These results illustrate why commercial and industrial property owners may benefit from looking beyond the total amount on a monthly utility bill.

Commercial and industrial electricity customers are paying more for power, increasing the importance of utility-bill reviews, demand management and energy-efficiency planning.

Companies often scrutinize major purchases while allowing thousands of recurring charges to pass through accounting with little review. New technology is making it easier to uncover costly discrepancies—but the potential savings may be greater than many executives expect.

Commercial and industrial electricity prices continued to climb in May, strengthening the case for businesses to scrutinize utility bills, rate classifications, usage patterns and peak-demand charges.