I manage IT for a nonprofit, and today, I noticed an almost $1000 charge on our Azure account. Previously, we were using credits, and all we have is one Ubuntu server along with a few restore points and storage. Can anyone explain why this charge happened and how I can resolve it?
3 Answers
To avoid surprises like this in the future, set up cost alerts for your Azure subscription. You might also want to set an auto shutdown for your VM if the workload allows it. This can help control costs effectively!
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll definitely look into setting those up.
First thing you need to do is check the Azure portal. Search for 'subscriptions' in the top search bar, and click on the subscription you're using. From there, go into 'Cost Management' on the right menu. Make sure to set the filters to show the costs for last month and switch the view to 'invoice details'. This will help you pinpoint exactly where the money went. If you think the charge is incorrect, head over to the 'Support + Troubleshooting' section and open a ticket explaining your situation. They can usually help or even waive the fee. Just make sure to address this quickly to stop any further costs!
You can also check the resource group overview for your server. Look for the 'cost management' section in the left menu; it should give you a graph of cumulative costs. You can change the view to 'daily' or 'per resource' to figure out which specific items are causing spikes in expenses. Also, consider how often you're receiving your invoices so you stay on top of this in the future!
That's a smart idea! Those alerts can really help keep your expenses in check and avoid nasty surprises.