Promoted content: take control of your utilities with Utilitywise

To avoid increasing bills and complications in the long run, manufacturers need to take control of their utilities now.

Energy is one of the biggest overheads in the manufacturing sector, particularly for those in energy intensive sectors like iron and steel, but it is often complicated requiring good management and planning to meet energy and water efficiency goals.

Utilitywise can assist manufacturers to use less and pay less for the energy they consume by tackling energy efficiency, improving procurement and aiding navigation of increasingly complicated bills. Services such as compliance checks, energy insight technology, changing the times of energy use and bill validation have resulted in great savings, with bill checks alone resulting in average savings of £19.5k.

Environmental regulations are increasing adding further complications to comply with and pay for. However, by participating in initiatives such as climate change agreements (CCAs) manufacturers can achieve energy savings as well as reduced carbon emissions resulting in a decreased bottom line.

Energy is one of the biggest overheads for the manufacturing industry, but one that is relatively easy to reduce with the right approach, is the cost of energy and how you buy it.

Improving the method by which you buy energy and water is a straightforward and cost effective way of reducing your utility bills.

Timing can be critical. Negotiating your contract at the correct time could save you significant sums; wholesale prices can fluctuate as much as 50% during a year. Negotiate a new contract when the price is right, not simply when your current contract is coming to an end.

Locking in to a fixed price for the next two or three years provides certainty and reduces risk. But your supplier will charge you a premium for this and you’ll also miss out on any wholesale price reductions. Opting for a more flexible contract, such as those offered by Utilitywise could save you money.

P272 is an industry term that refers to changes that are being made to certain types of electricity meters. The changes will allow business electricity suppliers to record energy use more accurately, based on half-hourly consumption data.

Accurate consumption data is crucial to ensuring you are billed correctly. In order to get the most accurate usage data you may mean need to upgrade your metering. With Utilitywise, this is highly cost-effective and alone can have a return of investment of less than three months.

Bill Validation is important as it helps to ensure bills sent from suppliers are accurate. Utilitywise bill validation solutions ensure 96% of our clients’ energy bills are correct, compared to the industry average of just 75%.

This industry standard could decrease too as increasingly bills will get more complicated with new tariffs and increasing non-commodity charges.  With bills becoming more confusing, customers are relying more on Utilitywise expertise.

Their service includes:

1. Pre-Payment Bill Validation – invoices are checked within five working days prior to the payment due date ensuring that any discrepancies are corrected by your supplier. This service delivers a quick turnaround of any issues, helping with financial planning and providing reassurance that you only pay for what you use.
2. Post-Payment Bill Validation – invoices are checked within six weeks of receipt, on a monthly or quarterly basis. We work to an agreed tolerance level and liaise with both you and your supplier to acquire either a rebate or a credit/debit on your next bill.
3. Retrospective Bill Validation – invoices are checked going back up to a period of six years. The invoice batch can cover specific years and/or specific sites. Any discrepancies in your energy billing will be identified and the supplier held accountable. We will then liaise with your supplier to acquire a rebate if necessary, ensuring that you are kept informed throughout the process.
4. Bespoke Reporting – we can provide a bespoke reporting service to suit your individual needs.

Aside from energy, savings can also be made on water costs. As of April 2017, the water market for non-domestic customers in England deregulated meaning that businesses are now free to choose their water supplier and shop around for the best deals and services.

The key to water efficiency is to reduce water waste, not restrict use. Utilitywise Water Consultants have in-depth knowledge of supply and wastewater disposal, legislation, competition and environmental obligations. Through Water Desktop Analysis, they can identify water savings through a comprehensive analysis of your water supply, use and disposal. Utilitywise Water Desktop Analysis will provide you with:

• A dedicated Water Consultant
• A review of water company supply invoices
• Leakage assessment and water loss analysis
• Analysis of wastewater disposal including Trade Effluent where appropriate
• Surface Water Drainage assessment
• A detailed report highlighting our all findings
• Recommendations for cost savings and recovery of overcharges

From this, Utilitywise’s in house experts can establish if there is more to investigate. They can visit your site to conduct a full Water Audit, including site meters, water fittings and site drainage.

 There are ways that manufacturers can start to make savings now. On our top business energy-saving tips page we list 12 simple steps businesses can take to help reduce energy consumption. Get a quote from Utilitywise

About Utilitywise

Utilitywise is the UKs leading utilities consultancy. With an existing customer base of over 40,000 across the UK and Europe, Utilitywise offers impartial, independent advice to businesses on their utilities procurement, energy efficiency solutions, compliance, and energy services.

Utilitywise was founded in 2006 to help businesses save money on their energy costs. This has since evolved to include gas and water as well as efficiency measures and solutions, along with a range of value added services. The consultancy was listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange in 2012.

With a head office in Newcastle, Utilitywise trades in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Utilitywise can help all businesses regardless of size or sector. Given their 10 years’ experience in the energy market they have established several routes to market including both inbound and outbound telesales, field sales teams as well as online. The consultancy offers a full range of water and energy services, and provide these to larger businesses as well as SMEs working with a range of clients from small businesses like James Whyte Joiners to larger institutions like the University of Bradford and FTSE100 companies like BAE Systems and AstraZeneca.

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