# Utility dispute referral brief template | SourceX

Canonical: https://refer.sourcex.si/resources/utility-billing-disputes-referral-brief-template
Last updated: 2026-10-20

A company introduction about utility billing disputes is a short brief the finance director can forward to the CEO. It describes the dispute history without containing any of it: company size, the billing systems, years of history, rough dispute volumes, who owns the records, who can authorize a licensing discussion, and any documented contract end date. No bills, tenant names, account numbers, screenshots or exports belong in it.

The brief belongs to the [utility billing disputes guide](/guides/workflow-utility-billing-disputes), which explains what one dispute looks like from meter read to credit. Fill the template during or after one call with the finance director, then compare it with the completed example below.

## The blank brief: seven lines for the finance director

Each line takes a count, a span of years, a system type, a role or the word "unknown". If you cannot fill a line without seeing a record, leave it as "unknown".

| Line | What to write | Example of the right level |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Company | Business type, buildings or sites, full-time staff at peak | Owner-operator, mixed-use, about 40 buildings |
| 2. Systems | Billing platform type, property ERP, where disputes are logged | Third-party billing platform; property ERP; shared mailbox |
| 3. Years of history | Oldest readable year for each record class | Rule versions since a stated year; tickets for fewer years |
| 4. Record volumes | Disputes a year and the rough share that ended in a credit | Several hundred a year; about one in five credited |
| 5. Records owner | Who maintains the history day to day | Property accounting lead |
| 6. Authorized contact | Who can approve a licensing discussion | CEO, or owner representatives for managed buildings |
| 7. Open question and date | The link nobody can confirm, and the documented deadline | Whether rule versions return on exit; contract end date |

Close every brief with one fixed line: *Not included: bills, tenant or resident names, account numbers, amounts, exports or any estimate of value.*

## How to fill each line without asking for records

**Line 1, company.** Count the company's own full-time staff at peak, not tenants or contractors. The introduced company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded). A manager that runs buildings for other owners should also say so here, because it changes line 6.

**Line 2, systems.** Name the system types and where the dispute conversation actually happens. Many teams log disputes in a mailbox rather than a ticket queue; that is worth knowing and costs nothing to say.

**Line 3, years of history.** Ask for each record class separately. Meter reads often go back further than dispute notes, and rule versions may have been overwritten. EPA's WaterSense guidance describes ratio billing as a formula based on square footage, occupancy or other factors, so every change to those inputs creates a version worth dating.

**Line 4, record volumes.** A rough count is enough. Readings have their own error checks as well: ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager flags overlaps or gaps of more than one day between billing-period entries. If the company tracks reading corrections separately from tenant disputes, note both counts.

**Lines 5 and 6, owner and contact.** These are often different people. The person who maintains the history can confirm facts; only the CEO, or the property owner for managed buildings, can approve a discussion. The [who-can-license page](/questions/who-can-license-utility-billing-disputes-records) explains how to tell them apart.

**Line 7, open question and date.** One unresolved question and one documented date. The date usually comes from the vendor contract; the [retention timeline](/guides/preserve-utility-billing-disputes-records) shows which records go first.

## Completed example (Illustrative): a mixed-use owner before a vendor change

Illustrative only. The company, counts and dates are fictional and written for this page.

1. **Company.** Owner-operator of mixed-use buildings, about 40 properties in Texas and Colorado, 320 full-time staff at peak.
2. **Systems.** Third-party utility billing platform for submeter reads and ratio allocation; property ERP for invoices and credits; dispute emails in a finance mailbox.
3. **Years of history.** Meter reads for about eight years; allocation rule versions for six years; dispute emails for five years.
4. **Record volumes.** Roughly 1,100 disputes a year; about 200 end in a rule change or credit.
5. **Records owner.** Property accounting lead.
6. **Authorized contact.** CEO; general counsel to review the vendor contract.
7. **Open question and date.** Whether the vendor returns dated meter maps and rule versions on exit. The current billing contract ends next spring, per the contract.

*Not included: bills, tenant or resident names, account numbers, amounts, exports or any estimate of value.*

Line 1 mentions Texas for a reason: the Public Utility Commission of Texas adopts rules on how property owners bill tenants for water and sewer service and registers properties that use submetered or allocated billing. The partner does not interpret those rules; the company's counsel decides what applies.

## The covering note that travels with the brief

Put two or three sentences above the brief, ideally in the finance director's own words when they forward it:

"I'd like to introduce SourceX, which licenses approved business data directly from companies for AI training and evaluation. The note below describes our utility allocation and dispute history at a summary level only. SourceX would review fit, rights and what could be included; nothing is shared until we agree."

If you send it yourself, add one line of disclosure: you may receive a referral reward from SourceX if a license completes, and it does not reduce what the company would be paid. The [warm introduction brief](/resources/a-warm-introduction-brief-for-a-business-owner) shows a longer format.

If the owner asks about money, explain the default formula rather than a forecast. Illustrative: if SourceX's Actual Supplier Payout to the company were $250,000, the default reward would be $62,500; this is arithmetic, not a forecast. A reward becomes payable after SourceX has paid the referred company under its signed agreement and the payout conditions in the program terms are met, including finance approval and your tax and payment details. The [earnings calculator](/tools/referral-earnings-calculator) shows other amounts.

## Checks before you send it

- Every line holds metadata only, and the closing line is present.
- Line 6 names someone who can approve a licensing discussion, not only the records owner.
- The company meets the basics: 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), a documented operating history, rights to license and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 90% of the data is in English.
- You have signed the Channel Partner Agreement. Credit goes to the first valid introduction within the 90-day window, recorded when the company submits a verified application.

What stays unknown until SourceX reviews it: buyer interest, how resident details would be removed, whether management agreements allow licensing, and any offer. The [energy and utilities page](/industries/energy-and-utilities) and [utility contractor private equity](/industries/utility-contractor-private-equity) cover related companies.

## Next step

> **Refer a company. Earn up to $100,000.** Default reward: 25% of Actual Supplier Payout, capped at $100,000 cumulatively per referred company. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.

Once all seven lines hold metadata and line 6 names an authorized contact, [register as a partner](/register), confirm the company on [who qualifies](/who-qualifies) and read [the terms](/terms) before the brief goes out.

## Sources

- https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-08/ws-homes-TRM-10-MeteringTechSheet.pdf
- https://www.puc.texas.gov/industry/water/watersystems/submeter/
- https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/how-get-utility-data-portfolio-manager
- https://refer.sourcex.si/terms