Power bills and supply cost for data centers

Power is the largest operating cost at most data centers, and it is bought site by site. Nectar collects every utility and supplier bill, separates supply, delivery, and demand, and keeps the usage behind procurement and emissions reporting in one place.

Empty aisle of server racks in a data center

A data center portfolio spans sites with very different power contracts: some buy supply in a deregulated market, some sit on a regulated tariff, and many have a utility bill and a supplier bill for the same meters. Load is high and steady, so a small rate difference or a demand charge set by one peak hour moves a large amount of money.

Nectar is the system of record for that cost. Bills are collected and parsed at the line-item level, supply and delivery are reported separately, and the same consumption data is what procurement partners and sustainability teams use.

Challenge

Supply and delivery costs are mixed together, so contract performance is hard to see.

Solution

Every bill is split into supply, delivery, demand, taxes, and fees. Dashboards and exports report supply cost and delivery cost separately, and supplier and utility bills for the same meters are grouped so usage is counted once.

Challenge

Renewals are negotiated without a clean load profile.

Solution

Twelve months or more of validated usage, including interval data where the utility provides it, is ready for a pricing request. Renewals are tracked at least 180 days ahead, and offers are sourced through licensed partners.

Challenge

Scope 2 numbers are assembled from spreadsheets before each disclosure.

Solution

Consumption for every site stays current as bills arrive and exports to your carbon accounting platform, with each figure linked to its source bill.

Power cost by site, meter, and charge type

Electricity accounts are collected from 7,000+ utilities and parsed into one schema. Demand, energy, supply, delivery, taxes, and fees are separated, and portfolio totals across countries are reported in one display currency.

Where a site has both a utility and a supplier, the bills stay grouped. Interval data, where available, is reconciled with billed demand so a peak that set the demand charge can be traced to the hour.

Transformers and generators at a data center

Procurement and renewable supply

In deregulated markets, Nectar benchmarks the current contract against the usage each site actually has and tracks the renewal at least 180 days out. Competing offers, including renewable supply, are sourced through licensed partners. Nectar is not a broker or a supplier, and partner compensation is disclosed before you sign.

Where supply cannot be shopped, every account is reviewed against the rate schedules it qualifies for, and approved changes are submitted and tracked. A historical bill audit reviews up to 36 months of past bills for errors and missed exemptions.

Solar farm with a data center campus beyond

Why data center teams choose Nectar

Nectar rate optimization — platform dashboard screenshot

Data

Line-item power cost at 99.2% accuracy, with supply and delivery separated and each value linked to its source bill.

Automation

Bills collected as they are issued, contracted rates checked on supplier invoices, and consumption pushed to your carbon platform.

Service

Licensed procurement partners for sourcing, human review of flagged bills, and a named customer success manager for renewals and rate changes.

What changes for data center teams

Supply cost visible on its own

Before Nectar, supply and delivery were one number on a spreadsheet. After, each is reported separately for every site.

→ Rate optimization

Renewals start from real load

Before Nectar, pricing requests were built from partial history. After, a year or more of validated usage is ready 180 days before renewal.

→ Procurement advisory

Scope 2 data that matches the bills

Before Nectar, emissions inputs were rebuilt each reporting cycle. After, the same validated consumption exports to your carbon platform.

→ Carbon accounting integrations

Frequently asked questions

Does Nectar calculate power usage effectiveness?

No. Nectar does not meter IT load or sell metering hardware. It manages the utility and supplier bills, demand, and the cost and emissions data that come from them.

Can Nectar buy power for our sites?

No. Nectar is not a broker or a supplier. Supply offers, including renewable supply, are sourced through licensed partners, and their compensation is disclosed in writing before you sign.

Does Nectar support sites outside the United States?

Yes. Collection and parsing are global, and totals across countries convert to one display currency. EU-hosted customers can keep data and files in the EU. Bill pay covers US utility accounts only.

One platform for every utility decision

Utility bill management, energy cost management and procurement, and sustainability reporting in one system, shared by energy, finance, operations, and sustainability teams.

Nectar utility bill management — utility data management feature

Utility bill management

Every bill for every utility, waste, and telecom account collected, parsed at the line-item level, and tracked against its expected date.

Automated bill collectionData completenessAudit trailAI agent and smart reports
Nectar sustainability reporting and benchmarks — utility data management feature

Sustainability reporting and benchmarks

Audit-ready data for ESG reporting, site benchmarks, ENERGY STAR sync, and exports to carbon accounting platforms.

BenchmarksENERGY STAR Portfolio ManagerESG and carbon integrationsWaste and recycling
Nectar bill audit, bill pay, and ap — utility data management feature

Bill audit, bill pay, and AP

Errors caught before payment, past overcharges recovered, and validated bills paid on time or delivered to your AP system.

Utility bill auditsHistorical bill auditUtility bill paymentsAP and ERP integration
Nectar energy cost management and procurement — utility data management feature

Energy cost management and procurement

Tariff and rate optimization, demand management, and procurement advisory. Customers typically save 3 to 5% of annual utility spend.

Tariff and rate optimizationDemand managementProcurement advisoryBudgeting and forecasts

Loved by customers in every industry

Customer Stories
Featured

How Thomas Foods automated more than 90% of its utility data collection

Thomas Foods International uses Nectar to collect and organize utility data across its US facilities, replacing manual bill downloads and spreadsheet entry.

“Using Nectar has significantly streamlined the process of gathering and analyzing our utility data. The platform just works!”
Jonathan R., Sustainability Director at Thomas Foods Int., USA — Nectar customer

Jonathan R.

Sustainability Director, Thomas Foods Int., USA

Read the case studyFeatured

Stanwich Energy Boosts Client Value with Nectar's Utility Data Solution

Stanwich Energy announces a new partnership with Nectar to enhance the customer experience through advanced, AI-powered utility data services.

“Partnering with Nectar's AI-driven platform has been groundbreaking, allowing us to tackle changes faster and skip the outdated, painful integration required by other solutions. Having the right information is the first step, and Nectar is exactly what we have been looking for to make that happen.”
Matt Shaw, Managing Director at Stanwich Energy — Nectar customer

Matt Shaw

Managing Director, Stanwich Energy

Read the case study
Jeremy Pike, Sustainability Leader at Idaho Milk Products — Nectar customer

Jeremy Pike

Sustainability Leader, Idaho Milk Products

“Thanks to Nectar's innovative solution, we can accurately assess our environmental impact, becoming a pioneer in sustainability among our peers.”

John O'Connell, CEO and Founder at Stanwich Energy — Nectar customer

John O'Connell

CEO and Founder, Stanwich Energy

“Nectar enables faster insights, smarter forecasting, and more accurate budget tracking. It also strengthens our ability to deliver on key sustainability goals by providing real-time visibility into usage and emissions.”

Matt Greening, Founder and Director at Nettzero — Nectar customer

Matt Greening

Founder and Director, Nettzero

“Nectar serves as a reliable and cost-effective technology solution to extract, store, and analyse sustainability data leading to enhanced reporting capabilities and streamlined workflows.”

Ready to get started with Nectar?

Try your utility bill on our live demo or get in touch

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Learn more about Nectar

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Nectar is an AI-native utility bill management platform for commercial and industrial organizations, with 99.2% line-item parsing accuracy, coverage of 7,000+ utility providers, and automated data collection.

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Data Completeness ViewAutomated Data CollectionCarbon Accounting IntegrationsAudit TrailTariff and Rate OptimizationsLate Penalties and Tax TrackingUtility Bill PaymentsUtility Bill AuditsBudgeting and ForecastsBenchmarks and AuditsEnergyStar IntegrationDemand ManagementHistorical Bill AuditProcurement AdvisoryProjects, Rebates, and Grid ProgramsWaste and RecyclingUtility Account Open and CloseAP and ERP IntegrationAI Agent and Smart Reports