Why 17 Ways Exists
One name. Seventeen obligations.
In 2015, the United Nations identified 17 goals for humanity — a shared blueprint for a better world. We named ourselves after those goals. Not because we thought we could solve all of them at once, but because we committed to finding business solutions for each of them, one at a time.
Right now, our focus is energy.
Through EnergyIQ — our utility intelligence program — we recover money that manufacturers, data centers, and government facilities have overpaid on their utility bills. Every dollar recovered is a real operational improvement. Every audit completed moves the needle on SDG 7 and SDG 13.
This is chapter one. The other 16 chapters are still being written.
SDG 7 — Affordable & Clean Energy
SDG 13 — Climate Action
"You're not being careless. You just don't have 20 years of utility billing expertise on staff — and neither does anyone else."
17 Ways brings together the most experienced utility auditor in the country with power factor correction technology and ESG reporting infrastructure. Every dollar we find becomes a verified operational asset.
We start with one month of bills. Our initial analysis returns in 48 hours. We only earn if we find something.
How It Works
Three acts. One integrated engagement.
EnergyIQ — three disciplines, one engagement, zero upfront cost.
01 — Recover
Utility Bill Recovery
Bob Nichols audits water, sewer, and power bills going back 36–48 months. Wrong rate classifications, unapplied credits, and sewer charges on water that evaporated are identified and retroactive claims are filed.
Contingency-based · Zero upfront cost · 48hr analysis
02 — Optimize
Power Factor Correction
Whether your motors and VFDs are failing too often or finance is staring down an unplanned capital request, power factor correction extends equipment life and lowers your ongoing power cost 15–30% — independently, or alongside a utility audit.
03 — Report
Verified Operational Data
Every dollar recovered and kilowatt corrected becomes verified, documented operational data — GHG Scope 1 & 2, water stewardship, board-ready narratives. Particularly valuable for European parent companies and hyperscaler tenants with net-zero commitments.
NYU Stern Corporate Sustainability certified
The Work That Matters
Connected to something larger.
SDG 7 — Affordable and Clean Energy
Reducing the real cost of energy
Recovering utility overcharges reduces the real cost of energy for facilities of every kind — manufacturing, healthcare, government, and more.
SDG 13 — Climate Action
Reducing waste, documenting impact
Power factor correction reduces energy waste and carbon demand. Verified GHG data gives organizations the documentation they need to act on their net-zero commitments.
17 Ways was founded on the belief that business, done right, is one of the most powerful forces available to address the world's biggest problems. Energy is where we start. It won't be where we stop.
Companies and Organizations That Trusted Us — and Got Results
The clients who found what was hiding.
From Fortune 500 manufacturers to regional facilities operators and federal government agencies — utility bills that were wrong for years, and a team that fixed it.
Manufacturing
Large-scale manufacturers with complex utility accounts across multiple sites — highest recovery potential in the portfolio.
Data Centers
Hyperscale and colocation operators with massive power draws and sewer billing anomalies often missed for years.
Healthcare & Institutions
Hospitals and institutional campuses with legacy rate classifications set at construction and never revisited.
Federal & Government
Government buildings and agencies carry complex accounts — tax exemptions, rate reclassifications, and retroactive sewer credits create significant recovery across multi-site federal footprints.
Featured Clients
GE Appliances
Manufacturing
Large-scale industrial power profile. Power factor correction and utility audit engagement.
Kroger
Retail / Distribution
Multi-facility utility recovery across distribution and retail footprint.
Sona Senior Living
Senior Living / Facilities
Utility bill recovery engagement. Retroactive refunds identified and filed across water and sewer billing.
O'Reilly Machine Tool
Industrial Manufacturing
Power factor correction deployment with ROI under 10 months.
Hospital Systems
Healthcare
$1.2M in verified 5-year savings. $222K equipment cost. 11-month payback.
Sports & Recreation Facilities
Commercial Real Estate
$199K in 5-year savings. $33K equipment cost. 10-month ROI.