20 Sep
Coping With Unexpected Expenses : Small Business Advice
Posted on Sep 20, 2023
by D-ENERGi
Running a small business, whether you have your own cafe, boutique clothing store, repair shop, or florist, is not always easy. There’s lots to consider and plan for, and with a small team this can create a number of jobs for one or two people to juggle. One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is managing finances and keeping on top of this.
When it comes to managing business expenses like water, electricity, and gas, it is important to plan and prepare for increases and unexpected bills. Not only will this allow you to budget and avoid nasty surprises, you will be preventing these unexpected expenses from creating any damaging holes in the company wallet.
Why might you incur an unexpected expense?
Unexpected expenses can come from just about anything and anyone. Business expenses are guaranteed and are required to be paid in order to keep your business running. Although expenses like rent and business insurance are important, in this blog we are focusing on business utilities, which includes bills like energy and water.
Despite paying monthly for your business energy, it is not uncommon for business energy bills to rise and fall. The same can also be said for water bills. When your demand and usage for electricity, gas, and water increases, so too do your bills.
During uncertain times, such as a cost of living crisis or the global energy crisis that occurred between 2021-2023, energy costs can and will quickly change. Your business energy rates are therefore subject to change unexpectedly. Although business energy suppliers will give you some notice, market changes can happen overnight and may require a big increase to your monthly payments. Having some awareness of the risks that the market can pose on your expenses is important for ensuring you have some money put aside in case of such events.
Monitoring your small business energy charges
Monitoring your small business energy charges is important for a number of reasons:
- It can help you to identify areas where you can reduce your energy consumption, which can save you money on your bills.
- It can help you to identify any unusual spikes in your energy usage, which could be indicative of a problem with your equipment or infrastructure.
- It can help you to track your energy consumption over time, which can help you to set realistic energy efficiency targets.
There are a number of ways to monitor your small business energy charges. One simple way is to keep track of your energy bills over time. This will give you a good idea of how much energy you are using and how much it is costing you.
Another way to monitor your energy usage is to install a smart meter. Smart meters are devices that track your energy consumption in real time. They can be installed on your electricity and gas meters, and will provide you with a detailed breakdown of your energy usage by appliance or area of your business. This information can be particularly useful in helping you identify specific areas of your business where you may be able to cut down on energy usage and lower your energy costs overall.
Government support for small businesses
While there are options for small businesses to help tackle unexpected costs, the UK government also offer a number of services and schemes to support small businesses. For example, the Energy Bills Discount Scheme which is currently running until April 2024. We have provided further information about applying for the scheme and the support offered on our blog.
Looking for a business gas quote? Fed up of long waiting times. Why not give us a try, you may not of heard of us before but our customers love us. Rated within the top 5 gas suppliers on Trustpilot. View our customer reviews page. We have been supplying business gas for 15 years based in the heart of Manchester. We are a small family energy business and not part of the Big Six – we can not only match their business gas quote rates, but on most occasions beat them.
Our friendly UK based call centre will guarantee your call to be answered in a maximum of five rings and no long waiting times.
We offer a friendly and personalised service, account managers are dedicated solemnly to you so any query or issue you may have is dealt with by an expert. This way we have built a loyal growing portfolio of hotels, care homes, schools who all use us as their preferred business gas supplier.
Managing your finances in your business is important and is something that cannot be dealt with light heartedly. This is what drives us to give you the best fixed prices we can offer. With a fixed price business gas quote from D-ENERGi, you know specifically how much you will pay on your gas bill every single month.
You may now be thinking why should I get a business gas quote from D-ENERGi? We have had plenty of practise forging the best energy deals and in negotiating exclusive deals higher up the supply chain so we can pass the savings on to you.
Get a free no obligation business gas quote from D-ENERGi or call 0800 781 7626.
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The majority of businesses require considerable more electricity than the average home. This can work in your favour as it can enhance your negotiation price with your commercial energy supplier – in most cases.
Finding the perfect deal for your commercial electricity rates can be quite tedious and time consuming.
As a result you will find that most businesses use a specialised energy broker experienced in energy negotiation, which is understandable. However most energy brokers will typically add in a margin on the unit rates and standing charge so they can generate a commission on the energy a businesses may consume. Therefore the most reliable way to getting the best deal is by directly calling commercial energy suppliers yourself and shopping around. You may be surprised about the fact that by speaking to a commercial energy supplier direct, like ourselves, you may able to get better commercial electricity rates.
D-ENERGi is a direct commercial energy supplier, fill in our quote form and receive a free, no obligation quote from us. Or if you would prefer to talk to us direct, call on 0800 781 7626. We are a leading commercial independent energy supplier based in the heart of Manchester. A small energy supplier working under the radar of the big six for over 15 years. We know how it feels when you are being passed from pillar to post and having to endure long waiting times when trying to resolve a customer query, which is why we have a 3 ring guarantee to all our customers.
All energy suppliers will try and persuade you to allow them to supply your business electricity, but we want to ensure you that with a D-ENERGi quote you will feel no pressure – it is completely your decision, only you know what is best for your business and its energy needs.
In the 1990’s a deregulation occurred which changed the game. Both domestic and business energy customers all over the UK can become a customer to the energy supplier of your choice. Once you switch suppliers, the only change you will notice is a different company logo on your bill and considerably lower charges.
The ‘Big 6’ energy suppliers admittedly supply the majority of businesses in the UK but if you shop around, you should notice smaller, less popular suppliers could help you and your business save amounts you wouldn’t believe – it’s worth switching your investigation mode on!
Comparing electricity prices
Comparing the prices for electricity can and will help you find what it is exactly that you need for finding the cheapest rates. Proceed with the following steps to learn how to compare electricity rates to the best of your ability:
Find a recent if not the most recent electricity bill from your current supplier.
Look around for a trusted electricity price comparison site, ensure the site you find offers you a whole market view, some of them will only show you plans you can switch to via their company
Fill in the data captures with your electricity usage details as requested – this is so you can receive the most accurate results which are specific to your region and consumption
Review your electricity comparison results – switching online could save you hundreds or you may just be checking to see how your current electricity plan compares to the rest of the market.
Enjoy your savings!
Talk to our experts today for competitive business energy quotes today!
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