Energy Purchasing Advice for B&B Owners

Energy Purchasing

Whilst the deregulation of the energy supply markets in the 1990’s has theoretically led to a position where a choice of supplier is a factor in your choice of energy purchase, in reality the smaller purchaser has a limited list of possible suppliers.  It is however now possible to buy your gas and electricity from one supplier, which can sometimes lead to an extra discount. You can get a quote online for the supply of electricity from a totally ‘green’ supplier here. If you are a business user and you would like a quotation to buy all your electricity from a ‘green’ supplier try here. It would be a good idea to have a recent bill with you when you fill either of the online forms.

The following extract is taken from the Energy Institute website and I make no apologies for featuring it here “…guide to buying gas and electricity but readers should be aware that there are further potential savings available for buyers who have they resources to get to grips with the intricacies of the market mechanism. This is particularly true for customers who are able to closely manage when and how they use energy.”

It does suggest that if you have taken the time to take monthly meter readings and you can therefore evidence your consumption it will as I have mentioned on other pages provide a benefit when it comes to working out who supplies you with what. More importantly if you have a dispute about usage and can evidence your figures it is a very powerful tool to have to have is your arsenal. Remember I have had 5 threats of court proceedings and 2 summonses and I have never appeared in court and never paid a penny more than I knew I owed.

How to start

Whichever type of energy you are thinking of buying there are some basic steps you need to follow to achieve a price comparison:

1 Decide on how many energy companies you want a quote from.

2 Provide each chosen company with as much information as you can. (Copies of recent bills going back a minimum of 12 months or better still 24 months would be good and if you have managed to read your meter every month for a minimum of 12 months this information would be the most useful you could supply).

3 Ask each supplier to quote on the same terms. (Same fixed length contract i.e. 1 or 2 year contract period, fixed standing charge, simple kilowatt-hour rate etc.)

It is now possible to do all the above online for nearly all companies.

Remember there is no difference in the quality of the product you are purchasing. It is not like purchasing biscuits, Supermarket Brand versus McVities the quality is the same no matter where you buy.

Both gas and electricity companies are charged by the transporting agent a fee for delivery of your supply. The charge for this forms part of the quotation price you will receive. If you purchase solely on ‘price’ your buying decision is simple, buy from the supplier that gives you the cheapest quote. If however other factors enter into your buying policy then you have at least got a level playing field from which to determine your choice.

Remember it is important that supply companies are compared equitably. If the information you receive is not all submitted on the same basis ask the suppliers to convert their quotes into an estimated annual cost. All of the suppliers should use the same standard annual profile.

Finally if you do like to trawl the web and want to see what is out there in the market place in respect of energy suppliers you can have a look here.

Alternatively http://www.energywatch.org.uk/ is a not for profit body which gives impartial advice and contact information.

Any power supply issues please use the Discussion Forum