Vineyard Hotel Uses Augos Data to Successfully Reverse Incorrect Council Demand Charges
Vineyard Hotel used Augos meter data to prove inaccurate council kVA demand readings, successfully reversing incorrect utility charges in a major hospitality billing dispute.
The Challenge: Unexplained Demand Spike
Augos meters have been installed and in use at the Vineyard Hotel for over four years. As the hotel has a clear vision for energy efficiency and strives to be environmentally conscious, accurate utility measurement is crucial.
In April 2012, the hotel's management noticed an alarming change: the council's recorded demand (kVA) readings showed a significant, sudden spike that was not reflected in the Augos readings for the same period. Since demand charges are based on the highest kVA recorded, this inaccuracy had the potential to dramatically increase the hotel's electricity costs.
The Solution: Third-Party Verified Data
The hotel's team immediately raised the discrepancy with the local council. The council investigated their own meter, using the Augos data as the definitive point of comparison.
Following subsequent testing and correction of the council meter, the readings again matched those of Augos, demonstrating the integrity and reliability of the platform's measurement. In South Africa, disputes over Maximum Demand (kVA) are highly common in council billing due to meter calibration issues or data spikes.
The Result: Charges Reversed and Budget Protected
The success of the dispute centered entirely on the irrefutable data provided by the Augos platform. As Chris van Zyl, the Group Environmental Manager and Horticulturist at the Vineyard Hotel, confirms:
"The accurate reporting of Augos allowed us to keep the council readings in check – something we would not have been able to compare otherwise. When the Augos reporting system alerted us to inaccuracies in the Council's reporting and several incorrect council bills – we were able to reverse the unnecessary charges with the help of Augos, the Council engineers and the available meter data Augos provided."
This case study proves that independent verification is not a luxury, but a necessity for protecting budgets against administrative and technical errors in utility billing.
Key Takeaways
Independent Augos data provided irrefutable evidence for successful dispute resolution
Council meter calibration issues were identified and corrected using Augos data
Incorrect charges were successfully reversed, protecting the hotel's operational budget
Accurate measurement supports environmental reporting and efficiency goals