New FSB Service Could Help SMEs Cut Energy Bills

Small businesses can reduce average energy bills by almost a quarter with the new FSB Energy service.

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• FSB launches new service where members could reduce the cost of gas and electricity bills by 23 per cent, shaving nearly £1,000 per year off the average company bill
• 70 per cent of businesses experience difficulty comparing energy tariffs and 43 per cent have never switched supplier
• Main obstacles to businesses becoming energy efficient are working from leased or rented premises, lack of concern around energy costs and lack of capital for energy efficiency investment

Experts in business, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), is launching a new service to help its members reduce their gas and electricity bills. Members using the service could cut approximately a quarter (23 per cent) off their annual energy bill.

FSB’s new Energy Service (www.fsbenergy.org.uk) is part of a concerted drive by FSB to help smaller businesses reduce their energy costs. The organisation is also representing the interests of smaller businesses by responding to the Competition & Markets Authority’s (CMA) investigation into the energy market and creating a resource hub on its new website offering advice on energy efficiency measures.

Making Energy Easier 

The new service enables FSB members to obtain advice on competitive rates for their utilities, identify the annual saving achievable by switching tariffs and even have new contracts arranged for them if requested. It is born out of research suggesting that smaller businesses are being failed by the energy market, with 70 per cent of these businesses experiencing difficulty comparing energy tariffs and 43 per cent saying they have never switched supplier.

The new service will be run on behalf of FSB by business cost saving champion ‘Make it Cheaper‘.  It could generate annual average savings of 23 per cent for new customers switching their gas and electricity provider, equivalent to £973 off the £4,243 average annual energy bill of an FSB member. 

FSB Energy will also take care of the paperwork involved in switching – such as terminating existing contracts on behalf of members – saving them time and hassle in the process. And the service reminds members when their fixed price periods end to make sure they never ‘default’ on to more expensive rates.

SMEs Suffer Higher Costs

The CMA, which is preparing to conclude its investigation into the energy market, says SMEs in the UK pay around £500 million more a year than if competition was functioning effectively. It has voiced concern that 45 per cent of SMEs have been placed on a default tariff – one that has not been actively negotiated – which can be more than twice as expensive as a negotiated tariff. 

Dave Stallon, Operations Director at FSB, said: “Energy is an increasingly important issue for smaller businesses. There are many ways they can make substantial savings through the implementation of energy efficiency measures as well as ensuring they get the best tariff they can on their gas and electricity. Many smaller businesses, however, either don’t believe they can make substantial savings or haven’t trusted the market and the system enough to engage in the process.

“Our new service is designed to give smaller business owners easy to use advice they can trust, to enable them to make savings with the minimum of fuss. We are also very actively engaged with the CMA to improve the energy market for smaller businesses and are offering resources and advice on energy efficiency. In combination, we are confident that our initiatives can help to make a significant difference to smaller businesses’ energy bills.”

Energy Efficiency

In parallel with the establishment of FSB’s new Energy service, the organisation is promoting the benefits of smaller businesses introducing energy efficiency measures. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) estimates that the average SME could reduce its energy bill by 18-25 per cent by installing energy efficiency measures with an average payback of less than 1.5 years. 

However, while FSB research demonstrates that 90 per cent of businesses want to be energy efficient and 58 per cent of businesses surveyed have already made changes to improve their energy efficiency, there are major obstacles that need to be overcome. 

Almost half (45 per cent) of businesses identified operating from leased or rented premises as one of the biggest obstacles preventing companies becoming energy efficient.  Other barriers identified include a lack of concern around energy costs (45 per cent) and a lack of capital for energy efficiency investment (29 per cent).

The most widely reported energy efficiency measures already taken were: the installation of more efficient lights, lamps and bulbs (40 per cent); the introduction of switch off/turn down policies (23 per cent); and improved insulation (23 per cent). 

For the high level details on the research, check out the infographic below:

Established over 40 years ago to help its members succeed in business, FSB is a non-profit making organisation that’s run by members, for members.

FSB offers membership packages from £130. Members get an exclusive package of great value business services including advice, financial products and support. These cover a wide range of benefits such as tax, legal and HR, local network groups, business banking and mentoring.