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Money is tight for everyone at the moment, so no-one wants to be overpaying for business electricity. It may surprise you to learn, then, that many businesses are missing out on potential savings due to deemed energy contracts. What is a deemed energy contract? A deemed contract is the name of the contract that is put in place by the business electricity supplier when a business moves to a new premise and begins consuming electricity before they have agreed to a contract. Businesses may also move onto a deemed contract if their existing contract ends, and they continue to consume electricity. This can happen if a contract expires and the business hasn’t realised, or when the contract is terminated early (by either the business or the supplier). How much do deemed contracts cost? Deemed contracts tend to cost a lot more than tariffs that have been negotiated. For example, micro-businesses can end up paying 80% more on a deemed contract than on a negotiated contract. Research has shown that around 10% of micro-businesses are currently on deemed contracts, which means they are paying way more than they need to for their business electricity. What happens if you allow your contract to roll over? If you allow your business electricity contract to roll over, you will more than likely be placed onto a more expensive standard tariff – which can be 50% more expensive than negotiated contracts. You may also face an exit fee if you decide to switch early. If your business is reaching the end of its energy contract, it is vital that you compare the latest prices. Delaying taking action on this can leave you stuck on expensive rollover rates. What are your rights if you are on a deemed contract? If you discover you are on a deemed contract, then don’t worry, you still have the right to switch supplier without paying a fee. If you are on a deemed contract, your business electricity supplier cannot: • Ask you to give notice before terminating the contract • Charge you a termination fee • Prevent you from switching for any reason at any time Your electricity supplier must take all reasonable steps to provide you with the Principal Terms of your deemed contract if you request it – including all charges and fees. If you are on a deemed energy contract, you should compare business electricity rates and switch to a better contract as soon as possible.

Recent statistics released by Ofgem reveal that nearly 40% of SME’s haven’t tried to compare business energy supplier in over five years! This is a shocking statistic to us, as it means that a large proportion of businesses out there are probably paying over the odds for their electricity and gas – and there is no need for that! Comparing and switching suppliers with the help of D-ENERGI is such a simple task! Why might businesses be reluctant to switch energy supplier? We’ve talked to a lot of customers who want to compare business gas and electricity prices this year, and when we ask them why it’s taken them so long to decide to do so they say things like; “I haven’t had time” Time is one of our most valuable commodities – especially if you charge your customers by the hour. Your time is worth a lot, and you may think that it is more sensible for you to spend this valuable time doing things that will generate sales for your business, and therefore more profit for you. However, if you can spare us just ten minutes – yes, just ten minutes – we can take control of searching the market and finding the best quotes for you, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds in the process. “I don’t know how to do it” This is a poor excuse, as you don’t really have to do anything. Just fill in our quick quote form, and we will call you straight back with the best quotes on the market. It’s as simple as that! “I don’t really understand the prices” Some business owners are embarrassed that they don’t really understand what makes up their energy bill – but actually, it is quite common. We know all about ‘standing charges’ and ‘Kilowatts’ as we deal with them every day – but many people don’t have a clue what we are talking about. So, let’s explain: • Standing charges – the small amount per day you pay the supplier regardless of how much energy you use? This can be as much as 70p a day, which is a staggering £175 a year, so you want to make sure this is as low as possible. • KWh – this stands for Kilowatt per hour and usually, one unit on your meter will equate to one kWh. Again, prices for this will vary so it is best to shop around. “My business will suffer if my energy supply is disrupted” The team at D-ENERGi will take care of everything for you, so you won’t see any disruption in service when it comes to switching suppliers. So, what are you waiting for? If you want to compare business electricity or business gas, or both, just head over to our website and fill in our quick form today for a free, no-obligation quote.

Everybody uses electricity on a daily basis, and reports show that this usage is on the rise – especially when it comes to commercial businesses – which is why we have also seen the demand for cheap business electricity rise. This year the UK Government published a report entitled “Energy Consumption in the UK” which stated that: “There has been a shift in the share of consumption by the three key sectors: in 1970 public administration accounted for 47% of services in consumption and the commercial sector 43%. By 2017, public administration consumer 26% and commercial’s share had risen to 67%. Agriculture’s share decreased between 1970 and 2017 from 10% to 7.2%.” What are the top uses of electricity in business? Business electricity usage comes from a variety of sources, with the main sources being: • Air conditioning units • Computers, laptops and printers • Fridges and dishwashers • Heating equipment • Lighting • Telephones, routers and modems • TVs This is why it is key to keep on top of your business electricity usage and understand what is contributing to your energy cost in order to ensure you are accessing the cheap business energy you need. What is the average electricity use per year for businesses? Obviously, every business is different, but as a guide, the figures for electricity usage per size of business are generally believed to be: Micro – 7500 (Annual Usage (kWh)) 14.4p to 15.9p (Unit Price (kWh)) Small – 20000 (Annual Usage (kWh)) 14.3p to 15.1p (Unit Price (kWh)) Medium – 35000 (Annual Usage (kWh)) 14.3p to 14.7p (Unit Price (kWh)) The cost of electricity will depend on a variety of different factors, including: • Location • How much electricity you consume? • Length of contract • Tariff you are on How can you reduce the amount of electricity your business uses? There are lots of different ways you can try and reduce the amount of electricity your business uses – apart from the obvious way of checking you are on the right tariff for your business usage. • Switch business energy supplier to one who can beat your current costs. • Replace light bulbs with energy-saving ones and switch them off when not in use. • Never leave electrical equipment on standby mode and ensure it is switched off at the end of each day. • Use inkjet printers rather than laser ones, as they use less energy. • Draft proof your windows and doors to keep your workplace at a stable temperature. The easiest way to save money on your business energy bills and access cheap electricity and cheap business gas is to contact the experienced team at D-ENERGi.

If the cost of your business energy bill is making you think it might be time to swap business energy suppliers then you’re not alone. A recent survey by the Federation of small business highlighted that: • One-third of businesses surveyed felt that the cost of energy was a barrier to the growth of their company • 70% of businesses surveyed found it difficult to compare business energy tariffs. • 43% of businesses surveyed had never switched their business energy supplier. But don’t worry, there are small actions you can take to save on your business electricity and gas bills without the need for your employees to sit in the dark with no heating on! Check out our top energy-saving tips: Tip One: Turn the big light off It’s may remind you of your childhood when your dad used to tell you to turn lights off when they were not in use, but we are sorry to say he is right! Research by business electricity suppliers has shown that you could save up to £100 a year by turning off lights when they are not in use. Find more information about the play in his mind from belgrade. You could even up the amount you save by switching from halogen or fluorescent bulbs to more energy-efficient LED ones. Tip Two: Keep the heat in Lighting isn’t the only culprit when it comes to large energy bills – the other is heating. Some things that you should check include: • Making sure your heating system and air conditioning system are not set to the same temperature (they should be around 4 degrees difference) and on at the same time • Set your thermostats lower in corridors and storerooms than in offices • Make sure radiators are not blocked by office furniture Tip Three: Keep it clean Clean kitchen appliances are not only safer for employees but they are also more energy-efficient as well. Pull your fridge out from the wall, and remove the dust from behind it on a regular basis – and you could see up to a 20% drop in the amount of energy used. It’s also worth dusting lightbulbs and cleaning radiators regularly as well. Tip Four: Switch off technology when not in use 46% of the energy used in offices is used outside of standard opening hours. 46%! This is why it is really important that employees turn off desktops, printers, and vending machines when they are not in use – I.e., when they go home at night or for the weekend! Tip Five: Compare business energy suppliers The biggest savings on your business gas and electricity bills, however, are probably going to come from you swapping business energy suppliers to one who offers you a better tariff. While this may sound like a time-consuming thing to do – it isn’t. It is a fairly quick and simple process if you use the D-ENERGI team to help, as we are experts at saving businesses money on their energy bills. If you want to know how much you could save on your business energy bill by comparing business electricity and business gas suppliers get in touch with D-ENERGi today.

A great time to see if you can save on business electricity is if you are moving to new business premises – this can help prevent you from paying over the odds. What will happen if I don’t compare business energy prices? If you move to new business premises without taking the time to compare business energy per kWh prices, then you may end up paying the previous tenant’s business energy supplier at an ‘out of contract rate’ which tends to be very high. How can I get a better business energy deal? Make sure that you take the time to perform a business energy comparison before you move premises, and make the switch to a cheaper supplier as soon as possible. If you use both business electricity and business gas then make sure you get a quote for both. You are not tied into using the same supplier as the previous tenant, so make sure you get in touch with D-ENERGi and we can search the entire market for you to make sure you get the best deal. How do I set up a business energy contract? Checking prices for business energy contracts yourself can be very time consuming, which is why the team at D-ENERGI are here to take the hassle out of it for you. We search the entire market on your behalf, to find you the best deal which will save you the most money in the long run. You will also deal with a dedicated account manager who will always be on hand to deal with your enquiries. With over 18 years of experience, we know that the best business energy deal is not just about saving money – although saving money can help your businesses bottom line immensely. We want to know as much as we can about your business so that we can find a deal that is exactly tailored to your needs, according to Lofty Property Management. This could be a green supplier as you are interested in sustainability, or you want a lower standing charge, or even that you want to have the same supplier for multiple premises. The D-ENERGi team can get you quotes for a variety of business options, and we will explain these options to you so that you can make a more informed decision. We will keep things simple as well so that you know exactly what is being offered. If you are moving to new premises and want to compare business electricity per kWh or business gas prices, then please call us today. You can reach a friendly and experienced team on 0800 781 7626.

If you are looking for a half hourly electricity quote, then then team at D-ENERGi can help. Half hourly electricity meters are used by business customers only, not domestic users. They measure electricity usage every half hour, and this reading is automatically sent to your electricity supplier. This means there is no need for you to send a manual reading, similar to a smart meter. The main benefit of half hour electricity meters is that help you managed your business electricity usage more closely, helping you bring the cost of your business electricity bills down. Which businesses use half hourly electricity? All business electricity companies in the UK who have a heavy usage of electricity are legally obligated to use a half hourly electricity meter with over 100kVA (kilo Volt Amperes). How can you tell whether you have a half hourly electricity meter or not? If the supplier number on your business electricity bill starts with a 00 then you already have a half hour electricity meter installed. Are half hourly electricity tariffs different than normal electricity tariffs? Half hourly electricity tariffs differ from normal electricity tariffs as they tend to be tailored to each business customer as per their individual requirements. This allows half hourly electricity customers to get lower prices as the supplier has access to accurate information about your electricity usage on a regular basis. What is the P272 regulation? The P272 regulation has been authorised by Ofgem and it allows energy suppliers to settle half hourly electricity meters on businesses under the profile 5-8. This means that after the 5th November 2015 all-new or renewal business electricity contracts will have had half hourly meters supplied. What is the half hourly settlement (HHS) and why is it important? Ofgem believes that the HHS is in the interest of the consumer, and will bring many benefits, such as: • Boosting innovation and healthy competition within the energy market. • Leading to a more efficient energy system due to creating the perfect environment for a demand-side response (DSR) allowing suppliers to help consumers to move the load to periods where electricity is cheapest. • Allows energy suppliers to forecast demand more accurately. • Making the settlement process more efficient and faster. To get your half hourly electricity quote, contact the team at D-ENERGi today at 0800 781 7626.