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Need help in this area? See Methodology FAQ.
Real-world utility billing isn’t always straightforward. This page explains how Nectar handles special situations you might encounter.

Revised bills

Sometimes utilities issue a corrected bill that replaces an earlier one — for example, if a meter was misread or a rate was applied incorrectly.

How Nectar handles revisions

When Nectar detects a revised bill:
  1. The original bill is marked as superseded
  2. Only the revised bill counts toward your totals
  3. Both bills remain visible so you can compare them

In the platform

Revised bills show a banner indicating they’ve been corrected. You can click through to see the original bill and understand what changed. Related docs: Bill detail
Your analytics always use the most current, corrected data. Original bills are preserved for your records but don’t affect totals.

Solar and net metering

If you have on-site solar, your electricity bills may show credits for energy you send back to the grid.

How Nectar tracks solar

What Nectar tracksWhat it means
ImportElectricity you purchased from the grid
ExportExcess solar energy you sent to the grid
GenerationTotal solar production (if reported)

Site totals

For sites with solar, Nectar calculates your net consumption:
Net consumption = Electricity imported − Electricity exported
This gives you an accurate picture of how much grid electricity you actually used. Related docs: Electricity analytics

Sewer and water

Water and sewer are closely related — most utilities calculate sewer based on your water consumption, since what goes in must come out.

When sewer usage isn’t reported

Many utilities charge for sewer but don’t report sewer usage separately. In these cases, Nectar can estimate sewer usage based on your water consumption. This appears in your data as implied usage and is clearly marked so you know it’s an estimate rather than a direct meter reading.

Water footprint

Your total water footprint includes both:
  • Water consumption (potable or reclaimed water used)
  • Wastewater (sewer discharge)
Related docs: Water analytics

Partial occupancy

If your company only occupies part of a building, you may want to track just your portion of utility usage.

How occupancy percentage works

Set an occupancy percentage on a site to indicate your share. For example, if you occupy 60% of a building:
  • Site-level analytics show 60% of total usage
  • The full meter data is preserved for reference
This is useful for multi-tenant buildings where you’re responsible for a proportional share of common area utilities.

Time-of-use electricity

Some electricity bills break down usage by time period — on-peak, off-peak, and shoulder hours — with different rates for each.

How Nectar handles time-of-use

When your bill includes time-of-use data, Nectar:
  1. Captures each period’s usage separately
  2. Sums them for your total consumption
  3. Preserves the breakdown in your bill details
The detailed time-of-use information remains available in your bill records, while analytics use the total consumption figure.

Summary bills

Large organizations sometimes receive a single summary bill that consolidates multiple accounts or locations.

How Nectar handles summary bills

Summary bills are flagged separately from regular bills. When you also have individual bills for each location, Nectar uses the detailed bills for analytics to avoid double-counting.

Overlapping billing periods

Occasionally, two bills for the same meter might cover overlapping dates. This is usually a data quality issue — perhaps an estimated bill followed by an actual read, or a duplicate.

What happens

Nectar flags overlapping periods for your review in Data Quality. You can then:
  • Mark one as a revised bill (if it’s a correction)
  • Exclude one from totals (if it’s a duplicate)
  • Leave both if the overlap is intentional
Related docs: Data Quality overview, Data Quality issues

Questions about your data?

If you see something unexpected in your data, check:
  1. Bill details — view the original bill to see exactly what was reported
  2. Data Quality — review any flagged issues
  3. Inspect Aggregation — see how bills contribute to your totals
Still have questions? Contact [email protected].

See also