Report-01

Monthly Trends—Comparing Year-to-Year

What is shows:

This report provides a line chart and data table that display monthly values over several years. It's designed to help you identify trends, patterns, or changes in usage, cost, or other key metrics by comparing the same months across different years. You can include variance filters to automatically highlight exceptions and unusual patterns.

By default, Report-01 is a one-page summary. If you want a detailed view for each object (like a building), use the Group by filter to generate one page per object.

Why it's useful:

By visualizing data this way, you can easily spot:

  • Seasonal trends
  • Year-over-year increases or decreases
  • Anomalies or outliers in specific months

For example, you might notice that electricity use in July 2024 was much higher than in July 2023, prompting a deeper look.

Example

Filters used to create the Report sample report shown above.

To create the sample report 1 shown here use these filter settings:

Report-01 vs Report-08

These reports may look similar, but they focus on different comparisons:

  • Report-01 compares multiple years for one objects
    Example: A site's total commodity cost for 2015 to 2020.
  • Report-08 compares multiple objects for one year
    Example: Several sites' monthly commodity cost for 2020

Report-01 recommendations

  • You must include a time period, either data range or accounting period.
  • When you use the filter between with negative numbers, remember to enter the smaller value first.
  • When you are reporting on Cost Avoidance, remember to run Cost Avoidance -> Calculate Savings first.
  • If you use the Chargebacks module, remember to use the appropriate Topmost place or Topmost cost center to prevent double counting use or cost.

Report-01 variance threshold

Set a variance threshold and have the report automatically highlight abnormal results in the data table. When you use equals, only those specific lines are highlighted, consider using greater than or less than to highlight any rows greater or less than the specified amount.

  • Variance % from 1st year selected - compares each year to the selected year
  • Variance % from prior year - compares each year to the prior year

Set your Report-01 filters

  1. In the Data type field, choose the data set you want to use for the report.
     
    Data set When to use it Why it helps
    Billing Period Accounting, chargebacks, or any task that needs the exact bill dates Uses the raw start and end dates from the utility bill
    Calendarized Month-to-month or year-over-year cost analysis Spreads each bill across true calendar months so totals line up with financial periods
    Normalized Year-over-year usage analysis Adjusts energy use for weather, removing temperature as a variable
  2. First month
    Choose the month to start your report.
  3. Include account charges
    Decide whether to include one-time or periodic charges.
    These are not linked to use or demand on the bill.
  4. Value
    Select what you want to report on.
  5. Time period
    Use the Date range filter to set the reporting period.
    Or choose Accounting period—only available when using Billing period data.

If you stop here, you have a one page summary report for your entire organization or your assigned topmost permissions.

Other filters to consider for Report-01

1. What Are You Reporting On?

Decide your report focus: building, meter, cost center, etc.

  • One building
    Set Topmost place to that specific building.
  • Multiple buildings
    Set Topmost place to the organization.
  • Meters
    Use the Meter group filter.
  • One or more cost centers
    Use the Topmost cost center filter.

2. Report Format: One Page or Multi-Page?

Use the Group by filter to control the layout:

  • No Group by filter
    One-page executive summary.
  • Group by site (with topmost = organization)
    One chart and data table per site.

3. Commodities

  • To include all commodities, skip this filter.
  • To include only specific commodities, use the Commodity category filter for more detailed charts and data.

4. Account Status

  • To include only active accounts, apply the Active account filter.
  • Without it, the report includes both active and inactive accounts.

5. Void Bills

  • Decide whether to include or exclude void bills in your report.

6. Chargebacks or Vendor Bills

  • Use the Bill is from external vendor filter:
    • Select yes to show only vendor bills.
    • Select no to show only chargeback bills.
    • Leave blank to include both.

Available filters for Report-01

Required filters for Report-01

  • Data type - Can be calendarized, billing period, or normalized.
  • First month - Select the first calendar month for the report.
  • Include account charges - Account charges are separate from meter charges and not used in calculating unit cost. (For example, late fees, connection charges, or deposits)
  • Value 

Recommended filters for Report-01

  • Accounting period - When you use the filter Accounting period you must set Data type to billing period data. 
  • Date range - For report-01 you must select either an accounting period or a date range.
  • Group by - without this filter Report-01 is a one page summary report.
  • Include a chart  - use this filter to include a chart with the report.
  • Meter group - lets you filter the report to a specific group of meters.
  • Site group - lets you filter the report to a specific group of sites.
  • Topmost cost center code - When you use this filter you are selecting the topmost cost center you want to be included. When you set a topmost cost center it is the highest level of the accounting tree used, this lets you select a subset of data for reporting.
  • Topmost cost center name - When you use this filter you are selecting the topmost cost center you want to be included. When you set a topmost cost center it is the highest level of the accounting tree used, this lets you select a subset of data for reporting.
  • Topmost place code - Select the topmost organization or site you want to be included. When you set a topmost organization or site it is the highest level of the facilities tree used, this lets you select a subset of data from your tree for reporting.
  • Topmost place name - Select the topmost organization or site you want to be included. When you set a topmost organization or site it is the highest level of the facilities tree used, this lets you select a subset of data from your tree for reporting.
  • Variance % from 1st year selected - For this filter enter a numeric value. For report-01 this option compares each year to the first year in the report.  TIP: Consider using greater than to automatically highlight months that are greater than the variance number you entered.
  • Variance % from prior year - For this filter enter a numeric value. On Report-01 this option compares each year to the prior year. TIP: Consider using greater than to automatically highlight months that are greater than the variance you entered.

Optional filters for Report-01

  • Account is active - If this filter is not included, includes both active and inactive accounts are including in the report.
  • Account name
  • Account number
  • Accounts in cost center code - use this filter to include accounts directly under one or more cost centers.
  • Accounts in cost center name - use this filter to include accounts directly under one or more cost centers. Bill is from external vendor.
  • Bill is void - if this filter is not included both void and not void are included.
  • Commodity
  • Commodity category
  • Include accrual bills - if this filter is not included the report include accrual bills.
  • Meter code
  • Meter group category
  • Meter name
  • Meters in site code
  • Meters in site name
  • Vendor code
  • Vendor name

Configured Report-01 options

Report-01 is flexible and has many configuration options. To help you be successful several configured reports are available.

Each report has its own preset filters and instructions.