This article by Nick Johnson, outlines the key benefits of engaging energy experts when medium to large size businesses are looking to buy energy or are considering energy efficiencies and carbon management.
3 Advantages of using an Energy Market Expert
Whether you are a Procurement Manager, CFO or Sustainability Manager, chances are you are time poor and often juggling conflicting priorities. So, when it comes to buying energy or looking into alternative energy solutions and savings – having an expert by your side can not only save time and money, it can give your business the confidence and support it needs to make smart choices – every time. Because the reality is, energy is a complex commodity. Understanding each market and tracking prices daily is time consuming and requires specific energy procurement expertise, as does analysing your energy needs and the latest alternative solutions.
We have listed three advantages of engaging an energy expert:
1) Dedicated Account Management
When a company outsources its energy management, it gains more than lower bills. It also gains a dedicated professional who manages your portfolio and provides ongoing support when it comes to any variations. The immediate benefits are easy to see as a good Account Manager will work hard to customise their services to their clients’ needs and avoid a universal approach, which results in both short and long-term savings.
While a dedicated Account Manager is your central point of contact, they draw on the expertise of an entire team ranging from data analysts, pricing specialists and energy efficiency experts. This approach is much like having an in-house energy procurement team who is available to help your business navigate the complexities of the market and keep you aware of any changes.
Your dedicated Account Manager will give you regular market updates up to 2 years before your contract expires, they will liaise with suppliers on your behalf to find solutions to your energy problems, assist you with budget preparation, greenfield requests, site changes, run solar tenders for your sites and keep you informed of government rebates and funding.
Some of our clients have had the same Account Manager for over 5 years. Clients who’ve worked with us for many years understand the value of going beyond brokering.
2) Market timing and early preparation
The decision of when to go to tender and sign your next energy contract is challenging as energy prices have continued to rise in 2023. Energy markets can move between 2% and 10% in one day. Having a trusted partner early means that your site list and data is in good order to enable you to take advantage of market timing. An energy market expert is always monitoring current and future markets and assessing what opportunities are available in a volatile and unpredictable market. Having an expert analysing the market will give you confidence when signing your next contract.
3) Consolidated approach
Finally, companies with large market sites or a multisite portfolio benefit from a consolidated approach to their energy strategy. Using separate companies for brokering, data management, solar and energy efficiency is expensive and can lead to breakdowns in communication.
At SES, we assist clients throughout their energy journey by consolidating their portfolio to streamline procurement and the company can reap the rewards. When engaging industry partners on behalf of our clients, we prioritise four fundamental characteristics: independence and neutrality; transparency; honesty and integrity.
>> Read our latest Customer Success Stories to learn how using energy experts benefited their business.
