Collective Switching Energy

Collective Switching Energy

Collective Switching Energy is the process of Energy4 meeting with yourself and all your business utility neighbours in close proximity to your business site, producing a contract to agree terms with all involved for Energy4 to contact all utility providers to acquire rates based on the combined consumption, then providing a list of options collectively to both yourself and your neighbours.

Energy4 can provide this service, with experience of collectively purchasing and switching collection of different businesses together to obtain better tariffs and prices on utilities.

Energy4 negotiates with suppliers on behalf of the combined collection of clients. This involves purchasing a much larger quantity of commodity from a gas or electricity supplier, that is then supplied to several consumers.

Collective Switching Energy schemes in the UK began in 2014 encouraged by the Department for Energy and Climate Change under the Coalition government. DECC believed that collective switching could increase the competition for consumers within the energy market, particularly people who had never switched before and encouraging suppliers to innovate to acquire new customers.

Ofgem Regulation

Energy industry regulator OFGEM does not directly regulate the schemes, but they are indirectly through the supplier who “wins” any particular collective switch; as that supplier has obligations to the consumer under its supply licence conditions.

Confidence code

This service is available, however customers should be vigilant that the company providing the Collective Switching Energy schemes is following OFGEM confidence code, and provides adequate evidence of Savings.

Best Tariffs To The Customers

Collective Switching Energy attempts to deliver the best tariff for a collection of disparate consumers that may have different usage patterns and priorities.

Energy4 will clearly identify the best deal from the most expensive, providing evidence.

Collective switching can also apply to any tariff for which there is a collective need. Green energy supply is an example of a collective switch were the criteria that are not purely a function of cost.

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Business Site Collective Switching Energy Investigation by Energy4

Investigations have shown repeatability that when business owners have tried to perform this process themselves, suppliers are;

– Not forthcoming with the correct information

– Understate the benefits

– Do NOT obtain good deals.

– Do NOT apply leverage to suppliers.

Investigation by Energy4

It was found that the Big Six offered Collective Switching, however Enrgy4 after investigation found prices of standing charge, and unit charge offered were not different when Businesses tried collective approach versus independently approaching for prices.

The large savings presented on their page were none existent. The Astrix (*) was present however that linked to pages where 3 to 8 paragraphs of small print said their collective switching might not offer savings.

Business customers should remain vigilant, and check the supply price being offered by the community switch against what the supplier can provide.

Community switch should provide better prices, but Energy4 has yet to find any community switch group who can provide evidence that this has actually happened.

Commercial collective switching does provide benefits, and placing sites and factories together has provided better prices for many Energy4 customers.

Energy4 can be contacted today – click here 

Further information

Collective Switching Energy purchasing is where the third party or group buys a commodity (e.g. energy efficiency solutions) from a gas or electricity supplier, to then supply that commodity to several consumers.