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The following is monthly budgeted cost and activity information for the four act

ID: 2504868 • Letter: T

Question

The following is monthly budgeted cost and activity information for the four activity centers in the billing department of Oregon Power Company:

Variable

Fixed

Cost Driver

$78,177

$166,000

3,300 labor hours

$9,856

$25,000

2,800 letters

$120,000

$73,000

2,400,000 lines

$7,770

$77,000

18,500 accounts


In September, actual costs and activity were as follows:

Total Costs

Driver Amount

$244,391

3,280 labor hours

$34,455

2,970 letters

$192,947

2,380,000 lines

$85,558

18,310 accounts


Required
Compute the flexible-budget variances for the following two activity cost items (round all answers to the nearest dollar and enter favorable variances as positive numbers and unfavorable variances as negative numbers):

  Account billing?

  Bill verification?   

Activity Center

Variable

Fixed

Cost Driver

Account inquiry

$78,177

$166,000

3,300 labor hours

Correspondence

$9,856

$25,000

2,800 letters

Account billing

$120,000

$73,000

2,400,000 lines

Bill verification

$7,770

$77,000

18,500 accounts

Explanation / Answer

Budgeted :
Correspondence : FC = 21000, VC =9520 for 2800 Letters, TC = $30,520
So VC per letter = 9520/2800 = $3.40

Acct Billing : FC= 153,000, VC = 84,000 for 2550,000 lines, TC=237,000
VC per '000 lines = $84000/2550 = $32.94

Actual :
Correspondence : 2620 Letters
FC = 21000, VC = 2620*$3.40 = $8,908
So Total COst = FC+VC = $29,908
So Correspondence Variance = Budgeted - Actual
= 30520 - 29908 = $612 F ....Ans (a)

Acct Billing : 2380,000 lines
FC= 153,000, VC = 2380 *$32.94 = $78,400
So Total Cost = FC+VC = 153000+ $78,400 = $231,400
So Acct Billing Variance = Budgeted - Actual
= 237,000 - 231,400 = 5,600F ....Ans (b)