August 23, 2011

Business Energy – Keep it Simple

Filed under: business energy — Tags: , , , — Newsroom @ 1:03 pm

Within the small to medium sized business market over fifty percent of owners don’t have any measures in place to reduce energy consumption and approximately twenty percent of businesses aren’t aware of the size of their energy bills.

This is obviously a concern as these smaller businesses have a greater chance of making larger savings as compared with larger organisations.  Smaller companies should be able to reduce their energy costs by about twenty percent.  Those businesses which aren’t aware of their energy bills could save a considerable amount of money without any knowledge.  Even by just monitoring electricity and gas usage they will be able to make savings – it is surprising how much can be saved by a little thought.  At the very least all business energy users need to compare energy prices.  Only after doing that simple task can you establish whether any specific business is paying too much for their gas and electricity.

It is useful to acquire the services of an independent business energy broker who is able to obtain the best possible prices to help to reduce costs.  In the present market where energy prices are still increasing, a broker, because of his knowledge, together with his standing with the large energy providers, is often able to fix a contract price, well below the average price, which will obviously benefit these small businesses.  A broker has some clout with both gas and electricity providers and is therefore able to improve the situation of the end users.

It can be useful for some small business users to arrange an “energy audit” of their premises.  This basically, is where every bit of usage is identified.   A surprising amount of wasted electricity and gas then becomes obvious.   Knowledge is power – and once this information is available the client is able to make changes which will assist in reducing their energy bills.

Many companies are promoting their energy saving strategies and there are many industry articles and newsletters being published regarding the latest trend.  When it comes down to it energy is traditionally known as gas and electricity.  Other buzz words describe various other ways to save costs throughout industry.

The latest news though must relate to the basics of energy as we all know it – the other methods of saving money relating to the purchase of equipment to do so, is beyond the realm of many small business owners who just want to save cash with the normal gas and electricity about which he has some knowledge.  Get the basics right at first and then think about changing and purchasing new equipment later on when cash flow allows – if that is the way that the owner of the business wants to go.  Don’t rush in to something new before first establishing the savings which can easily be made without a huge injection of funds.

August 9, 2011

Don’t Get Caught in a Loop When it Comes to Energy Suppliers

Filed under: business energy — Tags: , — Newsroom @ 10:15 am

In these difficult economic times every business needs to be thoroughly aware of all of their regular overheads.  It is not just sensible to consider the total energy costs, it is now vitally important to know exactly the amount being expended on both electricity and gas in order that direct action can be taken when business energy prices change.

Businesses used to remain with the same energy companies for years and when the bill arrived each quarter, it was paid – maybe with a small grumble when the prices increased.  Matters have changed and no responsible business can take for granted that their energy efficiency is acceptable without obtaining regular comparisons. It is usually more cost effective to amalgamate both gas and electricity in order to obtain the greatest savings.

A few minutes spent in researching the various options for the provision of energy, and anyone not well versed in dealing with the major suppliers will appreciate that to obtain the best result and the highest savings it is essential to contact a specialist broker.  Choose a broker who is able to compare the whole of the market.  They can, almost instantaneously provide a quotation showing the various savings which can be made by comparing tariffs within the various energy suppliers.  They will also have the expertise to give advice on the volatility of the business energy market and suggest the most appropriate energy provider for that specific business.

There are now available several green alternatives for reducing energy consumption.   As more high profile organisations start to adopt these micro generation options they are now becoming more widely recognised within the industry – and there is now the added bonus of the Clean Energy Cash Back scheme which guarantees a minimum payment for all the energy produced by this system.  As this is a new scheme many smaller business possibly may not be aware of it.   Knowledge is power and a broker will be able to discuss with the business to allow an informed decision to be made.   Businesses will invariably have facilities for obtaining electricity and gas. The consideration of promoting an alternative energy source which involves change may be the reason for taking the safe route of maintaining the status quo.  The other more realistic problem is that the smaller business owners don’t have the luxury of having staff specifically to deal with energy efficiency issues – there may only be a small team to deal with everything.  These smaller businesses will definitely benefit from consulting a specialist broker who will invariably be able to implement major cost savings.

Irrelevant of the choice of business energy providers the utilisation of an experienced broker can only assist in the reduction of energy bills.  They have the up to the minute information for every energy company and are best placed to reduce the costs for all business owners.  Let them obtain the best deal for you and once they know the requirements for your business they will always monitor the situation and advise if and when they feel you need to change energy suppliers.