News

The Energy Event took place at the NEC Birmingham on the 10th-11th of September 2012.  This key conference and exhibition is, according to organisers: “aimed at professionals who are looking to get a grip on their company's energy use, comply with legislation and put in place sustainable energy efficiency and procurement solutions.” Business Energy Suppliers in UK were of course a key topic. Over the course of these two days much was discussed and considered, with panel speakers including MPs, ITV reporters and particle physicist Brian Cox who explored, during the course of his talk, the boundaries of science and its application to the real world. Many interesting topics came out of these discussions, one of which was the changing face of energy procurement, in a volatile industry landscape.  Industry expects the North Sea to yield 50% less gas over the next ten years.  Alongside this reduction in supply, government initiatives are also set to phase out coal-fired supply, whilst nuclear power is always a mutable issue.  Alongside these changes, new government initiatives, notwithstanding their Electricity Market Reform, have also created an ever-changing landscape for the energy industry to consider.  And pressure from the environmental lobby for more sustainable energy sources only add to this shifting, industry landscape that UK business energy suppliers must navigate. The net result is that in the coming years, energy buyers face an uncertain business environment, with rising prices on procurement and a changing business model.  This means some companies, for instance, are now buying energy and then selling it on to other companies, and even subsequently buying it back, depending on market conditions, turning energy procurement into more of a traditional form of commodity trading, rather than straight consumer supply. Such volatility in the market will create an ever shifting market for those looking to source competitive energy supply for their own companies.  We understand most organisations will not be able to keep across such changes, so it will be ever important for the likes of Utility Helpline to continually check the market, to ensure we have the right deals for our customers.