A grinding mill power model that is a function of load behaviour parameters was previously calibrated against data collected on an industrial autogenous mill. This model is used to explore the impact of various load behaviour parameters on the power drawn by, the mill. This can reveal the optimal operating conditions for a mill. It is shown that premature centrifuging and angle of repose of the load have the most impact on the power drawn by, the mill. The power model is also used to investigate the impact of a control strategy, on the power drawn by the mill. It is shown that the constant load mass control strategy can lead to sub- optimal mill usage.