Tariffs, emission factors & targets

Tariffs, emission factors and targets are the configuration layer that gives meaning to your readings. They decide how much each unit costs, how much carbon it represents, and how your actual usage compares to your goals.

Tariffs

Define a tariff per utility to price every reading. You can keep it simple or model a real utility contract.

• A flat unit price for the simplest case.
• Time-of-use bands (peak / off-peak) defined by day-of-week and time window, in your company's time zone.
• An optional demand charge, per kW of the month's highest demand.
• An optional standing charge: a fixed amount per meter and per month.

Emission factors

An emission factor expresses how much carbon a unit of a given utility produces, in kgCO₂e per unit. Define one per utility so each reading is converted into a carbon footprint alongside its cost. For electricity, FreeMaint proposes your country's national grid average (source: Ember, CC BY 4.0): one click copies it into an ordinary factor you can still edit.

Targets and budgets

Targets let you set a budget per period and track performance against it. You can scope a target broadly or narrowly to match how you manage the site.

• Choose a period: month, quarter or year.
• Optionally scope the target to a specific zone or meter.
• Set a target for consumption, cost or carbon.
• The dashboard then shows target versus actual so over- or under-performance is obvious.