How you can choose the right business energy broker
Leakite
Updated: June 20, 2024
Finding the best energy broker can be a good way to assist your business save lots of cash in this complex energy market. Remember that energy brokers usually have special market insights and tend to provide you with objective comparison of energy suppliers. As a result, they can get you the best energy deal for your business.
Unfortunately, it can be tricky to find the right energy broker. And, choosing the wrong energy broker can lead to more energy costs, especially if you get stuck in a bad energy contract. This page discusses how you can choose the right business energy broker.
Understanding business energy
Business energy is simply energy for businesses. Businesses also receive a supply of gas and electricity in the same way your home does. But if you decide to compare an average unit rate for business and domestic energy, you will realize that business rates tend to be cheaper. And, there are cheaper unit rates for larger businesses.
Remember that businesses get some charges unlike domestic customers that are exempted from. For instance, domestic customers can be charged a lower VAT than businesses on top of their energy bills. Some businesses can also qualify for this lower VAT rate.
Besides this VAT, there are also some businesses that have what is called the Climate Change Levy. This charge can increase the cost of electricity by more than half a penny for each kWh and there are chances that it will continue increasing.
It’s easy for many people to think that the big energy suppliers can be the only ones that offer competitive energy rates because of their size. The truth is that this is not always the case. For the past few years, there have been many good independent energy suppliers that have entered the energy market. These energy suppliers are also offering the best services and competitive rates.
It’s worth noting that when it comes to comparing business energy rates, there are various types of charges. One of these charges is called the standing charge. This refers to the amount of money you need to pay to receive electricity or gas that is supplied to your business. This charge is usually stated as a daily rate.
There is also per kWh which is a small amount of energy. This is the amount you need to sustain kWh of energy for at least one hour. For example, this can be the amount of energy you need to power your laptop for about two and a half hours.
Keep in mind that the per kWh rate tends to show you how much you have to pay for each unit you utilize. This is the reason why it’s always a good idea to check how much energy your company utilizes within a month or year. It can be easier to compare energy prices once you know this.
The amount you have to pay for energy usage usually depends on the business size and the amount of energy you utilize. But some people don’t realize that bigger companies can get lower energy rates. Smaller companies usually have less bargaining power and experience, so they end up getting unfair tariffs.
Region can also play a huge role. It’s believed that there can be a significant difference between the most expensive and cheapest regions. For example, London-based companies can pay high rentals, but the business energy costs are usually the lowest in the country. Ideally, the more remote a region is, the higher the energy rates.
Finding the right energy broker
There is no easy way of finding the right energy broker, but there are a couple of things you may need to consider. These factors include:
A proven track record of success
No doubt, you need to find an energy broker like Utility Bidder who has the experience and track record of success. The energy broker also needs to be well-established in this energy industry.
A reputable energy broker can give you references and their client success stories. Even better, they can tell you all the information about the energy market and how they intend to find special pricing opportunities.
You should remember that you want to work with an energy broker because of your time constraints, so you can’t watch the energy market yourself. Therefore, you need to make sure that the potential energy broker has the right experience you need.
The number of energy suppliers they have access to
Once you decide to work with an energy broker, they can have prices from several energy suppliers and they can provide the best offers. However, this can only be helpful if the potential energy broker has a large network of energy suppliers.
An energy broker who only works with a small number of energy suppliers cannot find you the best energy contract. Therefore, you want an energy broker who works with top-rated energy suppliers to ensure your energy contract has the best price on the energy market.
Excellent customer service
One of the major benefits of finding an energy broker is that there can be a good relationship between both parties. A good energy broker should demonstrate a genuine interest in helping you achieve your business goals. Hence, the broker should always make sure that they look and find you the best energy deals.
You don’t have to chase down your energy broker to ask them some questions or even figure out what is happening with your energy contract. Instead, a good energy broker should be there communicating with you and they should be easy to get in touch with.
Fees and conditions
Some energy brokers can explain clearly about their fees and conditions. An energy contract is important, so you need to understand all the charges from your energy supplier as well as the energy broker fees. A broker can break down their fees to make it easier for you to understand.
In conclusion, the energy market can be complex, making it hard to navigate it yourself. This is the reason why you need the help of an experienced energy broker. But you need to choose the right energy broker to avoid getting stuck with an expensive energy contract.