I’m not going to beat around the bush, we all hate Bills. No, not Duck bills, no, not the medieval weapon; I’m talking about the nasty kind of bills that fall through your door and ruin you on payday...or mid month if they’re feeling particularly evil. I’m talking energy Bills, and even more specifically, Business Energy Bills.

There are some incredibly easy steps that you as a small business owner can take in order to lower your bills, I’ve noted just 4 of them below.

Get Organised

Come on people, get organised. You might think that you’re organised. But you’re not. Have you read your business energy contract? I bet you haven’t. I bet my mate Barrie’s left sock that you haven’t.

Get your Business energy contract out and place it in front of you. Get your diary out and place that in front of you. Have you noted down in your diary, the date on which your business energy contract expires? You should.

Do it now.

No less than 8 weeks before this date I want you to write a formal letter of termination to your supplier. This letter should state your intent not to have your energy contract renewed. Basically, there’s an automatic renewal clause, and when this kicks in...You’ll see a whopping 40% extra lumped onto your next contract period. Scary, huh!?

Get on the Blower (that’s a phone to you non-English types)

Once you’re ready to get your new contract in place, get on the phone and collect some quotes. All on the same day if possible, because business energy quotes are technically only valid for the day upon which they are quoted. Phone around and get the lowest deal you can and then go with it.

You could use price comparison sites, but sales people on the other end of the phone are authorised to give you a much better deal. So don’t be lazy, use the phone. You’d be surprised how much you can save.

 

Get a Fixed Rate for a Year

It’s easy to get a cheaper rate by signing up in the warmer months when energy usage is down. So if you can, make this the times when you get the energy contract in place. I know it’s not always practical to do things this way, but with a little bit of planning you can really save a lot of money.

 

Get an Energy Broker

Get yourself a business energy broker to cut a deal for you. They know the industry, they know the sectors, and they know how to get the best for you. You’ll save a packet, and learn a lot about your own industry and business gas and electricity in the process.

The UIA (Utilities Intermediaries Association) is here to help too, and many energy brokers will be members or supporters of this group that is dedicated to transparent and fair energy advice.

James is a blogger and content writer, who produces content about business gas and business electricity for PowerExperts.co.uk.