Energy bills can be a real drain on your running costs, whatever size of business you have. Equipment, heating, and lighting are all essential items for most businesses, and it is really easy to get stuck on business gas and business electricity prices per kWh that are not right for your current needs or even sky-high. Here at D-ENERGi we understand that just as companies can vary wildly in scale and size, so can their energy requirements. When it comes to business gas and business electricity use, it is certainly not one size fits all. That is why it is so important that you compare business electricity prices per kWh to find the best rate for your individual business’s needs. What do you need to know about business energy tariffs? There are two main types of tariffs used – fixed-rate and variable. Because the size and scope of each individual business are different, so will their requirements for electricity and gas be. Choosing the correct tariff for your business will depend on how you use electricity and gas and how you want to pay for it. Certain factors need to be taken into account when selecting the right commercial energy tariff for your business, including your financial situation, where your company is located, and how much electricity and gas you use currently. #Fixed rate tariff This type of energy payment plan is suited to those businesses who are on a budget as your energy bill will be fixed at a set rate for a period of time – in some cases, this can be as long as four years. After this fixed rate tariff comes to an end, you can continue with the same supplier and switch to a different agreement, or switch to a different supplier altogether. This tariff arrangement is preferred by business owners who wish to protect themselves from price changes during the agreed period of time as prices are usually cheaper than they are on a variable rate tariff. Some energy providers also offer fixed rate tariff customers a further reduction on their bill if they agree to pay by direct debit. One thing to consider with this tariff, however, is you are locked into it for the agreed duration of time and cannot switch tariffs if prices go down, or other better deals come onto the market. #Variable tariff Variable tariffs can offer a cheaper rate at the time of the initial agreement, but you don’t get the same level of protection against energy price rises on your business gas or electric bill and so the amount you pay will fluctuate based on the energy market in general. A variable tariff represents the balance between the risk of energy prices rising in the long term and paying lower energy costs in the short term. This may be a balance that start-up or smaller companies may be more willing to accept in order to keep the cost of their immediate overheads down. Within the variable tariff there are two main types of agreement: Tracker price tariff – changes based on the wholesale market movement Blend and extend price tariff – a unit rate that comprises of an average between your current contractual rate and that of the current available market rate If you want to save money on your business gas prices per kWh then contact the team at D-ENERGi today.

Hinkley Point has Postponed Plans until September   Towards the end of July, last minute delays were proposed for Britain’s first new nuclear power plant for a generation. The decision for Hinkley Point, Somerset, came into place after Theresa May’s Government announced a new review. Resulting in the decision on the future of Hinkley Point being postponed until September. After the EDF board approved the £18 billion project, within hours their decision had been subsided by the new Business and Energy Secretary, Greg Clark. He announced the project will be delayed. He said: “The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix. The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn.” Critics say that Hinkley Point is “poor value for money” and “very risky”.   The government has promised to pay EDF a cemented cost of £92.50 per mega-watt hour of electricity for a substantial 35 years. Questions have been raised regarding the association in the project with the Chinese State nuclear firms who are due to invest one third of the Hinkley Point project. The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, has stated that he feels as though the ‘mutual trust’ is in jeopardy as a result of the recent delays to the nuclear project. This will continue unless the Hinkley Point power station is given the green-light again. Liu Xiaoming said: “Right now, the China-UK relationship is at a crucial historical juncture. Mutual trust should be treasured even more. “I hope the UK will keep its door open to China and that the British government will continue to support Hinkley Point – and come to a decision as soon as possible so that the project can proceed smoothly.” The two reactors which are planned to be constructed at Hinkley Point are expected to generate the right amount of electricity in order to meet 7 percent of the UK’s energy needs. This would enforce power in 5.8 million homes. Considering recent delays, the power is expected to be produced by 2033. Before the recent changes, the initial prediction for power to be produced was 8 years before this date, therefore allowing Hinkley Point to be producing power by 2025. Given the above, the government have insisted that Hinkley Point represents a good deal to assist the replacement of Britain’s ageing power plants. Old coal stations have been shut down to environmental rules and old nuclear reactors have to also bid farewell. What are your views on the new Hinkley Point plans? Do you agree with the critics comments or do you think Hinkley Point will be a good investment in the energy industry? Should the plans be postponed or should we go ahead ASAP with our new nuclear power plant station?

Energy Efficient Countries The UK has been declared the fifth most energy efficient country in the world! It is refreshing to receive such positive news this week in comparison to recent news stories flooding the headlines. ACEEE also known as American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy created a report ranking 23 countries, 75% of all energy consumption is represented in these 23 countries. The report evaluated the energy efficiency in multiple sectors involving transportation, building and industry also, the national efforts calculated to control energy use. The UK received the honour of 5th place due to the changes such as abandoning the Green Deal, a 20% cut to future spending and a 33% cut to the countries energy efficiency obligations target. The report displayed that the nation has strong policies to improve fuel economy and advance vehicle technologies, much more can be done to help improve the overall efficiency of the freight and passenger transport systems. Germany, unsurprisingly won first place with Italy and Japan not far behind. Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa ranked at the bottom of the list. Steven Nadel, the Executive Director at ACEEE spoke about how energy efficiency is underutilised throughout Governments, he said: “Energy efficiency is often the lowest cost means of meeting new demand for energy. Governments that encourage investment in energy efficiency and implement supporting policies save citizens money, reduce dependence on energy imports and reduce pollution. Yet energy efficiency remains massively underutilised globally despite its proven multiple benefits and its potential to become the single largest resource to meet growing energy demand worldwide.” More than £43 billion has been invested in the energy industry in the UK. Resulting in 54, 000 jobs being implemented into the economy. A £200 billion investment plan is in place to improve the energy industry in the UK by 2020. This will involve closing down old power stations, an upgrade of the powerlines which fuel our homes and also an improvement must be made regarding the use of low carbon energy.