Back in the mid-1990s, when utilities expected regulation would be phased out and compliance with Title
18 would no longer be necessary, we saw charging cost centers as highly convenient. This was how non-regulated companies ran, and the practice was fully embraced by utilities.
Fast-forward 20 years, and the situation is quite different: regulation is actually more stringent, and utilities spanning multiple jurisdictions face even greater scrutiny. Today, while cost centers are useful on the back end for summarizing orders, comparing budget to actual, and establishing a framework for accountability, they are decidedly not effective on the front end.
Why? At HPC, we see at least four reasons for utilities on SAP to not charge cost centers. Utility Accounting, Finance, Rates, and Operations professionals may request this new HPC CXO Guide to learn more.