A New Approach To Electricity Can Save Money And The Environment
Posted October 3, 2008 – 2:21 pm in: ElectricityElectricity used to be as simple as flicking a switch. Not any more. The markets have been liberated and the pie has been shared between 6 major suppliers – the ball is now in the customers’ court. Not only that, global warming is making us think differently about the way we use energy. By partnering with an electricity supplier that understands their needs, small businesses are finding they can help the environment and save money.
Electricity4Business, an electricity supplier dedicated to providing cheap energy to small and mid-sized companies, does not pretend to be a green company, but it does believe in helping businesses conserve energy. “We are not powered by windmills or solar power – there simply isn’t enough green energy produced yet. At present, the electricity we provide is made from burning fossil fuels just like everyone else’s,” says Graham Paul, Sales & Marketing Director of E4B. “But by encouraging our customers to cut unnecessary consumption, we can save them money and help protect the environment.”
So how do electricity costs mount up? Not so long ago, you could walk into a shop or small business and the only equipment you would find was a telephone, a cash register and possibly a computer. Now there are dozens of gadgets and appliances sucking up energy almost everywhere you look – printers, fax machines, air conditioning units, promotional pieces, laptop and mobile phone chargers, refrigerators, ventilators, modems and routers, coffee machines, power tools, machinery, and the list goes on and on. Many of them are never disconnected from the mains and buzz, whir and generate heat even when not in use. Now is the time to consider their cost to you, and to the environment.
The good news is that there are many ways to conserve energy and not even notice it, except when you look at the bill at the end of the month. And with increasing awareness of the impact our actions have on the environment, staff may no longer dismiss the boss as a penny pinching miser for insisting on turning the lights out after work. All it takes to make a difference is a little awareness and some positive thinking.
The most important way to reduce electricity consumption is to instil a culture of energy saving in your company. Typically, electricity is not so much used inefficiently as wasted, leaked and lost. Solving this problem begins by asking some simple questions about how equipment is used and maintained. Is the photocopier used often enough to justify it being on all day? Is the refrigerator door properly sealed and opened as rarely as possible? Are the computer’s energy saving settings on? When was the last time that ventilator was cleaned? Why are the windows open if the heating is on?
Then there is the equipment itself. Replacing 38mm (T12) fluorescent tubes with 26mm (T8) tubes uses around 8 per cent less energy, while compact fluorescent lamps use 80 per cent less energy than tungsten GLS lamps. And for office equipment, look for energy saving devices with stand-by features that bear the Energy Star logo. And if your employees are wearing T-shirts in November, remember that each extra degree can put up to 8% on your heating bill.
There are many more ways of saving money on your electricity, whatever your line of business. Electricity 4 Business has compiled all the information you need to get started in a single document available for download absolutely free. The ten-page of Energy Efficiency Advice has everything on how to identify and rectify bad energy habits, where to get advice and how to claim energy related tax benefit and loans.
About the Author
Graham Paul is the Sales & Marketing Director of Electricity4Business Limited. E4B is an independent commercial electricity supplier.
Turning Up The Heat – Without It Costing You A Penny More
Posted October 1, 2008 – 10:00 am in: Electricity, GasFancy Cheaper Utility Bills this winter?
Switching gas and electricity providers can be a great way of achieving cheaper utility bills this winter. Typically if you never moved gas and electricity providers you could save about £100 a year, according to watchdog OFGEM. But how do you do it and who are the best providers?
How do I find a cheaper provider and how much could I save?
We have extensively researched the whole gas and electricity market to help you find who provides the best rates for you. It compares all tariffs from all gas and electricity suppliers. Take the 5 minute challenge and get cheaper utility bills at http://energy.moneyexpert.com/
Once you find the best supplier for your needs you can usually apply online. It then usually takes about four weeks for the new supplier to arrange the transfer of services on your behalf.
In theory you can change suppliers as much as you like as long as you bear in mind the time it takes and that some discounts may only occur when you have been with a supplier for a specified period of time.
What tariff options are available?
Energy and gas providers offer a number of ways to pay.
Dual Fuel – If you still use separate suppliers for your gas and electricty you may be missing out on some substantial savings.
By choosing one supplier for both your gas and electricity you can benefit from having just one bill and a bigger discount by choosing one supplier to provide both your gas and your electricty.
Capped Tariffs – These guarantee the amount you will pay for your gas and/or electricity, until a specified date. These are perfect for you if you want to protect yourself from price rises.
Online Sign-up – Some energy providers offer cheaper tariffs for online customers as the suppliers pass on some of the savings they make from the reduced administration fees.
Online Billing – Much as with the above if the supplier saves money from not having to produce and post out a bill the tariff is usually cheaper.
Direct Debit – Although direct debits can sometimes be tricky to set up they can save you money in the long run as most energy suppliers offer you a discount if you select this payment method.
Cash/Cheque – This is often the most expensive way of paying for your gas and electricity due to the administration involved in sending you out the bill and processing your payment.
Economy 7 – With this tariff a meter is used to split your electricity usage into day and night with different tariffs for each.
Prepayment Meters – This is where your electricity and gas usage is paid for by putting money onto a meter first.
Green Energy – Even though the energy you receive is the same, the company that provides is will generate the equivalent used through renewable means.
Making your home more energy efficient
Another way of gaining cheaper utility bills is to make your home more energy-efficient. Below are some top tips to help you do this:
* – Shower instead of taking a bath as this can use up to a third less energy
* – Use heat-generating appliances such as washers, dryers or ovens during the cooler hours of the morning or evening as it can help to heat the house.
* – Wash only full loads of clothes when possible
* – Start using energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and tumble dryers.
* – Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year.
* – Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn’t need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.
* – Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
* – Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
* – Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
* – Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb – and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
What Next?
We have extensively researched the whole gas and electricity market to help you find who provides the best rates for you. We compare ALL tariffs from ALL gas and electricity suppliers.
This means in less than 5 minutes we can help you find the best supplier for your energy needs.
Take the 5 minute challenge and see how much you can save: http://energy.moneyexpert.com/
About the Author
MoneyExpert – Gas price comparison, Electricity price comparison, Compare Gas and Electricity
How Small And Mid-Sized Businesses Can Save, Save, Save
Posted September 29, 2008 – 2:13 pm in: ElectricitySaving more money on your business’s electricity is possible by switching to an alternative electricity supplier and avoiding high renewal prices whilst improving your energy efficiency.
The laws of supply and demand in traditional economics would generally dictate that a steep rise in price of a product or commodity would lead to a reduction in demand. However, when that commodity is a necessity and is not easily substitutable, the drop in demand will be much less marked and in certain cases demand may remain stable.
Such is the case in the retail electricity supply market to SMEs where prices have risen by around 50% over the last two years. A major contributing factor is the increased need for companies to become energy efficient. Due to the Climate Change Levy, there has been an imposed 15% increase in average energy bills. Electricity rates are levied before VAT at a standard rate based on usage. Many businesses simply accept the price rise as a fact of life soldiering on with yet another burden to add to the increases in rates, rents and insurance, the bulk of which are non-recoverable from price increases indexed to inflation.
But there is another way to recoup some of these crippling losses.
Shopping around for a cheaper electricity supplier will typically save a business around 20% from their existing supplier. As an added value, these companies can show businesses the best ways to conserve energy by avoiding wastage – this alone can help reduce the annual bill by as much as 15%. Suddenly, the maths begin to stack-up.
For example, a business that was paying an annual rate of £1000 for its electricity two years ago is now paying £1500. By switching to a cheaper supplier, the price can be reduced to £1200. By becoming more energy efficient and using 15% less electricity that now changes to £1020. Had the original electricity price simply risen by the inflation rate of 3% then the price now would have been just over £1060 which means that the business is actually paying less in real terms than it was two years ago.
So instead of paying 50% more for its annual electricity bill, a business may indeed be paying less, whilst helping the environment in reducing its carbon footprint; as well as adding a social ‘green image’.
Furthermore, if most of its competitors are being hit by these unprecedented rises then that business will have a significant competitive advantage and may indeed improve its revenue, turning a negative situation into a very positive one for all concerned.
During the period of lower priced energy, energy was fairly low in the rankings amongst the list of main business costs. However, the latest government figures suggest that energy now accounts for nearly 10% of the average small firm’s annual overheads. In times such as now, when many businesses need to button down the hatch, cost control becomes the main focus and opportunities to save such significant amounts must be seized.
And there appears to be plenty of scope for these savings since government reports estimate that £12 billion of energy is wasted in the UK every year.
Graham Paul, E4B’s Sales and Marketing Director encourages businesses to ‘Save, save, save.’ ‘Save on the tariff by switching supplier, save by energy efficiency and save the environment’.
About the Author
Emma Churchill – Communications Executive – E4B is Britain’s independent electricity retail company specializing in the supply of business electricity to small and medium sized businesses. E4Bs aim to offer lower prices to British businesses.
SMEs Can Save More on Your Business Electricity Bills Than They Thought Possible
Posted September 28, 2008 – 2:11 pm in: ElectricityFACT: It is estimated that electricity for small businesses like yours can account for nearly 10% of your annual overheads
FACT: £12 billion of energy is wasted every year in the UK
But, if your business becomes energy efficient – you could reduce your bill by as much as 15% to counter the effects of recent price hikes by your electricity supplier and also combat energy wastage.
Just follow these simple steps to kick-start your energy efficiency plan, there are wide range of free online guides available on the web through some of the leading business electricity suppliers.
1. Benefit from the same level of performance from lower usage – saving you money as well as our climate
2. Make it easy – break your energy management into key areas: policy, planning and action, monitoring and control and measuring success
3. Easy to follow policy – set a positive culture within the workplace, supporting good business practice and the environment too
4. Set out achievable objectives: target clear goals and outline responsibilities for saving energy
5. Monitor how electricity is used in your workplace to control wastage. Do a walk-around energy survey, then monitor consumption on an ongoing basis.
Of late, there has been much written relating to the imperfections of the energy markets and the salaries of the industry’s notorious ‘fat cats’ in particular. Increasingly, the public has also been made aware of the advantages of switching suppliers. Nonetheless, the ‘big six’ electricity companies continue to dominate the market with their huge marketing budgets and cleverly worded contracts.
In a market dominated by businesses which pull the wool over their customers’ eyes, E4B are driven with the need to want to build a reputation for providing reliable information, expert advice and the highest possible level of service. The online newsfeed is only part of that – educating customers and SME businesses on the potential pitfalls of the industry is the central objective of E4B.
At the end of the day, it is up to businesses to choose the best electricity provider for them. But all too often, the perception is that switching is too complicated. It is up to companies like E4B to raise awareness of the imperfections of the market and make switching as simple and painless as possible. The sad fact is that thousands of British businesses are pay over half a billion pounds too many for their electricity every year – it is E4B’s mission to change that.
Save more money today by switching to champion SME supplier
We know that finding time to shop around for cheaper electricity is no easy feat. By spending as little as 10 minutes to talk to an electricity supplier, with the savings made by switching to another company, you could save your business much more than you realize. It is best to find suppliers whose main focus is on businesses like yours, They should be able to offer you a price for your electricity to meet your bottom line which is essential.
Save time shopping around, save on your tariff by switching; and save on your bill by being energy efficient.
About the Author
Graham Paul – Sales and Marketing Director- E4B is Britain’s independent electricity supplier, specializing in the supply to small and medium sized businesses. E4Bs aim to offer lower prices to British businesses.
Secrets To Halving Your Business Electricity Bills
Posted September 22, 2008 – 2:06 pm in: ElectricityWhen it comes to electricity, small and medium size enterprises can never assume they are getting a good deal. In fact, it’s safe to say that – as the market stands today – businesses should assume the opposite is true, and that they are being taken for a ride by the big six energy providers. One of several smaller providers of business electricity, Electricity4Business has just compiled a free guide to help electricity customers see through the dirty tricks.
Despite the bad publicity heaped on industry fat cats, over 20% of customers have never switched electricity providers since deregulation of the market. The reason is that they simply don’t have access to the right information. This document not only states the case for switching, it also provides all the necessary information and shows businesses how to carry it through.
In the UK, the chances are high that a small or medium size business receives its electricity from one of the six major companies. In fact, between them, British Gas, EDF Energy, Npower, Powergen, Scottish & Southern Energy and Scottish Power share 96% of the market. Despite the promise of competition through deregulation, all of these providers have routinely been able to raise prices by putting their customers on ‘evergreen’ fixed-price contracts that are automatically extended for months or even years unless the costumer takes timely action. If businesses fail to provide notice within a specified period, suppliers reserve the right to increase prices, even as the wholesale price of electricity goes down. As a result, customers that signed up to a long-term contract in early 2006 – when energy wholesale prices were at their peak – are often paying double or even triple today’s market price for their electricity.
If companies are wise to the tricks they can expect from their electricity supplier, they can switch and slash their electricity bills at a stroke. It’s as simple as that, many of the customers at Electricity4Business save in excess of £1000 a year, simply by filling out our template letter and switching to our fair and flexible pricing plan.
To download the Electricity4Business “Guide to the small print of electricity contracts” go to www.electricity4business.co.uk
About the Author
Graham Paul is the Sales & Marketing Director of Electricity4Business. E4B is an electricity supplier that saves from 40%-70% off your business electricity bill. Visit Electricity4Business.co.uk
The Dangers of Comparison Websites (when searching for the cheapest gas and electricity)
Posted September 20, 2008 – 2:04 pm in: Electricity, GasThe price of domestic gas and electricity has been a regular topic in the UK press over the last couple of weeks and for good reason. The current round of price increases that have just come into effect from many of the big utility companies have hit many people hard, not least the elderly and the lower wage earners. It is estimated that those who remained with their original supplier are now paying 20 – 30 percent more for their domestic fuel than those who have switched. With the current 14.2% extra added to the bill, and with the figures banded around that British Gas has lost nearly half a million customers this year alone, it is no surprise that the British public are saying enough is enough.
Privatisation and deregulation was supposed to put an end to the exorbitant prices these monopolies once could charge, but from where I stand, loyalty only seems to be rewarded by fleecing. New customers of these giant utility companies are treated preferentially to get them on board but only for a very short period before they too are moved to the ‘standard rate’ higher charges.
So the answer for the savvy consumer is to shop around – but therein lies another problem. Phoning around for quotes or visiting showrooms (those that are left) is time consuming. Very time consuming… and also challenging in so far as making the comparisons between all the different tariffs and options available. Hence, many are using the internet to do their searching. Typing “gas and electricity comparison” into a search field such as you’ll find on the Yahoo! homepage brings up plenty of sites claiming to make an ‘independent’ comparison. Probably the best known of these is Uswitch.com. I’ve read several articles recently in leading national papers extolling the virtues of these ‘independent and unbiased websites’ and how they “give you a completely impartial and objective assessment that leads to recommending the absolute best deal for you”.
But please, before you go off and start entering all your personal details into one of these online services, I implore you to stop and think just for one minute. How do you suppose these huge sites – that take a lot of man-hours to continually update and maintain – make their money? As a general rule, they don’t have lots of advertising banners plastered all over each page so they must get their revenue from elsewhere. And, yes, just like most other advisers or consultants, they get it from commissions. These are paid by the big corporate utilities to these ‘independent’ websites for each consumer that switches to them through the website.
Doing a little research by typing in exactly the same details, I found that different comparison websites produce different results even when they list the same companies! Clearly some of these websites are getting bigger commissions by recommending me certain deals over others. As well as having a tendency to recommend the deal that best suits them, they also only list ones that they can get a commission for, which mean not all of them list every option available for the individual consumer. Hardly independent and impartial! For instance, none of them list the Utility Warehouse and only a relatively few list Equipower/Equigas as neither of these providers will pay commissions to comparison website owners.
Yet for the vast majority of the British population, the Utility Warehouse are by far the best option provided you are happy with paying by Direct Debit. They guarantee to be the cheapest gas and electricity supplier in the UK for normal usage customers. Those on very low usage who can pay quarterly by cheque may find Equipower a better option. My advice is dig a bit deeper and you’ll discover more deals than these comparison websites have to offer. But that comes back to time and effort… two valuable ‘commodities’ most of the general public aren’t willing to use just to get lower bills.
So let me help you by leaving you with my research conclusions:
If you are like the vast majority of households in the UK on standard average or high usage, check out the Utility Warehouse guaranteed cheapest gas and electricity tariff! You’ll need to apply through one of their representatives – a good one can be found at www.cheapest-gas-supplier.co.uk or www.cheapest-electricity-supplier.co.uk .
If you are on a very low usage, then you may want to check out the Equipower/Equigas scheme by going to their website at www.ebico.co.uk .
Getting the cheapest gas and electricity shouldn’t be such a trial… but then again maybe that is what the big utility companies are relying on! Too bad you and I now know differently…
Article written by Rudi Ashdown and first posted at
http://www.whywebsiteswork.com .
For a direct link to the cheapest gas and electricity in the UK:
go to http://www.gas-electricity-comparison.co.uk
©Rudi Ashdown. copyright2005. All rights reserved.
How to change gas supplier or electricity supplier
Posted September 10, 2008 – 9:00 am in: Electricity, GasCompetition in the gas and electricity markets means that you can now choose who supplies your gas and electricity. This information is designed to help you through the process of choosing and changing supplier so that you can choose the supplier that will be best for you.Choosing a new gas and electric supplier
There are many suppliers to choose from, regardless of where you live in Great Britain. You can choose separate companies to supply your cheap gas and cheap electricity, or you can choose one company to supply both – this is known as dual fuel. A list of the supply companies operating in your area, together with the prices they charge, is available from energywatch by calling 0845 906 0708.
In order to compare the prices being offered by different suppliers with the price from your current supplier, you will need to calculate how much you are currently paying for your fuel each year. You can work this out by looking at your last four quarterly bills. In addition to this there are a number of questions you may wish to ask before deciding to change to a new cheap gas or cheap electricity supplier.
Questions to ask
How much will the new supplier charge?
All suppliers are required to publish their prices. They can send you details of their prices upon request. Comparisons of the different prices charged by suppliers are published by energywatch. These can be requested from energywatch by calling 0845 906 0708.
To ensure you get the best deal, it is worth shopping around and making comparisons between the prices being offered by different gas and electricity suppliers in your area.
How can I pay?
Suppliers usually offer a variety of payment options to customers, varying in frequency from weekly to quarterly options and paying by cash, postal order, cheque, direct debit, or prepayment meter. Ask suppliers to tell you about all the payment options available to you so that you can make the best choice for you. You may also wish to make sure that there are no penalties for cancellation of the contract.
Which gas and electric tariff should I choose?
Be aware that some payment methods may be cheaper than others. For example, it is usually cheaper to pay your gas and electricity bills by monthly direct debit, than to pay by cheque on a quarterly basis. Different tariffs (or prices) are offered to different consumers according to their circumstances.
The amount of fuel you use will also have an effect upon the price you pay. Someone who uses a lot of energy may be offered an energy supply at a cheaper rate than someone who uses less. Whatever price you are quoted, you should ensure that it includes VAT.
Will the supplier offer any special discounts, schemes, or incentives?
Some suppliers may offer special discounts or incentives to consumers who want them to supply both their gas and electricity (i.e. dual fuel). Other suppliers have packages which may include other services such as cheaper telephone services or free or discounted air travel.
Some suppliers offer special payment schemes for pensioners. Make sure you ask for details before signing up.
Do they have any extra or hidden charges?
Some suppliers add a standing charge to your fuel bill and others do not. Those companies that do not add a standing charge may instead ask for a higher unit price for the gas and electricity you use.
Do they have a high number of complaints?
If you are interested in the type of service you are likely to receive from a new supplier, as well as the prices they will charge, it is worth enquiring about their performance. energywatch can provide details of the amount and types of complaints they have received from consumers about individual suppliers.
How to change gas or electricity supplier
Once you are happy that you have selected the supplier best suited to meet your needs, changing is a relatively simple process.
Step 1: Get in touch with the new supplier and agree a contract with them. Once the contract is agreed, the transfer process should take about six weeks to complete. Your new supplier will keep you informed about how your transfer is being progressed.
Step 2: Give your old supplier 28 days notice that you are changing to a new supplier. energywatch advises that you do this initially by telephone and follow it up with written confirmation. If you do not tell your old supplier that you are changing, this can disrupt or delay your transfer to the new supplier.
Step 3: Pay any outstanding bills owing to your existing supplier. If you do not, they may prevent you from transferring.
Step 4: Take a meter reading on the day you change supplier. If your old supplier does not use it to work out your final bill, or your new supplier does not use it as the starting point for your first bill, let them know the meter reading you have taken.
Gas electricity – Gas and electric savings for cheap gas and cheap electricity
Posted September 1, 2008 – 9:00 am in: Electricity, GasWith gas and electricity prices rising, now is a good time to look at how to save money on your gas and electric bills and get the help and advice you need.
Remember: there are still savings to be made by changing your gas supplier or electricity supplier. Anyone who has never switched their gas and electricity supplier can save about £100 a year, on average.
Also, gas and electricity suppliers have introduced a range of special tariffs and initiatives designed to help vulnerable customers, particularly older people, those on low incomes and those with disabilities.
Gas and electricity customers who are having difficulty heating their homes, or paying their bills – and need help – can now call a free number, no matter who their supplier is: Home Heat Helpline 0800 336699. Here you can get help and advice on identifying energy efficiency grants, arranging alternative payment methods, carrying out benefits checks and receiving specialist advice.