Archive for April, 2012

Smart meters welcomed by business energy users, says Opus

30 April 2012

Most small and medium-sized firms are aware of the benefits of smart meters, according to new research by independent energy supplier Opus.

A survey of 500 business leaders revealed that 40% believed the main benefit of installing a smart meter was the ability to monitor their organization’s energy use in “real time”.

A further 36% believed that improved accuracy of meter readings and bills was the main benefit, according to the Opus survey.

Smart meters allow customers to monitor their energy use through real-time energy readings, which remove the need for estimated bills. All domestic consumers and small business energy customers will have smart meters installed by 2019, while large business will have ‘advanced’ smart meters installed by April 2014.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business energy users,welcomed Opus’ rollout of smart meters, saying they were an excellent tool to help firms to stay on top of their energy bills.

But he renewed calls for Ofgem to set up a watchdog to oversee the introduction the technology, as well as to monitor other reforms to the retail energy market.

While smart meters allowed business customers to monitor energy consumption, they also enabled suppliers to remotely disconnect customers or switch them from credit to prepayment mode if they did not pay their bills, Mr Morgan said.

There were also concerns about whether the technology would make it more complicated for customers to switch suppliers, and whether suppliers would pass on any savings made.

“Unfortunately, business electricity and business gas customers have lost faith in energy suppliers due to their behaviour in the past,” Mr Morgan said.

“Suppliers do not have a great record for always acting in the best interests of their business energy customers, so the government needs to ensure that all reforms to the energy market, including the rollout of smart meters, have teeth.

”We believe a regulatory body is needed to oversee the introduction of this technology and ensure that business gas and business electricity customers benefit from any savings that suppliers make in the cost of delivering energy.”

He said that smart meters could be a valuable tool for firms to use to monitor their energy consumption, but were not a cure-all.

“The single most effective way for firms to drive down their energy bills is to search the market for the lowest business electricity prices and switch suppliers when their fixed-term contracts end, “ Mr Morgan said.

The Energy Advice Line is the only independent price comparison and switching service in the UK designed exclusively for businesses.  Firms can view the five most competitive energy offers from the UK’s leading suppliers online, compare prices against their renewal quotation and switch at the click of a button.

The Energy Advice Line’s expert team can also offer advice on how to switch suppliers, as well as a renewal reminder service to ensure you do not get caught in an expensive business energy rollover contract.

For more information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

Energy Advice Line customer targeted by unsolicited cold caller using onerous sales tactics

26 April 2012

A business electricity customer who had just agreed to a contract to switch supplier with Energy Advice Line was targeted by a unsolicited cold calling agency called “Commercial Energy” who claimed that they were an official industry body who “regulate all applications” to try and mislead the customer into accepting a contract with a new supplier.

Julian Morgan, Managing Director of the UK’s leading impartial online business electricity price comparison and switching service Energy Advice Line said that the tactics used by the unsolicited cold caller to try and pressurise the customer into accepting a contract with them was extremely misleading and the trail of events described below by Jane from Dunkery Country House is quite unbelievable and shows the extremes that Commercial Energy will go to get the sale. The most disappointing aspect of the whole saga is the high level of distress that the business electricity cold caller caused the customer.

Jane had been called by a number of times by cold callers but as she explains “One of the most persistent firms that kept phoning called themselves Commercial Energy and implied that they were an official industry body who regulate all new applications.  They said they were not a broker.  I told them I had used Energy Advice Line to apply to switch to a new supplier.  The man on the phone told me that the application had been refused by the new supplier because there was a CCJ against the property.  He also said that, because of the CCJ, the current premises supplier would require a large security from us to continue supply.  He then told me that the cheapest company that could provide supply and wouldn’t need a security is BES (Business Energy Solutions).  He used a high-pressure sales technique to try to get me to sign up over the phone there and then, telling me that I would be paying out of contract rates with Scottish Power, which were at a very high rate.”

Jane continues ”I didn’t commit to anything but the following day another sales person from Commercial Energy phoned and told me exactly the same thing.  I asked him why Energy Advice Line, as my broker, hadn’t notified me that the application to my new supplier had supposedly failed. He said that Energy Advice Line’s involvement in the process had ended after the initial sales stage and all processing of applications come through them.  I said I’d need to double check with my husband before committing to anything.  Again, he was very insistent and pushy.”

At that point, I rang my current supplier to check the story about a CCJ against the property and them requiring extra security.  The customer services person told me that there was nothing on file to indicate that was the case at all.

A few days later Commercial Energy rang again – this time a woman.  I told her that I’d already got my switch of supply sorted and she asked when I’d arranged that (I didn’t give her an exact date but just said a week or so ago).  I then also said that what I’d been told by a couple of her colleagues was complete fabrication because I’d checked out the details with my current supplier and Energy Advice Line. I also said that I was going to report the matter to Ofgem.  She listened and sympathised and then said she’d escalate this to a senior manager and could I hold on the phone.  I was then transferred to a gentleman who was trying to be very persuasive in implying that what his colleagues told me was absolutely correct.  He implied that the person that I spoke to at my current supplier was probably someone in customer services, who wouldn’t have the relevant information, when I really should have been speaking to someone in their sales team.  He said that he was only trying to get the best deal for me and save me money.  I then started doubting things again, but luckily had to shoot out to an appointment so didn’t have time to take the conversation further.  Ross called me a day or two later, but in the meantime I had Googled “Commercial Energy” and luckily found some forums which gave me all the lowdown on this firm and how they try to scam people into signing people up to them.  To say I felt sick & angry was an understatement.  When Ross called back, I told him that I’d had a chance to look up further details about his firm and that I knew for certain now that they were liars and scam-artists.  I then put the phone down on him.  Since then we are constantly receiving calls and as soon as we pick up the line goes dead (when I do 1471, the number that comes up is 01204 number, which is Bolton/Greater Manchester area). My husband picked up a call a few days ago and it seems they wanted to try their luck again and started asking him when he’d switched supply. He didn’t tell them exactly when, just said a week or two ago. He then asked why they wanted to know and said we’d already got our supply sorted and he wasn’t prepared to give any further information. The woman on the other end, who said she was from the “Business Energy Company”, and had a Manchester accent, just hung up then.  I’ve also received a call from a woman, again with a Manchester accent claiming to be from an online business directory wanting to register our details for free. She made the call from the same 01204 number, so it seems they are trying all sorts of tactics now.  None of these people will give their number out for you to ring them, neither will they give you a postal address or email address.  That should have been a warning sign from the start.”

Jane continues “I have now registered with the Telephone Preference Service, but this takes 28 days to kick in.  In the meantime, we are trying to run a business whilst getting constant nuisance calls from these people, but it seems there is nothing we can do.  I cannot believe that sharks like this can continue to operate and there is nothing legally we can do – it stinks.  There should be legislation in place that protects unsuspecting first-time small business owners like us. The domestic market is regulated…..so why isn’t the commercial side?”

If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the “Commercial Energy”, be very vigilant and do not agree to anything, put the phone down immediately. If you need to obtain prices for your business electricity supply go online and compare the market using a reputable price comparison service such as Energy Advice Line. It only takes 5 minutes to compare business electricity rates using Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading business energy price comparison and switching service for business electricity rates called on all business consumers to say no to cold callers and to compare the market using a reputable online business electricity prices comparison service.

For further information on the business energy Say No to Cold Calling Campaign please contact Energy Advice Line on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php

The Mail on Sunday helps Business Electricity customers Say No to Unsolicited Cold Callers

25 April 2012

The Mail on Sunday is helping business electricity customers Say No to Cold Calling. The article featured in the edition on Sunday 22nd April will create the awareness and help business electricity customers understand the pitfalls of accepting a quotation from the unsolicited business electricity cold callers.

The Energy Advice Line is constantly talking to customers who have been targeted by these cold call agencies, some of the complaints involved:

  • Called one prospective business customer 30 times in one day to sell an energy contract
  • Called a prospective customer 10 times in one day placing intense pressure on them to agree to a contract
  • Called a prospective customer 5 times a day before they had even moved into new premises, having already obtained their contact details and meter information
  • Told a business owner they were legally obliged to accept the business electricity prices they were being offered
  • Claimed to be from bogus organizations – variously called Central Registrations, The Meter Registrations Company, The Meter Registrations Department and Central Networks – to elicit private meter information
  • Threatened to cut off energy supplies if the business owner refused to accept a contract offer
  • Told business owners their meters needed to be “re-registered” in order to obtain meter registration numbers
  • Made three unsolicited calls to a business owner in the space of 30 minutes, despite being asked to desist because they were attending a funeral

The Energy Advice Line has produced guidance for firms to follow to avoid being locked into the expensive business electricity and gas deals being touted by cold callers.

  1. Speak to a business electricity price comparison service that has a large panel of suppliers – check that they are not just working for one specific supplier with a view to making as much commission as possible.
  2. Say No to Cold Calling: do not accept an energy deal from someone who calls you out of the blue. The business electricity rates are usually 30%–40% above of the current retail price.
  3. Verify who you are talking to: ring the company back and ask to speak to your account manager to ensure they are being truthful about the company they represent
  4. Price transparency: go with a price comparison service prepared to put the energy tariffs they offer on their website so you can be sure you are making the right choice
  5. Commission transparency: if you want to know how much commission the agency is earning from the switch just ask. A reputable service will tell you. If they will not tell you, be suspicious
  6. Pressure selling: a professional impartial and transparent service will not exert any pressure on you to enter into a contract, and will give you the information and time you need to ensure you are making the right choice

The UK’s leading business energy price comparison and switching service for business electricity rates called on all business consumers to say no to cold callers and to compare the market using a reputable online business electricity prices comparison service.

For further information on the business energy Say No to Cold Calling Campaign please contact Energy Advice Line on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php

Business Electricity Consumer Says No to Central Registrations Team and goes online to get the best price

24 April 2012

A business electricity consumer who was being hounded by the “Central Registrations Team” said no to their misleading and pressurising sales approach and went online to get the most competitive price for the commercial electricity supply, according to Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading impartial online price comparison and switching service for business electricity prices has been contacted by a business electricity consumer who was being told by the “Central Registrations Team” that it “was illegal to not have a meter that was registered”. Luckily the customer did not believe what he was being told by the sales person, put the phone down and compared prices with Energy Advice Line.

Julian Morgan, Managing Director of the Energy Advice Line said that the business electricity consumer did exactly the right thing as one of the impartial Energy Advice Line advisors was able to offer a contract price that was significantly cheaper than the price being offered by the unsolicited cold caller. The approach that the cold caller made by claiming that it was somehow illegal by not having their meter registered was again a tactic designed to strike fear into the unsuspecting business electricity customer with a view to pressuring them into making a decision that could be very costly. The premise that the old caller was from a central registrations team in itself sounds official and using strong wording such as “illegal” is just another way to force the customers hand. This is simply not the case and this unsolicited and fraudulent approach simply has to stop and Energy Advice Line will be lobbying the gas and electricity regulator OFGEM with the evidence that it is collecting from the campaign.

If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the “Central Registrations Team”, do not agree to anything, put the phone down immediately.  If you need to obtain prices for your business electricity supply go online and compare the market using a reputable price comparison service such as Energy Advice Line. It only takes 5 minutes to compare business electricity rates using Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading business energy price comparison and switching service for business electricity rates called on all business consumers to say no to cold callers and to compare the market using a reputable online business electricity prices comparison service.

For further information on the business energy Say No to Cold Calling Campaign please contact Energy Advice Line on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php

Do not be tricked into a Business Electricity contract by company called the Meter Registrations Agency

21 April 2012

If a company called the “Meter Registrations Agency” calls a Business Electricity or Business Gas customer as they approach the end of their commercial electricity contract you might think you were being called by an official agency but do not be tricked into accepting a contract by this organisation as you could pay up to 50% more for your business energy according to Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading impartial online price comparison and switching service for business electricity prices has been contacted by a business electricity customer who was receiving over 7 calls a day from a pressurising sales person at the “Meter Registrations Agency” who stated that they were a government backed agency that was set up to help business electricity customers. They offered the business electricity customer a price for a new contract but the customer did not agree to the offer stating that he needed to compare with what was available on the market. The offer seemed expensive and the sales caller’s use of very pressurising sales techniques caused the customer to suspect that something was not right. He put the phone down, typed “Business Electricity Cold Calling” into Google and contacted Energy Advice Line after reading about the Say No to Cold Calling campaign.

Julian Morgan, Managing Director of the Energy Advice Line said that the customer did exactly the right thing as one of the impartial Energy Advice Line advisors was able to offer a contract price that was 50% cheaper than the business electricity rates that was offered by the unsolicited cold caller from the “Meter Registrations Agency”. The approach that the cold caller made by claiming that he was from a government backed organisation was again very misleading and this type of tactic must be catching a lot of unsuspecting business electricity customers out every day. This unsolicited and fraudulent approach simply has to stop and Energy Advice Line will be lobbying the gas and electricity regulator OFGEM with the evidence that it is collecting from the campaign.

If you are contacted by a company claiming to be “Meter Registrations Agency”, do not agree to anything, put the phone down immediately.  If you need to obtain prices for your business electricity supply go online and compare the market using a reputable price comparison service such as Energy Advice Line. It only takes 5 minutes to compare business electricity rates using Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading business energy price comparison and switching service for business electricity rates called on all business consumers to say no to cold callers and to compare the market using a reputable online business electricity prices comparison service.

For further information on the business energy Say No to Cold Calling Campaign please contact Energy Advice Line on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php

UK & European companies could face an extra £3.8 billion in business energy bills!

20 April 2012

New research shows that UK firms and their European counterparts could pay an extra £3.8 billion in business energy costs this year.

Energy analysts at EnergyQuote JHA attribute the bulk of the increase in business energy costs –  £3.7 billion – to expected increases in the wholesale cost of gas.

EnergyQuote JHA forecasts that UK firms will face an increase of 15% in the cost of business gas supplies, with other parts of the EU experiencing price hikes ranging from 9% to 14%.

The forecast rise in business gas prices is attributed to a number of factors, with growing demand for gas supplies in Asia cited as the main reason. An increase in the cost of power generation feedstock – crops and products such as vegetable oil that can be converted into fuel – was also highlighted as important.

Last month, Bank of America Merrill Lynch issued a similar warning that European buyers are being “squeezed out” of the market for liquefied natural gas supplies due to rising demand in Asia.

The Merrill Lynch report said that production of liquefied natural gas in UK and Europe was falling rapidly while demand for the energy source in Asia was surging, with Japan’s nuclear power plants still out of service.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, said the forecast for rising UK gas prices was bad news for business energy customers.

“Businesses don’t need any more bad news, but the signs are there that wholesale gas prices will continue to rise and this will flow through to higher business electricity and gas prices,” Mr Morgan said.

“It is now more important than ever for firms to shop around for the best available business energy deals, and consider locking themselves into fixed-term deals in anticipation of these increases.

“Small and medium-sized firms can’t control wholesale energy prices, but they can take control of their own business energy bills and make sure they are shopping around to find the best deal.

“Depending on the size of the business and its energy consumption, shopping around can save a firm hundreds if not thousands of pounds a year.”

The Energy Advice Line is one of the UK’s leading business electricity price comparison and switching service exclusively for business. It has campaigned for utility companies to change their business energy contracts and billing arrangements to make it easier for firms to switch suppliers to get the best business electricity rates and gas deals.

For further information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

Food sector hit by green energy plans

19 April 2012

The Energy Advice Line has urged firms in the food and drinks sector to rigorously search the market for the best available energy deals amid reports that energy prices are pushing some to the brink of insolvency.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, said firms in the sector were among the highest consumers of business energy and especially vulnerable to business energy price hikes.

A recent report by Company Watch, which conducts in-depth financial analysis of companies and sectors worldwide, said some food manufacturers were facing insolvency as a result of the government’s commitment to a green agenda.

Mr Morgan said the sector was energy intensive due to its reliance on plant, equipment and refrigeration, and firms could make substantial savings by switching suppliers and moving to cheaper deals.

“At first glance the difference in business energy tariffs may not appear significant but for firms in the food and drinks sector that are energy intensive, these savings add up and can substantially reduce a firm’s overall energy spend,” Mr Morgan said.

“We helped one customer in the frozen food sector reduce their energy bill by several hundred thousand pounds a year by simply searching the market and looking for the best available deal for their needs, rather than simply accepting their renewal quotation.”

The Company Watch report identified that the higher costs of green energy sources were causing increased financial woes for food manufacturers. The report listed Premier Foods, Dairy Crest and Britvic among the struggling firms based on 2010 and 2011 figures.

Rising energy prices had not been factored in to the report’s findings, and could lead to “problems for many more firms”.

“Once these feed through, we can expect the financial health of the sector to deteriorate further, with more manufacturing companies …becoming vulnerable to insolvency or restructuring,” Company Watch spokesman Nick Hood told foodmanufacture.co.uk.

The Food and Drink Federation has also expressed concerns that the government may be considering promoting the use of renewable energy sources by reducing the price differences between them and cheaper, conventional energy sources.

The Energy Advice Line has produced a guide to help firms, including those in the food and drinks sector, combat unfair pricing tactics employed by utility companies. It also provides advice on what businesses need to do to avoid being trapped in expensive and onerous business energy contracts.

To obtain a copy of the Business Energy Best Practice and Advice Guide, and for further information about how the Energy Advice Line can help businesses, visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

Use an online Business Electricity price comparison service for an impartial non obligatory quotation

18 April 2012

The UK’s leading business electricity price comparison service Energy Advice Line has urged business electricity customers to use impartial and independent price comparison and switching services to get the best possible rates for their business electricity prices.

According to a very recent article in the Independent consumers have become more fed up than ever with Britain’s Big Six energy firms. New research shows that 84 per cent of people believe that gas and electricity suppliers maximise profits at the expense of customers.

Julian Morgan, Managing Director of the Energy Advice Line said that the report also highlighted that three out of five people said they agree that the energy suppliers treat people with contempt. The strength of negativity will unfortunately lead to some people not addressing the issue of rising bills if they do not want to engage with the Energy firms directly.

It is important that business electricity consumers still address the issue of rising energy bills by comparing prices using an impartial online price comparison service when their commercial electricity contract approaches its renewal date. Most comparison services will hold business electricity rates with all major suppliers and allow customers the opportunity to get the most competitive rate without speaking to an energy supplier directly.

The price comparison process is free and non-obligatory.

Please contact your Energy Advice Line Advisor FREE on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk.

Business Electricity cold callers use very misleading tactics to get the sale!

17 April 2012

Business Electricity and Gas customers who have just moved into new premises need to be wary of a company that makes an unsolicited approach claiming that their meter is not going through and needs to be re-registered by agreeing to a contract again with them over the telephone.

Julian Morgan, Managing Director of the Energy Advice Line says that the customer was called a number of times in one day claiming that the meter had not been registered and needed to be registered again. The business electricity customer had already compared prices with Energy Advice Line and had signed up to a contract with a new supplier. The cold caller was very misleading in their approach by claiming that the “meter had not been registered” and although the customer informed the cold caller that the contract had already been completed, they were very insistent that it had fallen through and stated that they needed to run through the contract again. Fortunately the customer did not believe what he was being told, called his account manager at Energy Advice Line to check on the status of the switch and also report this unsolicited approach to help with the Say No to To Cold Campaign.

If you are contacted by a company claiming that your meter “needs to be registered again”, do not agree to anything, put the phone down immediately.  If you need to obtain prices for your business electricity supply go online and compare the market using a reputable price comparison service such as Energy Advice Line. It only takes 5 minutes to compare business electricity rates using Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading business energy price comparison and switching service for business electricity rates called on all business consumers to say no to cold callers and to compare the market using a reputable online business electricity prices comparison service.

For further information on the business energy Say No to Cold Calling Campaign please contact Energy Advice Line on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php

Energy suppliers…keeping the customer satisfied and informed?

17 April 2012

ENERGY suppliers should be made to write to business customers as well as householders every year telling them about their best available business energy deal, according to the Energy Advice Line.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, said the move would save firms hundreds of pounds a year in business electricity and gas costs.

Last week Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced that the Big Six energy companies would be obliged to inform households about the most suitable tariff for them, and to offer this deal if requested.

Mr Morgan said UK businesses, especially small and medium-sized firms, should be included in the new arrangements as thousands of organisations could be offered a much better deal if, for example, they are currently paying out of contract prices.

The requirement to write to businesses in this way would help address the long running problem of firms being offered the most competitive deal for their business energy.

“The Government’s announcement is welcome news for householders, many of whom are on the wrong tariff and paying too much,” Mr Morgan said. “But once again, businesses are being ignored when it comes being better protected from the Big Six.

“We have been calling on energy companies to write to businesses when their fixed-term contracts end, and to offer them their best deal first.

“At the moment we have a situation where suppliers are doing the opposite – they send businesses a renewal quote which is up to 50% more expensive than the deal they were on, in the hope that they will not shop around and just accept the offer.”

The Energy Advice Line has called on suppliers to offer clearer and more detailed information on bills in order to stop confusion and help businesses find the best available deals on the market.

It has called on contract-end dates to be printed on bills, and for suppliers to clearly explain to customers how to terminate their contracts so they can switch more easily.

It wants suppliers to introduce standardized notice periods and adopt a “best offer first” approach when providing renewal quotes to firms at the end of their contracts.

The calls are also in line with Ofgem’s commitment to review contract rollover regulations as part of a sweeping review of the non-domestic energy sector.

Mr Morgan said there was widespread confusion among businesses about how and when they needed to formally terminate their energy contracts; many did not even realize they needed to do this in order to change supplier.

The government expects the requirement for suppliers to write to customers with details of their best deals to come into effect in the autumn.

The Energy Advice Line is a consumer champion and the UK’s only independent price comparison and switching services exclusively for small and medium-sized businesses. The service enables firms to quickly and simply compare business electricity rates and business gas prices, and to switch to the best available deal on the market.

The Energy Advice Line has produced The Business Energy Best Practice and Advice Guide to help firms combat unfair pricing tactics employed by utility companies.

To obtain a copy of the guide, for further information or a free quotation, visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk