncover and pursue additional opportunities. Combined with value equal to approximately 3× the cost of the software, these findings show that EnergyCAP delivers the expected return—and that a utility bill management platform in place with continued engagement reveals even more value over time.
EnergyCAP’s take
This is a capstone finding for us. Customers may invest in EnergyCAP to solve a specific set of problems, but they use it to accomplish much more. Every reason measured was cited more often as a current use than as an original purchase driver. In other words, customers don’t just realize the value they expected—they discover new ways EnergyCAP supports their teams, operations, and goals once centralized, trustworthy utility data is in place.
EnergyCAP for ESCOs and energy consultants
consultants say EnergyCAP
software meets or exceeds their ROI
expectations
report that EnergyCAP software helps them identify utility billing errors and issues for their clients
say EnergyCAP software helps them identify ECMs on behalf of the organizations they manage
Energy service companies (ESCOs) and energy consultants use EnergyCAP differently than many direct customers. Rather than managing utility data for a single organization, they often oversee portfolios on behalf of multiple clients. Because their role, operating model, and value drivers differ, we analyzed their responses separately from the broader customer results.
Operational benefits for consultants using EnergyCAP
"Having a single, trusted source of data makes it so much easier to manage energy programs across multiple clients. What used to take 21 to 30 hours a month now takes under 10, giving us more time to focus on the analysis and recommendations that actually move the needle for the organizations we support.”
Melanie Stewart, Senior Sustainability & Energy Consultant, MEG
Getting the most value from EnergyCAP
The organizations that realize the greatest value are those that invest consistently in their energy programs and make trusted utility data part of everyday decision making. A few habits make a meaningful difference:
- Build an energy culture, not just an energy program. Bring finance, facilities, and leadership into the conversation alongside the energy team. Incorporate utility data into budget reviews and team meetings, establish shared goals, and celebrate wins across departments.
- Explore new tools and features. Whether you’re new to EnergyCAP or have used it for years, keep
looking for new ways to work with your data. Watts chat offers a quick way to ask questions, investigate trends, and find answers regardless of your experience level. - Start with quick wins. Billing error recovery and out-of-the-box reports deliver fast, measurable results that build confidence in the program—and strengthen the case for larger energy conservation measures over time.
Conclusion
Financial return is an important measure of EnergyCAP’s impact, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Not every customer reports direct cost savings or calculates the financial value of the software, and not every benefit fits neatly into an ROI calculation. Customers also value the time they get back, the issues they catch earlier, the risk they reduce, and the confidence that comes from working with centralized, trustworthy data.
Whether measured in dollars, better decisions, or more time spent on the tasks that matter most, the findings show that EnergyCAP delivers meaningful value across the organization. And as customers expand how they use the platform, they continue to discover value beyond what they initially expected.
Methodology
EnergyCAP surveyed customers across more than 100 organizations between June 15 and July 2, 2026. Respondents included energy, facilities, sustainability, finance, accounting, project management, and executive professionals, ranging from individual contributors to the C-suite.
Every respondent uses EnergyCAP software today, so the findings reflect real, in-production results. Survey data is unweighted, and the margin of error is approximately +/-9% with a 95% confidence level.
Frequently asked questions
How much does EnergyCAP save on utility costs? EnergyCAP customers save an average of 3% of total utility costs each year by surfacing billing errors and overcharges, and 1 in 3 save more than 3% annually. Customers also report energy-conservation savings averaging 5% of annual utility costs. Across EnergyCAP’s logged project data, customers save an average of more than $250,000 per energy conservation project.
What is the ROI of EnergyCAP? 92% of EnergyCAP customers say the software meets or exceeds their ROI expectations, and nearly 1 in 4 say it exceeds them. On average, customers report receiving about three times more value from EnergyCAP than they pay for it.
Does EnergyCAP reduce billing errors? Nearly 9 in 10 EnergyCAP customers find savings from billing errors the software surfaces, such as overcharges and tax or tariff issues. Among those customers, the average recovery is 3% of total utility costs a year, and 1 in 6 recover more than 5%.
Is EnergyCAP worth the cost? EnergyCAP customers report receiving roughly three times more value than they pay for the software. 94% say EnergyCAP unlocks financial value, half see at least $100,000 in annual value, and 92% say it meets or exceeds their ROI expectations.
How much time does EnergyCAP save? 91% of EnergyCAP customers save time on utility bill processing, and 94% save time on data management and analysis. Before EnergyCAP, the most common workload was 80+ hours a month on collecting, entering, and validating utility data; after adopting it, most customers report under 20.
What do organizations use EnergyCAP for? Most customers adopt EnergyCAP to centralize and manage utility data, then expand into budgeting, cross-department reporting, cost savings, and sustainability reporting. On average, customers use EnergyCAP for 33% more reasons than they originally purchased it for.
