Once a thriving farming community in the Salt River Valley, Chandler has grown to include diverse industries and more than 250,000 residents. As the third largest school district in Arizona, 44,000 students fill the classrooms of its 45 school buildings. With 4,000 employees, Chandler Unified School District is the city’s second largest employer.
Running a city-wide school district requires a significant investment in utilities. With today’s tight budgets, it’s smart to know exactly what you are paying for.
THE CHALLENGE
The best advertising comes from word-of-mouth referrals, and that’s how Cost Control Associates came to work for the Chandler Unified School District. When Chief Financial Officer Joel Wirth learned of the impressive savings Cost Control realized for another Arizona school district, he wondered if the Chandler district was paying too much for its own utilities. Wirth hired Cost Control Associates to perform an analysis of the district’s energy, cellular and telecom costs.
“The analysis was well worth any effort on our part. School districts are stretched pretty thin these days; we were happy when Cost Control Associates found opportunities for refunds and savings.”
THE SOLUTION
The energy and telecom experts at Cost Control Associates worked with the school district to gather utility bills, supplier agreements and related contracts. After assembling the details, the examination began.
Using their Energy, Cellular and Telecom Cost Reduction and Recovery programs, Cost Control found significant refunds and cost savings. Their analysis uncovered opportunities for rate adjustments, identified billing errors and helped the district take a closer look at services.
“Many organizations rely on their purchasing departments or other units to manage utility costs in addition to other duties,” says Keith Laake, President, Cost Control Associates. “As diligent as your employees are, they are probably not utility experts. We do this kind of work day in and day out, and we know what to look for. Our experts have the industry knowledge to push harder for answers from utility vendors. In the end, that pays off with savings for our customers.”
“I give Cost Control Associates a ‘10’ on their overall services. They were easy to work with, too.”
Lisa Miller is marketing and communications manager for Cost Control Associates. She joined Cost Control Associates in 2015, bringing more than 25 years of experience in marketing and corporate communications to her position. Lisa earned her BA from Skidmore College. Learn more.