28 Feb
Energy Prices in the UK: What’s the Deal?
Posted on Feb 28, 2022 by D-ENERGi
You can’t have failed to notice that there is currently an energy crisis in the UK, with business electricity and business gas prices set to rocket. Here’s what you need to know.
The energy price cap has helped to keep domestic energy rates low for the past few months, but this doesn’t apply to business energy, unfortunately. This is why there have been some wild variations in the business gas and business electricity prices that suppliers have quoted over recent weeks.
The reason why there have been recent price hikes for both business electricity and gas is due to the fact that wholesale energy prices are currently at record high levels. This is not a new situation, energy market prices are always moving up and down, but the price we are currently seeing are really high and also quite volatile, making it difficult to predict what they will be from one day to the next, never mind in twelve months’ time.
Why are wholesale energy prices so high at the moment?
The rise in energy prices is a global issue and it has been caused by some unexpected, but far-reaching reasons, including:
- A higher than usual demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Asia has led to lower LNG availability for Europe
- An increase in demand for energy in general as lockdown restrictions have eased across the globe
- Delays and complications with the Nord Stream 2 pipelines, linking Russia to Europe and bypassing Ukraine
- Gas shortages across Europe in general, thanks to the prolonged cold winter of 2020/2021 which put a drain of gas supplies
What is affecting the UK in particular?
These reasons have put us in a global energy crisis, but on top of this the UK itself is also suffering from:
- A fire at a National Grid site in Kent knocked out a power cable used to import electricity from France to the UK, which is not expected to be back up and running until 2023
- Low winds mean less renewable energy generation
- Outages at some Nuclear Power stations mean a higher percentage of gas being used for electricity production than normal
- The fact that UK has some of the lowest gas reserves in the whole of Europe, so we have almost no way of stockpiling gas until we need it
With all of this in mind, what is the best way to make sure you are paying a fair price for your business energy?
Well, the best way to find the best business energy deals is to contact the expert team at D-ENERGi. We just need a couple of details from you and then we can trawl the business electricity and business gas suppliers UK to find the best tariff for your business in minutes.
Making one of your employees an energy champion can be a very effective way of controlling energy costs and the Carbon Trust has published a number of tips for how to make the best of such a role.
They include: Reporting energy waste they notice, such as equipment left on unnecessarily.
Ensuring equipment and machinery are well-maintained and working efficiently.
Contributing and gathering ideas for improving the way things are done.
Testing and implementing new processes.
Communicating good practice and being an ambassador for change.
It’s also vital that your energy champion has the visible support of top management and all the necessary resources they need to be effective.
According to the Carbon Trust approach, the energy champion should: Be the eyes and ears for energy wastage.
Be responsible for reading meters and checking fuel bills.
Develop a weekly or monthly checklist of duties.
Consider forming an action team to report on progress and encourage further action. A good way of identifying waste initially is to stage an energy walkabout. Because your energy usage patterns will vary throughout the day, the walkabout times should be varied to match, for example, when the cleaners are in, at lunch, and at night or over weekends.
From these walks, your energy champion can identify where energy is being wasted and the possible reasons. Is it a lack understanding, are procedures being overlooked, is repair or necessary to reduce energy costs, or there is a need for capital investment.
We’re proud business energy suppliers with a passion for supporting companies of various sizes, whether with competitive gas tariffs, electricity or 100% UK wind power. Contact our team today to learn more.
We’re proud business energy suppliers with a passion for supporting companies of various sizes, whether with competitive gas tariffs, electricity or 100% UK wind power.
Contact our team today to learn more.
Read Article Finding Cheap Business Electricity
Finding cheap business electricity can be challenging when every supplier offers such competitive rates. This is why you should make the effort to shop around and receive as many quotes as you possibly can. Although this may be a chore, it is regarding one of the main factors within your business – money.
Ofgem Recommendations
The leading regulatory body, Ofgem recommend that you shop around for electricity rates, at least every three years to ensure you are being delivered the best tariff for your business electricity needs. When we say shop around, we mean the whole market. Do your research, look into energy suppliers that you may never have heard of previously, and try to look further into suppliers that don’t fall under The Big Six.
We are only a phone call away…
If you are looking to seek consultancy with regard to your electricity, D-ENERGi can review your electricity and advise you on what is best for you and your business when it comes to electricity. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 0800 871 7626 to speak with one of our experienced Account Managers in-house to help you understand your electricity as opposed to developing knowledge in generic electricity rates. Every business’s electricity needs are highly unique and you should not feel as though there is only one route you can take.
Hidden costs in electricity
Something that isn’t outlined by every supplier is the fact that there are several other charges that relate to electricity supply. We like you to be involved and we want you to have a 100% understanding on just where your electricity budget money is heading.
Some electricity quotes can be referred to as a mine field quote which can be presented in many different manners and can prove to show hidden costs. We can give you a cost analysis penny-to-penny of what and where you are spending your money on your business electricity.
P272
P272 is a new regulation given by Ofgem which affects around 167,000 businesses. P272 is mandatory and affects the way all electricity suppliers settle electricity consumption for businesses within a specified energy use. This will result in sites being migrated from non-half-hourly meters (NHH) to half-hourly meters (HH), and enable suppliers to produce more accurate bills.
More information and an infographic regarding P272 can be found here. If you would like to read our blog on P272 this can also be found here.
Get competitive rates today with a free quote
If you wish to seek electricity or any energy consultancy we are here until 5.00 pm every day ready to answer any questions you may have. Please call 0800 781 7626 for further information.
You can receive a free, no-obligation quote here and start to compare electricity rates today!
Read Article