Utility Refund Agency and LCS Group Purchasing Identify Savings

Positive Outcomes

Navigating the complexities of rebates, local laws, and utility regulations can be daunting for communities looking for  additional areas to save money. Roughly 72% of commercial utility customers are overcharged on their utility bills. [1]

A prominent post-acute care provider with nearly 200 skilled nursing centers and senior living communities across 17 states, partnered with URA for 12 of their communities. Each community required a state-specific approach to the utility refund process. Leveraging these opportunities demands specialized knowledge and expertise, which is where URA, an LCS Group Purchasing vendor, excels. URA provides the necessary insights and support to maximize savings for their clients. 

With URA, the provider achieved $106,910 in projected refunds and now saves a total of $3,460 per month on utility bills across 12 participating communities.

Gable Pines, a senior living community in Minnesota that provides assisted living, independent living, and memory care for over 120 residents, received a utility refund of $27,911 and is now saving approximately $450 per month on utility bills.

Presidential Place, a rental community in Hollywood, FL serving over 100 residents across assisted living and memory care, collaborated with LCS Group Purchasing and URA to secure a $27,756 refund and reduce their monthly utility expenses by $1,000.

These members started their utility savings journeys by becoming a member of LCS Group Purchasing. LCS offers membership that is free, with no obligation or minimum purchasing requirement. Each community that partners with LCS is assigned a dedicated Client Account Manager (CAM). The CAM plays a crucial role in enhancing the community’s financial performance through strategic partnerships with over 300 vendors, covering areas such as food service, medical supplies, therapy, pharmacy, facilities and plant operations, property maintenance services, and more. 

How LCS Group Purchasing and URA Make it Easy

Understanding the refund process could be time-consuming, LCS Group Purchasing streamlined the onboarding process to get communities signed up quickly. To begin, communities need to provide URA with one month of recent invoices from all electric, gas and water accounts. Some LCS Group Purchasing members had all invoices centralized, which is ideal. URA usually completes their review and provides findings within one week.

1. Gather Bills: Community gathers utility bills including water, gas, and electric.

2. Analyze Data: URA performs a one-time, detailed analysis of utility accounts to identify billing errors and overcharges. No long term contract is required!

3. Present Findings: A URA consultant presents the findings, along with an estimate of the projected refund and potential future savings. Recommendations can be implemented, with URA handling all the work to secure refunds and initiate savings.

4. URA Initiates Savings: URA will work directly with utility companies, local officials, and state agencies on behalf of the community.

URA takes care of all the intricate details, including collaborating with utility companies and local officials, and navigating the complex legal landscape when necessary. This allows communities to focus on serving residents and core operations while URA manages the rebate and refund processes.

"Many senior living providers are unknowingly overpaying on their utility bills due to overcharges - URA helps to uncover these errors at no risk to the communities. There is no downside to having URA perform its no-cost Utility Bill Review to identify these potential refund and savings opportunities. Our process is simple and straightforward, and it has produced significant financial benefits to many LCS Group Purchasing clients across the country!" - Kim Zappi, Senior Consultant, URA

Once URA completes the process, eligible communities receive either a refund via check or credits on their next bill. The timeline for receiving refunds and savings can vary depending on the location and the utility companies involved, with some communities seeing results relatively quickly and others experiencing a longer process.

The Solution

The partnership between LCS Group Purchasing and URA delivered three key benefits to the member: 

Significant Savings: If eligible, communities may experience significant financial refunds, savings, enhancing their overall financial health.

Easy: The process was made simple and efficient, allowing communities to benefit from the expertise of URA without the burden of managing the details.

Risk-Free: URA's bill review service comes with no up-front costs. If no opportunities for refunds or savings are found, URA does not get paid.

This collaboration exemplifies how strategic partnerships can lead to positive outcomes, providing communities with the support they need to thrive financially.

[1] Utility Refund Agency, https://utilityrefundagency.com/why/