Business energy users have been warned of tough times ahead as the government pushes ahead with plans to achieve challenging green energy targets.
Ed Davey, who replaced Chris Huhne as Energy Secretary in February, said his Green Deal plan was so “radical” he expected it to be “hated” by many vested interests.
Mr Davey told the Scottish Lib Dem conference that in order to achieve the Coalition’s carbon reduction targets businesses, local authorities and non-government organisations needed to “get serious about saving energy, saving the planet and saving people money”.
He said there would be lobbying against it and there would be vested interests who would hate it, but details of the plan would be announced soon.
“We will be the first government in history to embed energy efficiency across our whole energy policy”, he said, stressing the need for reducing energy demand while also increasing supply.
Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, said Mr Davey’s proposals, combined with forecast that business energy prices were on the way up again, put small and medium-sized firms under greater pressure than ever to make energy one their highest priorities.
“Business electricity and business gas users need to look very closely at their energy spend, and scrutinize utility companies in the same way they would any other supplier,” Mr Morgan said.
“This means not just accepting a renewal quote for business electricity and business gas supplies, but assessing the market and finding the best available prices. This is the simplest and cheapest way to save money – with no investment necessary in green technology!”
Mr Morgan said an impartial and independent price comparison and switching service like the Energy Advice Line could help large and small firms negotiate the complexities of business energy tariffs. The Energy Advice Line’s online quote system enabled firms to compare tariffs like-for-like, something firms might find very difficult to do independently.
“It’s also important to remember that when we provide customers with the most competitive business electricity and gas quotes on the market we do so with no complicated payment plans or product names involved.
“Not only does this mean our quotes are very easy to understand, but they are accurate because they only compare the actual rates. We compare like-for-like and it’s very difficult for businesses to do this on their own.”
The Energy Advice Line is the UK’s only impartial 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
Tags: Business Electricity, Business electricity price comparison, Business Electricity Prices, Business Energy, Business Gas
