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While it may appear to be a simple process to lower overheads, it is important to understand why not every commercial energy quote is the same. Since there are so many commercial energy suppliers in the UK, it makes sense that they all have different offerings, whether that is in the pricing structure or their levels of customer service. However, all firms and organisations will be relying on their energy supply to work and should that supply come to a stop then that will have a big impact on their activities. It’s essential that business owners focus on their business energy contract to ensure they are not paying more than they need to and get a quality service. Understand commercial energy prices So, while it’s important to understand commercial energy prices, it is also important not to simply remain with the same supplier because they will be, more than likely, automatically rolled over onto a contract where the charges are more expensive. This means that when their current energy contract is due for renewal, the business owner should take this as a prompt to begin looking at other potential energy suppliers to find lower prices. And while there are comparison websites available for businesses to check energy providers, there are some issues that need to be borne in mind. Before using these sites, the business owner needs to appreciate that energy prices fluctuate on a daily basis because that’s the nature of the industry. On top of this, the offerings from suppliers also change regularly and the online sites may not be checking the entire market so the business owner may be missing out on better deals and offers. Source a commercial energy quote Indeed, this issue will become apparent when they source a commercial energy quote from an energy comparison website because regardless of the great price being quoted, they will still need to contact the potential energy supplier for a bespoke offering. The end result may be that their bespoke quote is nothing like the quote they were tempted with on the comparison website. This is not the fault of the site itself or indeed the supplier since the energy supplier has an obligation to quote for a firm’s specific needs and wants. Alternatively, business owners could take time out by contacting various energy suppliers in the UK and, more than likely, they will tend to head to the ‘big six’ since they will have heard of the suppliers but are not likely to enjoy the best possible energy prices.   However, the most effective way of understanding why every commercial energy quote is not the same is to speak with the friendly team at D-Energi who have access to all of the latest deals and can explain more.

When the P272 legislation was first unveiled by the government, it was seen as being one of the biggest boosts since deregulation for the commercial electricity market. For those who do not know, P272 is the name of a regulation that affects all electricity suppliers. Essentially, for those firms that meet the criteria they will have been moved from non-half hourly meters to the new half hourly meters, or HH meters. The aim of this is for electricity suppliers to deliver accurate bills for their client. P272 will create a smarter and energy efficient economy On top of this the government said that P272 will create a smarter and energy efficient economy. That’s because the electricity suppliers will have a detailed analysis of when big businesses are using energy and then they could tailor their supply to meet this demand. There’s no doubt that P272 is still a cause of confusion for some firms and the team of experts at D-Energi can explain the full potential benefits of the half hourly meters and how a firm can manage this change. For many firms, their electricity bills will now be more detailed and unlikely to have any mistakes and there’s no need for estimated bills either. On top of this, there’s also software available that will help them to analyse how and when they are using electricity to see whether they can switch to a more cost-effective tariff or even switch peak energy used to cheaper, off-peak periods. Big question for many firms about P272 The big question for many firms about P272 is whether their business is affected. While many firms will have been told about this switch to the new HH meters, others may still be confused. To find out whether they are affected, they need to look at their supply number on their meter; this is also found on their electricity bill. Next to the letter S will be a two digit number and if this falls in the range of 05 to 07 then they will need to comply with the new P272 legislation. Firms who are affected by P272 As mentioned previously, all the firms who are affected by P272 should have been informed already since the deadline for meters having the ability to settle every half-hour needed to be in place by 1 April this year.   For any business still confused about P272, then it’s time to speak with the helpful team at D-Energi to find out more and whether they should be on a better and cheaper tariff with a business electricity supplier than they currently are.  

For many businesses looking to switch energy suppliers easily, the main incentive is for them to enjoy cheaper bills and lower overheads. Indeed, for some organisations the difference between making a profit and loss may come down to reducing their energy costs. Despite this opportunity, the energy sector’s regulator Ofgem says most firms haven’t bothered switching and are now missing out on huge cost savings. It also helps that firms can sign a contract for a fixed rate, usually for a year, though some contracts can run for two and even up to five years. This means they will be able to fix their energy prices which will be of benefit for their cash flow forecasts. Making the energy switch When it comes to making the energy switch, the process itself is straightforward and the firm will need to source a new supplier who is offering prices they find attractive. There is no loss of energy supply during the switchover process itself. It should also be appreciated that for those firms who have never switched energy supplier or have moved to new premises, they will be probably paying ‘deemed’ rates. This is an out of contract rate which can be an expensive position for a firm to be in; the out of contract rates are usually much higher than in-contract rates. However, if the firm doesn’t switch suppliers they may be automatically rolled onto these deemed contracts and may not appreciate just how much extra they are paying for their energy supply. Issues to consider when switching energy suppliers There are also other issues to consider when switching energy suppliers and these will include the firm’s location and the amount of energy they use. On top of this, the price they pay for a contract will also depend on their type of business, the length of contract they choose to sign for and, of course, the supplier as well. While this may appear to be a complicated and confusing marketplace, it is a simple one to negotiate though it does help having experts. This may mean speaking with the experts at D-Energi who have the expertise and experience to source cheaper energy deals for businesses of all shapes and sizes.   The D-Energi team can also provide expert guidance on how businesses can switch energy suppliers easily and discuss the potential savings that can be made.

All firms and organisations should be looking to reduce their overheads on a regular basis and an energy consultancy may well help save cash for those interested organisations. That’s because the energy consultants will know and understand the energy supply market and help the business find the best deals and tariffs that meet their needs. On top of this, the energy consultancy will also undertake an energy audit to ensure that the savings being made are permanent and long-term. For instance, the consultants may highlight areas where the firm can save large amounts of money by making simple changes to their everyday activities; this may mean switching off unused office lights, turning down the heating and even switching off computers and screens at night. One reason a firm may be looking to bring in the experts is that they believe their energy bills may be too high but they may not understand how to lower them effectively. A basic energy services audit Industry experts say that even a basic energy services audit should see a firm’s energy bills being reduced by 10% at the very least while many firms may also enjoy savings of around 25%. This may mean introducing energy efficiencies and upgrading various pieces of equipment but that is still a huge saving. That’s on top of the energy audit locating better deals and tariffs which mean the overall savings can be quite substantial. The energy experts will also be able to help decipher the firm’s energy bills to ensure they are on the best deal currently, if not, highlight where potential savings can be made. It may appear to be a strange way to invest in lower energy bills by paying experts to find a cheaper deal or tariff and better ways of using energy but it does work. Expert should be able to deliver energy savings However, the expert should be able to deliver energy savings that far outweigh their own costs. Whether the audit is for retail premises, agricultural farms or a factory; an energy consultancy will pay dividends. The bottom line is that all firms and organisations can become more energy-efficient which is not only good for our environment but also good for the firm’s overheads with lower running costs. The energy audit may also be beneficial for keeping costs down in a factory with heavy usage of energy in the manufacturing process.   For more help and information about energy consultancy and the impact of having an energy audit undertaken, then speak with the experts at D-Energi.

Every firm and organisation in the UK will be looking at their overheads on a regular basis and it makes sense that they should be looking to find the best commercial energy prices to help the lower running costs. The first step is to undertake a search of the potential deals and tariffs by visiting energy suppliers’ websites and also online price comparison websites. While this is a time-consuming process it will help the firm understand how the energy market works and what the current prices are. For those firms who’ve never switched suppliers then they have probably been rolled over onto a deemed contract so they will be paying more than they need to for their energy needs. This means that by simply switching energy suppliers they could substantially reduce their energy bills. Finding a commercial energy quote Finding a commercial energy quote is a straightforward process and the online comparison websites will give a fair indication of what the market rates are. However, the prices being displayed are unlikely to be the price the firm or organisation enjoys since the energy deal will need to be a bespoke offering and all comparison websites will do this. In addition, the firm also needs to be wary about using online comparison websites because they may not be searching the entire market to find the best commercial energy quote or indeed all of the potential suppliers. In addition to the ‘big six’ suppliers, the commercial energy market has grown in recent years and there is a wide variety of offerings now available stretching from small suppliers to those who offer firms 100% renewable energy supply. Quote for commercial energy prices So, once the firm has a quote for commercial energy prices from a potential supplier, the switchover process is straightforward and there will be no interruption to energy supply to the premises. However, the second and easiest way of finding a better energy deal for a firm or organisation is to speak with experts in the field who will know what the latest deals are to deliver a supplier who will best meet the organisation’s needs. This will mean speaking with the team at D-Energi about what a firm is looking for and they will strive to meet their ambition in lowering bills and seeing an improvement in, for instance, things like customer service and other potential offerings. Among these will be the option of an energy audit from a potential new energy supplier so that the firm not only enjoys lower bills but also takes steps to lower their energy consumption so that their savings are greater and have more of an impact over the long-term.   For those firms and organisations that are interested in finding the best commercial energy prices without having to spend hours visiting websites and comparison sites, then speak with the helpful team at D-Energi for more information.

All firms that are looking to switch their commercial energy supplier should appreciate what the P272 legislation means. To do so, they will need to check their bills or meters to see whether it is in the profile classes 05 to 08 because their energy use will be recorded every half-hour. The new meters are also known as HH metres. The profile class is designated on the meter itself and it is the first two digit numbers following the ‘S’. If the meter is not between 05 and 08 then it will not need to comply with the new rules. Industry regulator Ofgem says the changes from April this year are down to a modification to the industry’s balancing and settlement code, also known as P272. For all those firms who have a meter in the relevant profile class, then since November 2015 anyone who has started or renewed their energy supply contract will have their use recorded half hourly. Have an advanced meter installed For those firms who are big users of energy and do not have an advanced meter installed then they should contact their supplier who will then take reasonable steps to ensure the meter supplied. One of the big attractions for installing the P272 meter is that most businesses will see their bills fall as a result. At the very least, they should see no change in expenditure. Ofgem says that some firms may be required to pay more since their supplier will need to allocate more resources and time for collecting and processing the firm’s usage. For those firms who have HH metres and are looking to switch commercial energy suppliers to bring about lower bills, then they need to be aware that the deals vary between suppliers. This means it is crucial that they shop around potential energy suppliers to secure the best deal possible. What energy savings can be made After speaking with their current supplier to see if they can make a better offer, they can then use these figures to speak with other potential suppliers to see what energy savings can be made. It’s also possible to switch tariffs so the firm will be paying less for electricity used during off-peak hours.   Alternatively, businesses can also speak with the experts at D-Energi about P272 or HH  metres to see how the data collated can be used to their benefit in finding a cheaper energy supplier so they can enjoy lower energy bills.