Archive for the ‘Business Gas’ Category

Businesses save thousands of pounds each year by switching energy supplier

10 January 2013

SOME UK firms are wasting thousands of pounds each year by failing to switch suppliers when their fixed-price energy contracts expire, according to a new survey.

On average, businesses save almost £1000 annually by shopping around for the best business energy prices than those offered by their existing energy supplier, according to the study by the Energy Advice Line.

Energy-intensive businesses benefit even more by switching suppliers, with some firms saving almost £10,000 a year by opting for a competitor rather than accepting a renewal quote from their existing supplier.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading business electricity price comparison and switching service, said the findings underscored the importance of changing suppliers.

“The findings couldn’t be clearer – businesses that simply roll over and stay with the same supplier when their fixed-price energy contracts end are throwing hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds away,” Mr Morgan said.

“Many business owners believe that all energy companies charge roughly the same rate for business electricity, but nothing could be further from the truth.

“Suppliers make their profits from customers that don’t engage with the market and stay with them year after year in the mistaken belief that there’s not much difference in tariffs.

“The opposite is in fact true. It’s essential for business electricity users to give timely notice to their suppliers that they intend to switch and then shop around and reap the savings.”

According to the survey, Energy Advice Line customers saved an average £978 each year on their business electricity bills by shopping around and switching rather than accepting the renewal quote sent to them by the supplier they were already with. This is based on an average annual energy spend of £2,500.

However, potential savings for larger organizations and those with heavier energy use are even more significant, according to the survey.

Examples of savings achieved when firms used the Energy Advice Line’s free switching service to search the market for cheaper energy in 2012 included:

  • A retailer in Edgware, Middlesex, saved £9779 annually by agreeing to a fixed-price contract with Opus Energy for 12 months. The renewal quote offered by their existing supplier was 50% more expensive.
  • A restaurant owner in Dartmouth, Devon, saved £1,063 annually by agreeing to a fixed-price contract with Scottish Power. The renewal quote from their existing supplier was 22% more expensive.
  • A bar owner in Lymington, Hampshire, saved £3,357 annually by agreeing to a fixed-price contract with EDF Energy. The renewal quote from their existing supplier was 34% more expensive.

“Businesses have nothing to lose and everything to gain by serving advanced termination notice to their energy suppliers the required number of days before their fixed-price contracts end,” Mr Morgan said.

“If they fail to do this, they might find themselves stuck in an expensive and onerous roll-over contract and end up paying significantly more than they need to.

“A completely independent and impartial switching service like the Energy Advice Line makes it easy for firms to shop the market for the best business electricity prices and we also offer a free contract management service to affect a seamless transfer to the customer’s new supplier.

“If anyone has any doubts about how much firms can save, just visit our website or follow us on Twitter where we make public all the savings we achieve for our customers. The results speak for themselves.”

The Energy Advice Line helps firms of all sizes to search the market for the best business electricity prices and also the best business gas deals.

The service saves firms the time and trouble of trawling through thousands of business electricity and gas tariffs by analyzing prices from its panel of electricity suppliers and matching them with the requirements of the organization.

Significantly, tariffs are compared on a like-for-like basis without the use of product names or payment plans, which means that quotes are easy to understand and accurate.

The Energy Advice Line’s expert team also offers a free renewal reminder service and advice on the advanced termination notice requirement for suppliers to ensure firms do not get caught in expensive business energy rollover contracts.

For more information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Gas, News
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

Energy Advice Line says jury is out on Chancellor’s ‘dash for gas’

20 December 2012

The government’s decision to make a US-style ‘dash’ for shale gas would not guarantee lower energy prices for domestic or business electricity consumers, according to the Energy Advice Line.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the UK’s leading business electricity price comparison and switching service, said shale gas was cheaper in principal than other sources of gas, but the cost of extraction was high.

“It remains to be seen whether pursuing shale gas will lead to lower energy prices for business electricity users or householders,” Mr Morgan said. “Many more questions need to be answered before it is clear whether the Chancellor’s emphasis on a US-style pursuit of shale gas reserves makes sense.”

The comments follow Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement in his yearly Autumn statement that the government is investigating what tax incentives to give the shale gas industry. He also announced the creation of a new department, the Office for Unconventional Gas.

Extraction of shale gas, a natural gas formed within shale formations, has boomed in the US where it has risen from 1% of natural gas production in 2000 to over 20% by 2010. It is predicted that by 2035 it will account for almost half the US’s natural gas supply.

Shale gas is a highly contentious energy source, with opponents arguing that extraction – known as “fracking”– poses a serious threat to the environment and may actually increase rather than reduce greenhouse gases. However, proponents say exploitation of shale gas will greatly expand the world’s available energy supplies and that environmental concerns have been exaggerated.

As well as the tax incentives for the shale gas industry, the Chancellor announced that the government intends to build up to 30 new gas-fired power stations.

“We don’t want British families and businesses to be left behind as business gas prices tumble on the other side of the Atlantic,” Mr Osborne said.

Mr Morgan said the Government needed to put a clear case forward about the benefits of financial backing the exploitation of UK shale gas reserves, the extent of which are still unclear.

“Many questions need to be answered about the environmental and financial implications of heading down the shale gas road,” Mr Morgan said.

“It could well be that shale gas is not going to be the silver bullet that some analysts predict. ”

The Energy Advice Line is the UK’s leading energy price comparison and switching services for business, and enables firms to compare the market for the best possible business energy deals at the touch of a button.

The service has a team of business experts who can give advice about business energy contracts and how to avoid expensive contract rollovers. For further information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Gas, business electric
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

Lock in deals now as prices rise, says Energy Advice Line

12 October 2012

Business electricity users should brace themselves for higher business energy charges than previously expected after a bleak forecast from energy regulator Ofgem, according to the Energy Advice Line.

The UK’s leading business electricity price comparison and switching service for business urged firms to shop around and lock into the best available deals following Ofgem’s warning that faces a significant threat of power cuts and price rises over the next three years.

Ofgem said spare energy capacity, known as the margin, was set to tumble from current levels of 14% to just 4% over the winter of 2015/16, as ageing coal and oil-fired power plants were decommissioned as required by European environmental legislation.

According to Ofgem’s analysis, released last week, this would increase the risk of power-cuts to 50% in 2015 if a very cold winter increased demand for electricity.  It could also result in “controlled disconnections” of homes and businesses and place extra upward pressure on energy prices.

The average household dual-fuel gas and electricity bill is currently at a record high of about £1,300 per year and had been forecast to rise over the next few years even before Ofgem’s warning.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, said the Ofgem analysis was more bad new for business electricity and business gas users who were already struggling with record-high energy prices.

“There’s no doubt that narrower margins mean that the risk of power shortages are higher, and when energy is scarce, prices can go up as well,” Mr Morgan said.

“Security of supply is crucial to the business community, and therefore to the economy, and I hope the government examines closely the implications of Ofgem’s warnings.

“In the interim, it is essential that firms make energy an absolute priority. It’s crucial that if an organisation’s fixed-term energy contract is coming up for renewal that it gives notice that they wish to leave their current supplier.

“Many firms don’t realize they need to do this in a timely manner to avoid being rolled over onto an expensive out-of-contract rate.

“They then need to shop the market and find the best available deal that’s appropriate for their businesses. This is where we can really help and every day we same firms significant amounts of money.”

The Energy Advice Line is the only independent business electricity 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

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Electricity Comparison, Business Gas
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

Businesses offered cash to reduce energy use under government reforms

25 June 2012

Business electricity users that reduce their consumption at peak times could receive a cash bonus under reforms set out in the government’s draft energy bill.

Under the plans, auctions will be held from 2014 to allow electricity generators to bid to supply back-up electricity at times of increased demand. Only generators that pay companies to curb their energy use at peak times will be allowed to participate in the scheme.

The government hopes that as well as being environmentally friendly, this ‘demand response’ approach will help to ensure that there are sufficient energy supplies to go around.

Energy analysts have welcomed the proposal, arguing that it will be a cheaper way of matching energy supply to demand than simply building new power plants.

But some argue that business electricity users will have to change their mindset about the energy their organizations use if they are to benefit from such a scheme.

Ronan O’Regan, director of PwC’s renewables and low carbon group said many businesses would have to rethink their approach to energy efficiency.

“It’s partly about engagement and convincing large energy users to think about [energy] demand as a source of revenue,” Mr O’Regan told online magazine Business Green.

“Their mentality is that energy is a cost to be kept down and the core business is producing widgets.

“It’s up to energy users to participate, but at least they have the option. And what should happen is that as energy prices continue to rise, it does start to focus [companies'] attention on how to better manage energy.”

Julian Morgan, managing director of the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business electricity users, agreed that firms needed to rethink their approach to using and paying for energy.

“Business electricity users do need to change their mindset; energy can be one of the most significant financial overheads that an organization has to deal with.

“Of course they need to think about using energy in the most cost-effective way possible. But more fundamentally, they need to ensure they are paying the most competitive tariff available.

“Monitoring energy use and reducing waste is meaningless if an organization is paying more than they need to for their business electricity in the first place.”

The UK draft energy bill, unveiled last week, also included plans to raise £110 million in investment to replace current generating capacity and upgrade the grid by 2020.

The Energy Advice Line helps small firms through to large non-domestic energy consumers to search the market for the best available business electricity and business gas deals.

The service saves firms the time and trouble of trawling through thousands of business electricity and gas tariffs by analyzing prices from its panel of energy suppliers and matching them with the requirements of the organization.

Significantly, tariffs are compared on a like-for-like basis without the use of product names or payment plans, which means that quotes are easy to understand and accurate.

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

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Gas, News, business electric
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

Market leading Business Electricity supplier misleads consumer with sales approach by offering a supposed dual fuel discount

5 June 2012

A cold caller from a well-known business electricity supplier misleads a consumer into taking a gas contract with them by telling them that the business gas price was being heavily discounted based on the fact that they already supplied the electricity to the premises, according to Energy Advice Line.

Julian Morgan, Managing Director of the Energy Advice Line said that luckily the business energy consumer did not believe the approach as they were being very pressurizing, put the telephone down and compared prices online to make sure what they were being told was in fact correct. It turned out that the business gas price that was being offered was in-fact grossly inflated and way above the current retail price. Dual fuel discounts are common place in the domestic market but this does not usually apply in the commercial electricity market. It pays for consumers to compare business electricity prices in all instances to make sure that they are getting the best possible price for their business.

If you are cold called even by your current supplier offering what they claim to be a fantastic price do not agree to anything over the phone, but just ask for their best price. If you need to obtain prices for your business electricity or gas 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

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Electricity Prices, Business Electricity Rates, Business Energy, Business Gas, Business electricity price comparison
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

Energy among the top of concerns of small and medium-sized firms

16 May 2012

The cost of energy and the reliability of supply are among the most critical issues facing small and medium-sized firms, according to a new survey by the Forum of Private Business (FPB)

A total of 80% of business energy users reported that fuel costs were “very important” or “important” issues, while 75% cited reliability of energy supply as a key cause for concern.

Telecommunications and broadband access were also of critical importance, according to 80% of respondents, particularly in rural locations.

Other small business infrastructure priorities include post office services (60%), mobile communications (59%), the motorway network (56%), the provision of skills training (46%), waste services and recycling (41%), e-communications (32%) and rail transport (23%).

The findings are part of the Forum’s Referendum survey Infrastructure for Growth, which examines SMEs’ views on various forms of infrastructure and the way these systems affect their organizations.

On the back of the report, the Forum has made a series of recommendations to government to improve infrastructures, including the introduction of a fuel price stabilizer to ensure that when oil prices go up the tax take as a percentage of fuel costs falls.

Commenting on the report, Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading business electricity and gas price comparison and switching service, said it was not surprising energy ranked so highly on the list of issues that concern SMEs.

“Energy is now one of the most significant overheads of many businesses and as energy prices continue to rise business energy users face the dilemma of how to cover these increased costs,” Mr Morgan said.

“With their margins already under considerable pressure due to the recession, paying ever larger utility bills is a constant worry. And of course many SMEs realize that without an energy supply, they don’t have a business. Reliability of business electricity and gas supplies is a fundamental concern.”

Mr Morgan said the Energy Advice Line had been able to ease the concerns of thousands of business energy customers with its quick and simple way to find the cheapest energy deals, as well as free advice from experts.

“Businesses that are worried about their energy costs should not defer the task of making sure they are on the best energy deal available. We can help them do this,” Mr Morgan said.

“Comparing tariffs and making sure you compare like-for-like can be a time-consuming task, but we can do the legwork for you and leave you free to get on with running your business.”

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 business electricity and gas users. It is campaigning for Ofgem to ban cold calling, the practice under which rogue energy agents acting on behalf of energy suppliers make high-pressure unsolicited phone calls to sell expensive energy contracts.

Particular targets include businesses that have just moved into new premises; this is a significant problem for SMEs, 30% of which move once a year.

The Energy Advice Line’s free quotation service enables firms to quickly and simply compare business energy and business gas prices, and to switch to the best available deal on the market.  It also has a team of business energy experts who provide free advice on what businesses need to do to avoid being trapped in expensive and onerous rollover contracts.

For further information or a free quotation, visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Energy, Business Gas, News
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

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

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Energy, Business Gas, News
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

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

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Energy, Business Gas, Business electricity price comparison
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

SMEs missing ‘Green’ opportunities on their Business Energy

16 April 2012

Small business energy users are missing out on lucrative opportunities by failing to adopt a green approach to business, according to the European Commission.

They also need to use business electricity and other resources more efficiently or environmental targets will not be reached, according to vice president of the EU Antonio Tajani.

Mr Tajani’s comments, reported in Guardian newspaper, follow the first detailed analysis of how smaller companies are affecting climate change and pollution targets, carried out by Eurobarometer

Fewer than a quarter of European small business energy users are “actively engaged” in trying to reduce their environmental impact, the survey found. Most of those who do are opting for energy efficiency measures. About the same number of firms are offering customers environmentally friendly products or services.

“It is of huge importance that we bring small businesses forward in promoting green jobs, green products and services and in reducing their environmental impact,” Mr Tajani told the Guardian. “We cannot achieve our environmental goals without a strong focus on small- and medium-sized companies.”

He said the potential opportunities in green markets and in greater efficiency would benefit the EU economy.

“There is huge untapped potential, which will pay off with more innovation, more competitive small to medium-sized enterprises and more jobs.

“Only very few European SMEs extend their green business to foreign markets. Knowing that the EU makes up roughly one third of the world market for environmental industries this reveals a huge potential for SMEs to grow.”

There are approximately 23 million small businesses operating in the EU, providing about 90 million jobs and are responsible for about one-third of industrial emissions.

Julian Morgan, managing director the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business energy users, said adopting a green approach to business was a major challenge for many small firms.

“Spiralling energy prices and continuing tough economic times make it difficult for many small and medium-sized organizations to prioritize the environment,” Mr Morgan said.

“Most are doing what they can to use resources like business electricity and business gas efficiently. But their main concern is to find the cheapest possible price for the business energy requirements.”

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

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Electricity, Business Energy, Business Gas, Business electricity price comparison
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In

Industry warned of cuts in gas supplies

12 April 2012

Further to my item yesterday things don’t seem to be getting any better an article by Ed Crooks, Energy Editor on FT.com

This certainly warns of the possibility of things getting worse for business energy customers, please review my comments from yesterday as it still holds true.

To read Ed’s full article please follow this link

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6990fba0-f999-11de-8085-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

COMMENTS
Comments Off
CATEGORIES
Business Gas
AUTHOR
Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
SOCIAL
Twitter RSS Linked In
Previous Posts