Understanding the energy market and the details of the deals and prices available to you is important in ensuring you are not paying more than you should be for your business energy. In a financial climate like the one we are currently living through, businesses will be even more cautious to sign up to deals they are unaware of and as they should.  If you are looking to set up a new business energy contract, you may be thinking “what’s best?”. In this blog we are hoping to clear the confusion slightly, delving into the topic of fixed rate tariffs for business energy. Reviewing whether these are best for businesses.    What are fixed rate business energy tariffs? Ensuring we are not assuming you already know the definition, we will start by simply explaining what a fixed tariff is.  Fixed rate tariffs are a good option for businesses hoping to lock in a price for their business energy for the next year or two. Usually lasting between 12-24 months, a fixed rate tariff offers a way to pay energy bills that are not influenced by fluctuations within the wholesale energy market. However, as with any tariff you sign onto, the more you use, the more you will pay. The price you are agreeing to pay in the beginning, that stays locked, is the price you pay per unit.   How a fixed rate tariff benefits a business  Unlike those receiving a salary from their employer, your business relies on the success of its sales each month to bring in revenue. Having the revenue to cover costs such as energy bills is absolutely vital to the survival of your business. Therefore, many tend to consider a fixed rate tariff as the most suitable type of energy contract for business energy customers, since the price per unit is locked in and is much more manageable than variable-rate deals.  Some of the benefits of a fixed rate contract for businesses include:  – They are typically cheaper than a variable rate  – Enable the customer to be protected from the fluctuations of a volatile energy market – Allows businesses to control their monthly spend by simply managing their energy usage It is important to note that when you are looking for a fixed-rate tariff, how ‘cheap’ this will be will ultimately depend on the market at the time. Suppliers will determine their fixed prices based on the conditions of the market, so it is also important to bear this in mind when shopping around.    D-ENERGi fixed price business electricity  AT D-ENERGi we are continuously working to provide our business energy customers with the very best prices for business electricity. Our tailored solutions are designed to suit your business needs. With our offer of fixed price electricity guarantees you know exactly how much you will be paying each month, with no surprises. To get your free business electricity quote today and to find out more about our fixed tariffs, simply get in touch with our friendly customer service team.

Firstly, what is a business energy audit?  Energy audits are a style of assessment that is a legal requirement for any commercial enterprise that hires more than 250 people. The audit will analyse the energy efficiency of your business, as well as your energy usage and will also review the needs of your business. The complete audit will allow you to review your business energy usage, finding areas in which you can amend your consumption in order to reduce your energy costs and enhance the efficiency of your building.  Why business energy audits important As mentioned above, it is a legal requirement for certain businesses to have an energy audit. However, for smaller businesses where this isn’t a legal obligation, there are still many reasons why a business energy audit is beneficial.  Poor energy efficiency has been found to be one of the main reasons for the high costs of a business energy bill. Businesses across the country could benefit from simply understanding the energy efficiency rating of their business premises, in order to get started. Once you are aware of the energy that you may be losing due, you can take the small steps required in order to enhance your energy efficiency and start saving hundreds of pounds!    How a business energy audit works  For businesses that are legally required to carry out an audit, an external assessor must be granted access to your business in order to complete the audit. However for those who do not have to do this legally, a phone audit or even a DIY audit can be done.  An on-site external audit must be carried out by a qualified professional. This auditor will visit your site and will carry out a thorough assessment of your premises. Reviewing areas such as energy usage, your business operations, and looking at ways in which you can reduce this consumption. They will pay close attention to the equipment and tools you use within your business, assessing how much these are used and how much energy is required to power them. They will then provide you with details on their recommendations.    Save money with an internal DIY energy audit  For smaller businesses who wish to carry out their own energy audits, can do so while saving money with a DIY energy audit!  This energy audit will be completed by you or a member of your own internal team. Although not as concise as an external audit, the DIY checklist you will be provided will cover all the necessary areas of an audit. This will help you identify major problems such as poor insulation and expensive lighting or heating. This DIY style of assessment will help make you aware of any issues with your consumption or efficiency leaving you with the opportunity to choose how you wish to deal with this.    How an energy audit can promote sustainability Since sustainability has become such an important element of a business’ operations, an energy audit is even more useful. Suggesting ways to improve energy efficiency and cut down on consumption, not only does an energy audit recommend ways to help your business save money but it also identifies areas of your business that may be having a negative impact on the environment. With the information you are provided from an audit, you can work to improve your sustainability, improving your business’ emissions and carbon footprint.  To save even more money on your business energy bills, why not get in touch with the D-ENERGi team. Our business energy rates are just as competitive as those of the top 5 energy companies in the country. Send an enquiry today and we can provide you with a free, quick quote.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed while wading through the energy industry. Whether you’re looking for a new supplier or simply trying to understand your business’ energy bill, there’s lots of new terminology to grasp. From understanding definitions, processes, and terminology – it can quickly feel like you’re trying to understand a foreign language. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what is meant when we talk about ‘capacity’ or ‘demand’, then this post is for you! Here’s a helpful glossary of terms commonly used within the energy industry so that you have all the knowledge needed to make better-informed decisions on your business energy requirements. Below we have provided an A-Z style of glossary to help explain some complicated and good-to-know terms.    Agreed Capacity  This is the agreed amount of electricity load that can be supplied to a property. If you are renting or newly purchasing a property for your business operations this will be stated in your property’s Connection Agreement with the local DNO*.   Automatic Meter Read (AMR) An automatic meter read is taken by a system that takes meter readings remotely. This data will be passed onto your business energy supplier for billing purposes.   Biomass Biomass energy or bioenergy, as it can often be referred to, is an energy sourced from organic materials, this includes matter from recently living organisms such as plants. This is considered a ‘carbon neutral’ method of generating energy.    Carbon Credits  Carbon credits are a rising form of credit that can be purchased on the voluntary carbon market. These are used to permit owners an allowance of carbon dioxide emissions. Also known as carbon offsets. Many businesses are now opting voluntarily to buy carbon credits in order to develop a ‘green business strategy’ that coincides with government plans to achieve net zero carbon.    Carbon Neutral  Carbon neutrality means reaching a state in which there are net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by either balancing the total amount of carbon dioxide removed with the total emitted or by completely eliminating the emission of CO2 from within society. Both are something governments across the world are hoping to achieve, as agreed.    *District Network Operator (DNO) A district network operator or DNO is responsible for the installation and maintenance of electrical cabling, as well as the distribution of electricity to the supply point of the grid.  If you are attempting to contact your DNO, one way you can do this is by looking them up using your location information, such as postcode. Each district will have a different DNO.    Fixed Term Contracts A fixed term contract is a supply contract decided with your energy provider for a fixed price over a fixed period of time.    Greenhouse Gas (GHG)  A GHG is simply a type of gas found in the atmosphere that traps heat. The main GHGs found in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

Introduced at the beginning of January by the UK government, the Energy Bill Discount Scheme or the EBDS, for short, will spring into action from 1 April 2023. This will not only see the beginning of a new support scheme for businesses but will see the end of the temporary Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). What is happening to the EBRS? The EBRS, which we have touched on in a number of previous blogs, will be coming to an end on the 31st March 2023. The government was clear from the beginning that this scheme would only be a temporary solution for businesses and all non-domestic energy customers to deal with the effects of rising wholesale gas and electricity prices. As wholesale gas prices have now fallen back down to levels seen before the invasion of Ukraine, the government will be ending the EBRS and instead introducing a new scheme, the EBDS. Key facts about The Energy Bill Discount Scheme Below are the simple key facts about the Energy Bill Discount Scheme, that all business energy customers should be aware of: This new scheme will come into effect from April 1st 2023 It has been designed to support businesses over the following 12 months. The new scheme will limit the taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap that will be set at £5.5 billion. The EBDS will then come to an end on 31st March 2024. What does this mean for business energy customers? This new scheme will provide an energy bill discount to all eligible businesses. This will be a per-unit discount, subject to a maximum discount. These maximum discounts have been set at: Electricity – £19.61 per megawatt hour (MWh) with a price threshold of £302 per MWh. Gas – £6.97 per MWh with a price threshold of £107 per MWh However the government has recognised that there are particular sectors where the higher energy prices leaves them more vulnerable than others. The list of Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) details which businesses are included in this. Those within these sectors will receive a higher level of support from the government. The maximum discounts for these will be: Electricity – £89 per MWh with a price threshold of £185 per MWh Gas – £40 per MWh with a price threshold of £99 per MWh Just like previous schemes, customers do not have to actively apply reductions to bills. Instead, suppliers will do this on your behalf. However, if you are a company working within an industry listed on the ETII list, you will have to apply for the higher support available. The discount you are eligible for will be deducted in pence per kilowatt hour. It is important to note that depending on the tariff and contract you are on and your individual organisation, the level of support will vary. Are you eligible for the Energy Bill Discount Scheme? On the official government website, the eligibility criteria has been outlined as anyone who is on a non-domestic energy contract including the following: businesses voluntary sector organisations, such as charities public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals, and care homes who are: on existing fixed price contracts that were agreed on or after 1 December 2021 signing new fixed price contracts on deemed / out of contract or standard variable tariffs on flexible purchase or similar contracts on variable ‘Day Ahead Index’ (DAI) tariffs (Northern Ireland scheme only) For More information about the EBDS Scheme or to confirm that you are eligible, please do not hesitate to contact the D-ENERGi customer support team. We will be happy to help explain the scheme in more detail and explain how this will benefit your organisation from April onwards.