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As we head into 2024, it’s time to look ahead and see what research predicts may be in store for us this year when it comes to business energy predictions. The good news is that new research on this front predicts that there will be a decrease in the cost of energy for businesses in 2024. This decrease will be, for the most part, as a result of the likelihood of a fall in the wholesale energy price. From September 2023 to the start of January, the wholesale price of energy has seen figures drop to a point where they are 47% lower. According to industry analysts, this fall is mainly attributed to very strong storage reserves, favourable patterns in the weather and improved supply accessibility. And whilst these same analysts may not be able to fully predict the future, it is very clear that these are all factors that will help to ride-out any shocks to the system that may happen and that will result in a market that is less volatile.   Third party costs Unfortunately, the predictions for third party costs, distribution and transition costs are that they are likely to remain at levels that are much higher when compared with any historical data. This means that any changes, even small ones, will have an impact. All in all, what this means for businesses is that whilst the total cost will fall in 2024 for their business energy usage, third party costs will be higher and ultimately bills will still be higher than they were before the price crisis.   Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) The fixed tariff for summer 2024 (April to September) was shared back in April 2023, together with the draft winter 2024 tariff. From this, we already know that the projected costs of BSUoS will be reduced over the coming year   Contracts for Difference (CfD) The Levy for CfD has had some significant fluctuations, which were to be expected. However, due to a drop in wholesale energy prices, the average CfD forecast shows a price increase; although predicting further into the future this is expected to fall in 2024/25. Moving further into the year There may be a glimmer of hope for business energy users as we look further into the future where pricing is concerned. Since April and the last TPC Guide, there has been an emergence of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme which should start having an impact. Additionally, the forthcoming review from Ofgem with regard to the non-domestic supply market is being seen as a possible turning point. This, however, will not take place until the autumn. The expectation is that the new Autumn Third Party Costs Guide will outline an accelerated pace of modifications and some significant code reviews. The hope is that whilst this may not have much of an impact in 2024, if we look towards 2024/2025 it is possible to predict that a number of third party costs should experience a decrease. There may also be a range of fluctuations and possible changes as well as some increase to TPCs.   For the latest energy tariffs, do get in touch with D-ENERGi for the expertise and experience. For more energy saving tips and advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your business premises, check out more of our D-ENERGi blogs.

A lot of people have been put off buying an electric car because the charging aspect is very different from just filling your car up with diesel or petrol. We take a look at how long electric vehicle charging takes, and how long the charge will last. How long does it take to charge an electric car? The amount of time it will take to charge an electric car will depend on two things: Battery size – the bigger the battery the longer it will take to charge Amount of power the charger can deliver It can take anywhere between 30 minutes and 12 hours to charge an electric vehicle, but it usually takes around 8 hours on average. How are electric cars charged? Electric cars are charged by being plugged into a power outlet – either at your home or at a car park or service station. If you are going on a long drive, it is advised that you stop at a service station along the way and charge your car. The advantage of charging your car at an electric vehicle charging station rather than at home is that the service station will usually have commercial chargers that will charge your vehicle much faster. It has been said that the most efficient way to charge your car is in small bursts throughout the day, and then leave it plugged in overnight when you get home. Can I charge my electric car at home? Yes. You can have an electric vehicle charging point installed at home so that you can easily charge your vehicle when you are not using it. D-ENERGI also offers an electric vehicle charging station solution for workplaces, offering employers a free no-obligation site survey. How much will it cost to charge an electric car? It is quite easy to work out how much it will cost to charge your electric car by doing a few simple calculations. You need to know the kWh of the charging point and then multiply this by the cost of your electricity. To find the kWh of your charging point, you will need to check the power of your charger. Most home chargers are 3.7w but it is best to check yours just to make sure. You then need to convert this power into watts by multiplying it by 1000. So, a standard electric vehicle home charger is 3.7kwh x 1000 = 3700 watts Then think about how long you will be charging your electric vehicle. If we go with the standard of 8 hours, then we need to multiply 3700 watts by 8 hours = 29600 watts. We then divide this by 1000 to convert it back to kWh, which brings us to 29.6 kWh. Now that we know the kWh it will take us to charge our electric vehicle, we can work out how much this will cost us by multiplying the kWh by the cost of electricity. The average cost of electricity is 0.13p at the moment, so we multiply 0.13 by 29.6 = £3.80 a day. To find out more about how D-ENERGi can help you with electric vehicle charging points for domestic or commercial use, please get in touch.

Though power cuts are not a common occurrence they are not unheard of either and so it is important to be aware of what to do in the event of one. The first step should always be to check the trip switch which can be found in your fuse box (if you don’t know where this is it is vitally important to locate it and make yourself familiar with it now in case of an emergency). The trip switch only trips when there is a problem with the wiring of the internal circuit and not the incoming supply. You can test this by following these steps: Make sure the Trip switch is in the ‘On’ position Press the ‘push to test’ button If this doesn’t trip the switch then there is no incoming supply of electricity If the switch does trip then it is either because of a faulty appliance, a light may have gone or there is an issue with the internal wiring.   Once you have confirmed that it is not an internal fault you need to check to see if other buildings in the area have been affected as this will be one of the questions you are asked when you contact your Distribution Network Operator. Finally, once you have established whether it is an issue with your supply or a localised problem you must contact your Distribution Network Operator. The country is broken up into LDZs (Local Distribution Zones) and each one is maintained by a different Distribution Network Operator. To find out which company you need to contact and the relevant telephone number please follow this link. Important things to help you prepare for, and get through, a power cut: Always make sure you have candles or torches in an obvious and easy-to-reach place, and make sure any lit candles are placed in a safe place and are not left unattended Leave at least one light switch turned on so that you know when the power has returned If possible keep everyone in one room and wrap up warm if it’s winter As far as possible unplug electrical appliances Once power has returned make sure that any food in freezers has not thawed   It is always wise to be prepared for these circumstances and to be aware of the location of your fuse box and how it works. These simple steps will help you to deal with a power cut efficiently and hopefully minimise the length of time you are without power.

  D-ENERGi team up with the Care Chanel! It will involve going out to interview D-ENERGi customers, and asking what experiences they found of the switching process to become a D-ENERGi customer, and more importantly operational savings made by the care home. Watch this space!!

  D-ENERGi are delighted to contribute a donation amount of  £1096.15 for  University Hospital South Manchester. (UHSM) Raising funds for Wythenshawe Starlight Children’s ward which will go to funding life saving equipment.  A target was set raise additional oxygen saturation monitors for all of the 30 beds on the ward which will make a real difference saving children’s lives. The UHSM Charity improves the services provided by the hospital. The Charity provides additional equipment and services to enhance the patient and carer experience and provides funding for high quality, innovative research programmes. Zico Ahmed of D-ENERGi stated “I would like to thank all the D-ENERGi staff for all their hard work they put in on a day to day basis which allows the business to contribute each year to several charities from the business profits each year” If you would like to donate or find out more please click on the following link to visit there website http://www.justgiving.com/uhsm

  A perth based energy supplier Scottish and Sothern energy which operates under the following energy brands Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro and Swalec has announced that it will end unsolicited calls. This follows a record fine by the regulator OFGEM for mis-selling gas and electricity. This decision to close telesales will effect 70 posts in Thatcham, Berkshire and about 30 back office roles. Learn more on this news at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23731428