So it’s time to switch your energy, and with the market in an unpredictable state, you’ve decided to use a business energy consultancy to get you the best price. Whether you’ve used a third party before or not, you may have questions about the process.
This guide explains what our customers can expect when using our Business Energy Procurement service.
When you first contact us, you may be worried that you’ll be pressured into making a quick decision, or signing up for a service you’re unsure about.
While we can’t speak for all consultancies, we never use pushy sales tactics or pressure our clients into a quick decision. Additionally, if a product or service isn’t right for a client, we won’t propose it.
While we have access to an extensive range of products, we do occasionally encounter situations where a client is best off taking no action. Where this is the case, we will make that clear.
When your current energy contract is up for renewal, or if you’re on an ‘out of contract’ rate, you’re free to switch. However, we can also help clients procure their energy up to two years in advance, so there is never a bad time to drop us a line and find out your options.
Once we’ve established that you’re able to switch, we’ll start by finding out a bit about your business. This includes locations, number of meters, priorities and future plans. We work with ElectraLink, a secure data hub, to provide more accurate quotes based on real historic usage.
At this stage, we’ll also run a quick check on your kVA settings, to make sure they’re set at the right level. This is important, because if you have a lower capacity than you’re using, you could be paying needless excess charges. If, on the other had, your kVAs are set too high, you’re paying for capacity you don’t need.
Using the information we’ve gathered, we’ll contact a range of suppliers for a cost comparison. This will take into account your past usage, your location(s), and any other factors which may affect the cost.
Our energy consultants have extensive market knowledge, and can identify which suppliers are most likely to meet your needs. We’ll compare the projected cost from each supplier, including commodity costs (the price of your actual fuel), non-commodity costs (the variable costs of supplying your energy), VAT and Climate Change Levy (CCL) where applicable.
As soon as all quotes have been received, we’ll contact you to discuss our recommendations. We’ll make sure all prices are up to date. This is a process which can be somewhat complicated when obtaining quotes yourself, but we have systems in place that enable us to ensure all quotes are accurate on the day.
We’ll also explain all of the additional support that we’ll provide to you throughout the duration of your contract, such as our Energy Management Services, which can add significant value for you and your business.
Once you’ve decided which quote is right for you, all the paperwork can be signed electronically by both yourself and the supplier, at which point your prices are locked in.
Our Customer Services team will oversee the switch from here. The team will run all necessary checks to ensure there is nothing that could prevent the switch from taking place on the planned go-live date.
Your new supplier will then apply to take over your meter. This process usually takes around 30 days. More information about the timescales involved in switching can be found in our blog How Long Will my Business Energy Switch Take?
Ready to make the switch? Get a quote today.