Shop Around for Business Energy With Big Six And Small Energy SuppliersThe Big Six has always been the first choice for many homes and business energy users and while smaller alternatives are available, most customers prefer to stay with their current supplier. The primary reason why most energy customer does not consider switching is because of misinformation. Apparently, they thought that small energy suppliers’ products and services are not as good the ones from British Gas, E.ON UK, EDF Energy, ScottishPower, SSE, and npower, when in reality, their products are at par, if not cheaper than the Big Six. Another reason is because they believe that the customer service is not as efficient as the ones from the larger suppliers and third, they believe that switching is nothing but a hard task. While there are pros and cons for staying the current supplier, there are also reasons to shop around for business energy as this can become more advantageous. It can be from one of the Big Six suppliers to another one; or from the large energy providers to the smaller carriers. Switching To A Small Energy SupplierSmall energy carriers may be considered especially if the business is suffering from high utility bills or just want to lessen the energy expenses. However, not all small energy suppliers are created equal so before deciding to finally make a switch, a few more considerations should be made. A few years ago, there were only 10 energy suppliers available in the market, and that already includes the Big Six. Today, there are over 40 electricity and gas carriers that can supply domestic and industrial premises. This gives the customers to choose not only for a new plan or tariff but also for a new supplier as well. The new suppliers have just entered the energy market but Ofgem, the energy regulator, has welcomed the new ones to make way for new competitors. While the energy regulator makes it seem like a positive choice, most energy consumers are anxious about making a switch, thinking that they will only have a wrong choice. What Is A Small Supplier?To fully understand the possible consequences, identifying what a small supplier is, is important. Basically, the term “small suppliers” is used to describe the other suppliers that do not belong to the Big Six, the energy companies that provide over 90% to homes and businesses in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, the small suppliers still have over 250,000 customers while some have fewer. Meanwhile, bigger independent carriers such as First Utility and OVO Energy have more customers. Pros And ConsLike the Big Six, small energy suppliers have their advantages and disadvantages, too. Choosing the smaller ones will likely lead the business to cheaper deals unlike with established, large suppliers. Moreover, they don’t pay government schemes such as ECO, which means that their rates are more reasonable. However, since smaller energy companies are rarely advertised, their “cheap-as-chips plans” were not properly delivered to the market. Meanwhile, once they are exposed to various consumers through comparison sites, smaller companies are unable to accommodate the switches properly, giving a bad impression to the customers because of the poor switching experience. Moreover, since smaller energy companies have smaller customer service people, issues, and other concerns may not be handled smoothly. Choosing Another Big Six SupplierIf the business is not confident with switching to a smaller alternative, they can opt for another Big Six instead. A comparison site is helpful for making the transition since it contains the necessary details such as the price, tariffs, bundles, discounts, and more. Just remember to properly weight the pros and cons first and ask the necessary question prior to the actual switching. |