Energy Manager Reviews

“Missing data”

Pros

It does what I need as long as the data is entered in full. I mostly rely on it to track usage and consumption figures and to maintain historical billing records.

Cons

A big problem is that the data entry team does not capture all of the information. When one bill includes multiple accounts, they do not enter each account into the correct section. That leaves gaps in the data which throws off usage and consumption numbers and also affects reporting needs like ISR. Because of that, the bill gap analysis keeps getting worse. I have even resubmitted the bills several times and still ended up with the same negative outcome.

“crystal clear data”

Pros

Starting up with Energy Manager was extremely simple and it didn't take long to understand how everything works. We especially love how sensible the reports are to read. Everything is presented very clearly.

Cons

So far I've had very few complaints. Having a helpful support team available made the initial learning process much easier.

“Sharp reports and fair bills”

Pros

Registering your utility bills and updating information is very simple. The reporting is clear, concise and can be customized without much hassle.

Cons

Working through more complex bills can still take a while to enter although that would likely be resolved if we had the auto-integration feature which we currently don't use.

“Useful but not complete”

Pros

For me entering data is not a hassle like it usually is and the reports included with the software perform really well.

Cons

There are two issues on my end, I'm not seeing our data in Portfolio Manager and creating reports is much more difficult than it should be.

“handles our data like a pro!!”

Pros

Inputting your data into the system is not hard at all, whether it's through spreadsheet imports or by adding accounts one at a time. For people who work better with visuals than raw data, EM offers a wide range of graphing options that make presentations much more accessible. It also works very well with Excel tools like Pivot Tables and Power Pivot and it has no trouble exporting decades of data into a format those tools can actually use. One of the biggest advantages is being able to download our full database, including decades of monthly records, directly into Excel without any issues. Sending energy reports to state agencies is also very convenient.

Cons

Despite its simplicity it's still more than capable for ongoing energy data management. Thoughtful design means the tools generally work without problems. Whenever issues do come up, they're very minor and the technical support has been excellent.

“Loaded with features”

Pros

Historical data we needed was captured and the integration and data export process went smoothly..The cloud-based system is easy to use and makes it simple to fix data entry mistakes when they happen. It's also really helpful that actual bills can be attached to each individual account. Overall, it feels like a hardy platform with a lot of capabilities I probably haven't even discovered yet.

Cons

Occasionally, if certain reports aren't used often or saved to Quick Links, it's easy to forget which report you need the next time you go searching for it. Putting together a detailed import spreadsheet also requires careful alignment of columns, rows, tags and other required fields and that can be tough to remember later on if you need to create another one and no longer have the notes from the original setup years ago.

“Leak alerts are gold”

Pros

From a data entry standpoint there is not a problem at all and the reports help us spot leaks or excessive usage across our buildings. The month-to-month cost comparison feature is especially helpful.

Cons

One thing that could be improved is the report builder since it would be better with more preset templates. That said, creating your own setup is still fairly simple.

“visuals help us so much”

Pros

Onboarding with Energy Manager was a piece of cake and keeping the software updated has been just as simple. The dashboard looks good and the graphs are really useful too.

Cons

At this point, I honestly can't think of any drawbacks.

“tracks every kilowatt”

Pros

Tracking facility energy use is much more manageable. The software is easy to use, includes a wide range of reports and data comparison tools and makes monitoring consumption very effective. It didn't take long to learn and it offers plenty of power once you start using it. I'd definitely recommend it to other organizations.

Cons

Looking at my experience, I can't think of any real drawbacks with this product.

“Tailored reports”

Pros

The reporting tools in this software have been really impressive. There are plenty of options to choose from which makes it very flexible.

Cons

After the imports are configured, they're simple to work with but the initial setup does take some effort. That said, our integration process went very well.

“provides yearly synopsis”

Pros

Ease of use is probably the best part and the year by year view of energy costs is really helpful.

Cons

Certain questions don't seem necessary but you still have to answer them to continue.

“Useful performance metrics”

Pros

Right after getting the software, we started loading in utility bill data from the previous three years and built benchmarks that let us fully use the reporting tools and track energy trends. It helped us clearly demonstrate the savings from upgrades like LED lighting, newer high-efficiency HVAC units, building controls and several other improvements. Because of that, we can now quickly spot the areas that need the most attention based on the positive impact those changes produced.

Cons

There really isn't anything I'm unhappy with.

“Polished output, smart layout”

Pros

Using this system has been a really positive experience because it's very user friendly and just comes naturally to users. I can generate reports without any hassle and they come out looking professional and highly detailed.

Cons

For my needs, I don't have any complaints about it. It does exactly what I need.

“one-time filter setup”

Pros

Through the available filters we can customize data outputs and graphs and it's also possible to save favorite graphs and reports for quick access later.

Cons

It doesn't pull data from all of our utility providers so we still have to upload some of it manually. There can also be a delay between uploading the data and having it parsed in the software so it's ready to use.

“adaptable and consistent”

Pros

Entering data is very clear-cut and putting together reports is just as simple. There are plenty of reports generated automatically so I can pick the one that best fits the audience I'm sharing the information with.

Cons

Very satisfied with every feature Energy Manager offers.

“custom views”

Pros

Custom report building is a strong feature though there's a bit of a learning curve because each category has limits on what can be included in a report. The company contacts are also very communicative and helpful. The initial setup really matters with this software since there's a huge amount of customization available so it helps a lot to know exactly what you want going in.

Cons

The price feels high considering the limitations and the occasional strange bugs even if every software has some. Also, the upgraded parts of Dude don't seem to work very well with the legacy modules.

“everything under one roof!”

Pros

Monitoring energy usage across all of my buildings has become much easier with Energy Manager. It gives me all the information I need and the data is readily available whenever I want a quick snapshot of how each building is performing.

Cons

My only trouble with Energy Manager has been with certain reports. At times they include far more detail than I need and other times they don't give me quite enough. That said some of that may simply come down to my own lack of knowledge. Customer support has always been excellent and I'm confident they would help me pull the exact data I need.

“No more untraced losses”

Pros

Comparing results month over month and year over year has been incredibly valuable making it easier to see the impact of the energy-saving measures we've implemented.

Cons

During my first experience with it, Energy Manager was a little confusing because the training wasn't sufficient. I probably should have contacted product support sooner. The initial setup also took quite a bit of time.

“tracking reveals hidden patterns”

Pros

Being able to monitor and generate reports on overall energy consumption or specific energy usage for one building or across multiple buildings has been very useful.

Cons

Little room for complaint exists, as the only occasional challenge is finding the correct account for a particular building.

“alerts catch issues early”

Pros

If we keep in mind the competitors, this software felt like a great upgrade. The notifications are better and the reporting is more useful overall.

Cons

Reporting options still have some room for improvement especially when it comes to letting users choose a more specific timeframe for reports or graphs.