Archive for February, 2010

Don’t let your business energy supplier bully you into high prices

26 February 2010
There were debates on bullying here this week. Don't let your energy company bully you.

There were debates on bullying here this week. Don't let your energy company bully you.

Listening to Today in Parliament last night, I couldn’t help thinking what a confusing and precarious time it is for business energy customers.

As I predicted on this blog on Monday, there was much furore yesterday as British Gas revealed a jump of 58% in profits in 2009, taking them to a record high. On Monday, OfGem reported that for all energy suppliers profit margins had risen by about £30 per domestic customer a year, and consumer focus groups instantly called for recent drops in wholesale energy prices to be passed on to customers.

For business gas customers, things are a little different as business energy contracts are run for a fixed term. In the business energy market, it’s up to the customer to be aware of when their business gas and business electricity contracts are up for renewal and to make sure they act promptly if they want to switch supplier.

This got me thinking about another story that’s been all over the media this week. Bullying has become a real buzz word in the past week, with the allegations made about the goings on behind the doors of 10 Downing Street kicking things off last Sunday, sparking a great deal of debate and discussion about bullying in the workplace. On last night’s Question Time UKIP’s Nigel Farage was accused of bullying the EU president following his bizarre outburst in the European Parliament, and it’s clear that bullying will be a political hot potato for some time to come.

Nobody likes a bully, but for many business energy customers it could feel as if they are being bullied into high energy costs by their gas and electricity supplier. With tactics like assumed renewal of contracts and short windows of opportunity to terminate contracts and change supplier, the pressure is on customers to make sure they are getting the best deals for business gas and business electricity.

Energy Advice Line can help by taking note of your business energy contract renewal dates and contacting you to make sure you are aware that your period for termination is coming up. Just complete a renewal notification form. There are pre-prepared termination notices available on EAL’s website, and we can also help you to find the best prices for business gas and business electricity, taking the stress out of the process.

There is a spark of positivity for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) this morning, as the BBC reports that the UK’s economy grew by more than initially anticipated in the last quarter of 2009. The original growth figure of 0.1% has been revised up to 0.3%, which indicates that the recovery is truly underway.

While this is welcome news for business owners, we are far from out of the woods yet. Just yesterday the pound slid to a record low against the dollar because of fears over the strength of the UK economy.

That’s why keeping overheads such as business gas and business electricity as low as you can is vital. It remains a stressful time for small and medium businesses, but help is available. To find out how Energy Advice Line can take the pain out of switching business energy supplier, contact us today.

Read the BBC story on British Gas here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8535850.stm

And the story about Economic Recovery here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8538293.stm

Picture credit – CCA: Houses of Parliament by wwarby, from Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3893487766/

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UK has ‘more gas’ than previously thought

24 February 2010
There may be more gas beneath British waters than previously estimated.

There may be more gas beneath British waters than previously estimated.

Fears that the UK could suffer disruptions to its gas supply, affecting thousands of business gas customers, might have been over-egged, according to a recent report by industry body Oil and Gas UK.

According to a BBC report, there is more gas than previously calculated beneath British waters. But the industry body also warned that there was an urgent need for up to £25bn of spending on capital to improve the infrastructure so that these reserves can be exploited.

Speaking to the BBC, Oil and Gas UK’s chief executive, said: “The UK’s oil and gas industry can help secure energy supplies for years to come.” This will be welcome news to the ears of countless business energy customers, for whom supply warnings are a real concern, and the topic has been something of a hot potato among not just these business energy consumers, but also the media and politicians.

With so much doom-mongering and negativity in many of these stories, it’s good to hear some positive news regarding gas supply. I was also quite taken with a story from Calderdale in Yorkshire, where two businesses have won awards from the Yorkshire & Humber Microgeneration Partnership for their regeneration work using renewable energy. This is something more business energy customers are being encouraged to do in the future.

Ploughcroft Ltd, from Brighouse, were presented with the award for Best Business Initiative for creating a solar roofing NVQ, while Harmsworth, Townley & Co Ltd from Todmorten won the Best Commercial Installation for its offices, The Melting Pot.

The Melting Pot is a former glassworks which was renovated to make use of renewable business electricity, including installing solar hot water and solar electricity panels.

Business energy consumers are being encouraged to embrace renewable energy sources, and of course this is a good thing. However, many of these schemes involve investment and infrastructure changes. Did you know there are things you can do today, right now, to save money on your business gas and business electricity, and be greener too? Check out Energy Advice Line’s top tips for saving energy.

For advice on all your business energy needs, contact Energy Advice Line, who can help with queries about suppliers, contracts and tariffs.

Read the full BBC story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8530228.stm

And read the Halifax Courier story here:

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local-business/Two-are-top-for-energy.6094234.jp

Picture credit – CCA: North Sea by Strocci from Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strocchi/1348020600/

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UK “world leader” in green energy – good news for business energy customers?

22 February 2010
Renewable Energy at Discovery World, Milwaukee. Could this one day be a common sight in the UK?

Renewable Energy at Discovery World, Milwaukee. Could this one day be a common sight in the UK?

In a speech to the world’s leading business and investment leaders today, Prime Minister Gordon Brown named the UK as a “world leader” in terms of renewable energy development.
Speaking at the Global Investment Conference, Mr Brown sited the fact that the UK has the world’s largest installed capacity of offshore wind electricity generation as a key factor in cementing this position. He also pledged that the Labour government would “act strategically” to make the country’s energy greener.
This will be welcome news to thousands of business energy customers who are all too aware of the need to generate far more energy from renewable sources.
The warnings issued by OfGem earlier this month that the possibility of energy blackouts was a distinctly real one without investment in the region of £200billion into the industry has ruffled the feathers of many business electricity customers – a number of whom are already struggling with their business energy costs.
Another part of Mr Brown’s speech I found interesting was when he praised the UK for being one of the easiest places in the world to start up a business.
“The UK currently has the lowest barriers to entrepreneurship,” Mr Brown said. He revealed that, on average, it costs just £20 to start a business in the UK, while the average for the rest of Europe is £382.
This is, of course, extremely good to hear. However, as small and medium business owners will know, once established businesses can face an uphill struggle, and overheads such as business electricity or business gas can make all the difference between a profitable business and one that is unsustainable.
On the same day as Mr Brown made his speech, it has been widely reported that Centrica – parent company of British Gas – is likely to face an enquiry for allegedly not passing on wholesale gas price cuts to customers.
The key with keeping on top of business energy overheads is to be aware of when your contract is up for renewal. By contacting independent advice services such as Energy Advice Line, you can be reminded of your contract renewal date and ensure that you pay the best price for your business gas and business electricity to suit your business needs – all for free.

You can read Gordon Brown’s speech in full here:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page22554

And read about the possibility of an inquiry into Centrica’s profits at the Financial Times, here:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2b723b0-1dbe-11df-9e98-00144feab49a.html

Picture credit – CCA: Renewable Energy at Discovery world by mjmonty from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mjmonty/

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Council replaces streetlights to save on business electricity

19 February 2010
Bright light city - but not for much longer. Coventry is installing new streetlights.

Bright light city - but not for much longer. Coventry is installing new streetlights.

Earlier this month, I revealed how business electricity customers could be forced to turn out the lights on their illuminated displays thanks to the Carbon Reduction Scheme, which will come in from April this year.

Now councils are getting in on the act, as Coventry City Council have announced plans to fit new dimming streetlights in an attempt to reduce its business energy costs.

Over the next five years, 28,000 of the council’s streetlights will be replaced with bulbs that can be dimmed at times of low use. According to a report by BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, this will save about £684,000 per year in business electricity costs.

Unlike lights in many offices, these new streetlights won’t be motion-sensitive – a good idea as anyone with movement activated security lights outside their home will be aware, to avoid constant activation from passing foxes and the like. Instead they will be pre-programmed in predictably busy areas, such as streets with pubs and clubs on them, where they will be brighter. There will also be the ability to override the settings, for example if there’s a football match or late night event.

At Energy Advice Line we’re always pleased to see initiatives like this designed to save money on business energy.

We offer free impartial advice on finding the best business electricity and business gas contracts for your business, and also provide energy saving tips.

We’d also like to hear from you if you have tips and ideas on how to save on your business energy costs, or if you have a business energy saving success story you’d like to share. Leave a comment on this blog, or follow us on Twitter and give us a tweet!

Read the full BBC Coventry & Warwickshire news story here.

Picture credit – CCA: Lights Everywhere by Sheep Purple from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheeppurple/2957093299/

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Small businesses face struggle for bank finance

16 February 2010
Every penny counts for business energy customers.

Every penny counts for business energy customers.

I was disappointed to read in The Daily Mail that the majority of small businesses are still struggling to get bank finance and are turning to their credit cards as they move along the rocky road to recovery. Despite promises from Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling, and a considerable injection of capital into the banking system to get finance moving again, it seems small and medium sized businesses still face an uphill struggle.

Keeping overheads, including business energy costs, as low as possible remains absolutely vital, but with so many other things to consider to keep your business above water, its easy to lose track of renewal dates, what tariff you’re on, how much you’re paying, and even who you’re paying it to.

Renewing your business energy costs can, then, seem like a major headache; the last thing you need to worry about right now is spending eternity on the phone to your business electricity or business gas company’s call centre, only to find you’ve missed your renewal date and been rolled over into a costly fixed term contract that you’re unable to get out of.

That’s where an online comparison site such as Energy Advice Line can help. Free, impartial business energy comparison services such as EAL have the ability to negotiate excellent rates from major gas and electricity suppliers. What’s more, they can handle the switchover process for you, have pre-prepared termination notices for your old supplier, and can even remind you of your renewal date so you don’t get tied into an expensive business energy contract without your knowledge.

For more details of how EAL can help you cut your business energy costs, contact us today.

You can read the full Daily Mail article by clicking on the following link.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1251326/Despite-bank-bonuses-Browns-repeated-pledges-60-businesses-denied-loans.html

Picture credit – Money by Nufkin, from Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nufkin/13109244/

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Britain’s gas storage capacity to increase by one third – but will only meet 5 days’ demand

15 February 2010
The North Sea is a prime site for renewables and gas storage.

The North Sea is a prime site for renewables and gas storage.

The Government today granted an official licence to The Gateway Project, a new development to increase the UK’s gas storage capacity. However, I read in The Daily Telegraph today that the storage facility, 15 miles out at sea from Barrow-in-Furness, will only hold enough gas to meet five days of ‘average’ demand. This won’t be enough to put the minds of business gas customers concerned about supply shortages and spiralling costs at ease.

The project will see 20 natural salt caverns that sit some 750 metres beneath the seabed being filled with 1.5bn cubic metres of gas, which will then be linked by a pipeline to the UK’s gas system. It is estimated that the process of removing salt from the caves, filling them with gas and constructing the pipeline will take four years and cost £600million, meaning that it’s scheduled to come online just a year before OfGem’s predicted danger time of gas shortages in 2015.

Fears of shortages in the gas supply have provoked much debate about how secure the UK’s gas really is, with politicians, the media and business energy customers among those raising concerns.

Meanwhile, whilst the Government is busy promoting green energy options through the Clean Energy Cashback scheme, it appears local communities aren’t sold on the benefits of wind power just yet. The Dorset Echo reports that a planning application has been submitted to Purbeck District Council to build a wind farm with four wind turbines each standing at 410 feet tall.

However, despite the fact the site marked for the turbines is a brownfield site, a pressure group called Dorset Against Rural Turbines and members of the local community are concerned that the turbines would be “unsightly”, would distract passing drivers and wouldn’t produce enough energy to make them viable.

The debate on renewable energy and what the best way to ensure the UK’s gas and electricity supplies are secure and affordable will no doubt rage for a long time yet. However, you can take action to cut the costs of your business gas and business electricity right now. By contacting Energy Advice Line’s expert team of advisors, you can check you are on the most efficient and cost-effective business energy tariff for your company, get help with switching, and have all your business energy questions answered.

To read the full Daily Telegraph story, click this link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/7237286/New-600m-gas-storage-caverns-will-handle-just-five-days-demand.html

And to read the full Dorset Echo story, click this link:

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/5007743.Dorset_wind_farm_whips_up_fury/

Picture credit – CCA: Energy From The Sea by Christopher Owen Jones, from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisowenjones/2393769926

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Lib Dems’ green pledge for more renewable business energy

11 February 2010
Dunster Castle has recently had solar panels fitted.

Dunster Castle has recently had solar panels fitted.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg has pledged that his party will up the manufacture of green energy by turning empty shipyards into wind turbine production centres should the Lib Dems win power.

This boost to the renewable energy market would be good news for business electricity customers who are keen to embrace the development of green energy, which could also help reduce overheads in the future.

The Lib Dems say that seven shipyards could be converted and 57,000 jobs created – all of this good news for the economy.

Many businesses are increasingly concerned about renewable energy. It was reported in The Guardian today that The National Trust is aiming to cut its use of fossil fuels for electricity and heat by 45% by 2020. Recent initiatives have included installing solar panels on the roof of Dunster Castle in Somerset, which may be an option that smaller businesses look at in the near future.

For advice on all your business energy needs, contact Energy Advice Line, who can help with queries about suppliers and contracts, and ensure you are on the best tariff to suit your business’s needs.

Read the full BBC article on Nick Clegg’s pledge here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8509586.stm

And read The Guardian article on the National Trust here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/10/national-trust-fossil-fuels

Picture credit – CCA: Dunster Castle by Hannah_and_Simon from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannah_and_simon/3856910824

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Business Energy contracts cause confusion

10 February 2010
Switching business electricity supplier will save you money.

Switching business electricity supplier will save you money.

OfGem’s recent changes to business energy rules, intended to clarify and simplify the process of choosing and switching business energy suppliers, have in fact in many cases had the opposite effect.

Simply Business reported this continued confusion, and I think this is an area of real concern for small business owners, particularly in light of recent speculation that many UK firms are at increased risk of insolvency as the economy moves out of recession.

Experts in insolvency have likened this precarious time to the 1990s, when business insolvency peaked five quarters after the country exited recession.

Last week it was reported personal insolvencies were at an all-time high and Simply Business brought further grim news that increasing numbers of personal bankrupts were in fact small business owners who had turned to personal credit and the help of family and friends to bail out their businesses when other credit sources dried up.

Added confusion over business energy supplies is the last thing small businesses need right now. That’s why I’d urge businesses to utilise the services of an impartial adviser such as Energy Advice Line when renewing their business electricity and business gas contracts.

Keeping overheads low is of prime importance and here at Energy Advice Line we can offer impartial, free help on how to get the best possible deal for your business electricity and business gas.

To read the Simply Business article about energy contract confusion, click this link:

http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/news/2010/02/2010-02-08-energy-contracts-confuse-small-businesses/

And for the story about the worrying trend for insolvency, click here:

http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/news/2010/02/2010-02-02-small-business-owners-suffering-personal-insolvencies/

Picture credit – CCA: Abstracts – A light switch by Redvers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redvers/523086361/

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“How green is your tariff?” labels for business electricity suppliers

9 February 2010
How green is your business electricity?

How green is your business electricity?

Business electricity customers will be able to see just how green their ‘renewable’ electricity really is thanks to a new labelling scheme introduced by OfGem from today.

Called the Green Energy Certification scheme, the system means any electricity supplier claiming to be green will now have to prove their credentials.

While this is good news for business electricity customers who are concerned about using renewable energy sources, the scheme has not been met with universal approval – with many organisations saying it doesn’t go far enough.

Ecotricity, a small energy supplier, told the Daily Telegraph that they did not have to do much in order to win their green accreditation, and accused the scheme of being misleading.

I think anything that provides business electricity customers with more knowledge about what they’re paying for can only be a good thing; making an informed choice about business energy suppliers is what Energy Advice Line is all about.

If you have concerns about your energy supplier, contact a member of the EAL today for impartial and knowledgeable advice about what business energy tariff best suits your business.

To read the full Daily Telegraph story, click this link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenerliving/7190602/Green-electricity-certification-scheme-attacked-for-not-being-green.html

Picture credit – CCA: Pylon by Ewan-M from Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/3739738007/

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Business benefits for Clean Energy Cashback scheme

8 February 2010

Green energy is becoming more popular.

Green energy is becoming more popular.

Last week I reported that concerns had been raised over how much of an incentive the government’s Clean Energy Cashback scheme offers business energy customers.

According to reports, the return on investment for this scheme seems likely to be between five and eight per cent, and business energy customers – unlike private consumers – will be taxed on anything they earn through the scheme.

However, Ben Cosh, Managing Director of The Green Company (which manufactures PV solar panels and wind turbines) has taken part in an interview with GreenWise, in which he raises some interesting points, arguing the scheme could be good for businesses.

Similar schemes already exist in more than 45 countries, with Germany and Spain among the most successful. For suitable sites, Cosh says, nominal returns could be up to ten per cent.

Most business energy customers will agree that, with all the scare stories currently circulating about outages and extortionate costs predicted for gas and electricity in the future, something has to be done, and if businesses can cut their overheads and contribute to the development of renewables at the same time, this can only be a positive thing.

But right now, many business energy customers will be worried about current energy costs, while at the same time having to devote most of their own energy to helping their business grow again on the road to recovery.

Keeping track of renewal dates for business gas and business electricity content can be tricky with so many other things on your mind. That’s why we at Energy Advice Line offer a free contract renewal reminder so you don’t miss this important deadline and end up missing the date to serve your termination notice for electricity and gas if you want to switch supplier.

We also offer free and impartial advice on all aspects of switching to the best-priced supplier, helping you keep your business on track.

Read the full GreenWise interview with Ben Cosh here: http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news/the-green-companys-ben-cosh-why-the-feedin-tariff-is-good-for-business-1128.aspx

Picture credit: CCA: Solar panels and windmill by Dave Dugdale http://www.solardave.com

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