UK Energy Brokers:

UK Energy Brokers could have a brand new product to market soon to the commercial energy market, because on the day that British Gas gets rapped over record profits, a brand new energy saving product is released in the United States.

A Silicon Valley based company called Bloom Energy, has finally launched its new commercial energy brokers product the Bloom Energy Server, that could change the way companies buy business energy in the future.  The Bloom Energy Server is a large metal box about the size of a small van, which can generate electricity from a wide range of different fuels, and at the same time producing very low greenhouse gas emissions.  This could be a new type of renewable energy source, and unlike traditional renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels, each solution produces a constant source of energy for years, which could allow companies to be self sustaining or even disconnect themselves from the national grid.

What Is The Bloom Box

The product that has been dubbed the “power plant in a box”, is in fact a new type of large fuel cell, capable of generating 100 kilowatts of electricity, which uses solid oxide fuel cells, which generate electrical power through an electrochemical reaction between oxygen and an additional fuel such as natural gas, ethanol gas and even landfill gas, which causes electrons in the cell to flow through the ceramic materials which in turn generates an electrical current to power businesses or homes.

The Future Market – The shape of things to come

Will this new product be the start of the end for traditional forms of energy generation, and could this lead eventually to every business and home having there very own mini power plant on site.  Well only time will tell, for the time being this product remains out of the price range of most small businesses, and its long term viability and reliability remain to be seen.  

We would like to see how the market takes to this new product over the coming months and what rival competitors now bring to the market following this launch.  This new technology, like anything will develop over time and once mass produced, we will see the cost point come down to a level that makes it viable for everyone.  We don’t expect this to ever be a perfect solution but it could make a big difference to future generations and go along way to a reliable and sustainable form of energy.

In Summary

With the pending introduction of the UK carbon reduction commitment scheme, it is highly likely that we are going to see a big uptake in these new types of technology as business energy brokers look to advice clients on reducing their overall carbon emissions in the future.  Many questions on the reliability and the long term value of this product remain to be seen.  However we look forward to seeing what happens in the future, and what additional technology breakthroughs bring to the market.

Identifying a Half Hour Meter:

How to find out if you have a half hourly meter –

So how do you know if you have a half hour meter?  It’s actually quite straight forward, and all you will need to find this out is a recent copy of your electricity bill.  It doesn’t have to be the latest half hourly electricity invoice, any recent bill will do.  Then on your invoice you need to find your meter point reference number or MPAN for short.  This is a numerical version of your tariff and supply point details, and is unique to your supply.

This is how half hourly suppliers’ mange to identify your supply details and price up your electricity requirements.  The MPAN is a series of numbers, normally in a box and usually identified with a large S at the front.  In nearly all cases theses number are split up into two lines with 8 numbers at the top and 13 numbers at the bottom.

Youtube - How to find out if you have a Half Hourly meter?

The bottom line is the part that’s unique to your half hour supply, and this is how your supply details are used by a supplier.  It’s actually the top part that allows you to identify if you have a half hourly meter.

And you need to look at the first two digits of this top line, if these two digits are both zeros then you have a half hourly supplied meter and you will need to speak to a specialist half hourly supplier such as Catalyst in order to obtain comparative quotes.

If these two numbers are not “00” then it will be one of these – “03,04,05,06,07,08” which indicate that you have a non half hourly meter or NHH supply.  In some cases if you have a very small supply then it may fall into a domestic meter profile which is indicated as a “01 or 02” on your bills.

The thing to note here is that if your not sure if you have a half hourly supplied meter, then you can always just ring your supplier and ask them.  Some suppliers deliberately don’t show the top line on invoices any more for exactly that reason.  As it offers a reason for you to engage with them, and gives them the ability to up sell additional services.

If you want to compare half hourly suppliers or need help in identifying if you have a half hourly meter, please feel free to contact a member of our team.

UK Business Gas Suppliers:

UK business gas suppliers will be happy today after the announcement from Ofgem that it has issued the first ever license to build a new gas storage facility under the Irish Sea.  It is reported that over twenty redundant salt caverns will be used to store UK gas supplies for future use. 

Each one will be approximately the size of the Royal Albert Hall and will go along way towards increasing the storage capacity for the UK gas market.  It is estimated that the caverns could hold about five days of gas consumption, which would add about a third on to the existing 11-days current capacity.

They are a common geological feature naturally filled with salt, which will be leached out, leaving space for gas to be pumped in. Such caverns are already used on land.

Recent supply and demand situations such as the recent cold weather have helped to highlight the issues regarding the lack of gas storage in the UK.  And with more dependence on abundant healthy gas supplies to supply gas fired power stations it couldn’t have come at a better time for large commercial gas users.

Business Gas customers have been recently been effected by the lack of storage when their gas supplies were cut off last month to divert the supply to energy generators to ensure we had enough supply of electricity.

The government along with the regulator Ofgem, have been aware that the lack of gas has been one of the biggest threats to the UK’s energy security.

This project may help to encourage other companies to invest in long term commercial gas storage which would help to ease supply and demand factors that have a strong influence on uk gas prices.

Do you think we should have more gas storage in the UK?

UK Business Gas Prices:

Business Gas Prices can be difficult to understand, as there are many different types of pricing structures available.  You could simply ring around and obtain gas prices direct from suppliers, but it can be difficult to compare gas suppliers once you have the offers in.  They all operate on different time scales, and because the prices vary daily, it can be very difficult comparing business gas suppliers.

To make sure you get the best gas and electricity prices and to enable you to do a gas price comparison it can be easier to employ the service of an energy broker.  They are able to provide prices from a wide range of suppliers and deliver these on the same day, allowing you to make an informed decision.  They will also be able to provide practical advice on the type of contract and the length of contract that best suits your business gas requirements.

While the recent nationwide freeze has dominated the headlines it has also highlighted the fact that gas is increasingly being promoted as a clean fossil fuel and the best way to cut emissions.  Gas fired power stations; for example, emit approximately half the carbon emissions of equivalent coal-fired ones.

But politicians are worried that the ongoing increasing reliance on gas imports from countries such as Russia is threatening our own security of supply.  Perhaps additional gas storage in the UK would help ease any further concerns. 

But one thing is for certain, and that UK gas prices will remain volatile driven by key market drivers that effect gas prices such as supply and demand, geopolitical tensions and the weather. By engaging the services of a UK gas broker, will help you obtain a better understanding of these factors and allow you to limit your exposure to these markets.

What do you think about the UK’s lack of gas storage?

Half Hourly Electricity Suppliers:

Half hourly electricity meters are large commercial electricity supplies that have an average peak electricity demand greater than 100kW in any three months of the previous year. And it is very simple to check if you have a half hourly electricity meter, simply refer to your most recent copy bill and look for your meter reference number, if this begins with “00” then you have a half hourly electricity meter.

Most half hourly meters will have a communications link so that meters can be read remotely on a daily basis by your supplier.  This provides what is known as half hourly data, and half hourly data provides a good source of information for energy management.

We can provide our half hourly customers with free online access to their data and with over 150 free reports we can present this in a format that will help any business identify potential energy savings and help you to produce your company carbon reports.  Monitoring energy consumption is vitally important for businesses that want to cut their costs and environmental impact by saving energy.

Having your half hourly data won’t help you get the cheapest gas and electricity supplier, but it is used by the suppliers to help them determine how you use your energy.  To get the best gas and electricity prices we would always recommend using an energy broker such as Catalyst.  This can help your business do an effective gas and electricity comparison against your current charges. 

Although there are many half hourly electricity suppliers, there are only a limited number of companies that will be able to give to a complete overview of the market.

In summary half-hourly meters and half-hourly data is very common throughout the world, but it is particularly prevalent in the UK, where half-hourly metering is mandatory for all electricity customers with a maximum power demand (peak load) greater than 100 kW.  This means that UK buildings which, over any single half-hour period, draw an average power of 100 kW or more from the grid, will almost certainly have a half-hourly meter, and limited access to their half-hourly data through their electricity supplier. 

Commercial Gas Suppliers:

If you are a business owner, finding a cost effective commercial gas supplier can be difficult.  Comparing commercial gas and business gas prices doesn’t have to be complicated, particularly if you use an independent expert such as Catalyst to guide you through the process.

However there is a tendency for some commercial energy suppliers to use jargon and acronyms, which mean nothing to the average businessperson simply looking to compare British gas suppliers.

All gas is bought wholesale by the array of suppliers operating within the UK market and then distributed commercial premises via these suppliers. Gas bills are calculated on the basis of how many units of energy are consumed, usually alongside a standing charge. Gas meters measure the volume of gas used in cubic feet or cubic metres and the gas companies convert this into kilowatt-hours.

Among the wide range of energy suppliers there is an equally wide range of gas prices, which are organised through an array of pricing plans. These plans provide a different set of benefits to different consumers, depending on the energy needs of the business.

Most suppliers offer standard or default plans but there are a range of specialist gas suppliers within the UK market that can offer fixed price or flexible products.

The process of switching commercial gas suppliers is less complicated than people think and is completely free when using our service.

Oil Prices Back To $70 Range:

Oil prices plunged in a busy trading session on Friday, triggering big losses across the commodities markets, as investors went back to buying into the US dollar.  Crude oil prices did have a partial recovery, with March US Light oil futures contract settling at $71.19 a barrel on the NYMEX, down 2.7%, while in London, Brent crude oil futures for March delivery dropped to close trading at $69.59 per barrel on ther ICE Futures Exchange.

“People are buying the dollar,” said Michael Gross, broker and futures analyst with OptionSellers.com. “Funds are liquidating everything else.” The week’s wild commodity price swings underscore how investors aren’t totally committed to betting that the world economy is on an upward track.

Commodities including crude oil futures rose steadily last year in anticipation of strong growth in 2010; now, many investors fear commodities pose too big a risk amid the uncertain outlook.

“Volatility now is here to stay, it’s something we’re going to have to learn to live with,” said Rick Mueller, director of oil markets at Wakefield, Mass., consultancy Energy Security Analysis.

The rush to the exits Friday began when oil prices fell below the 2010 low of $72.43 a barrel. Prices managed to bounce back from around that price three times in the past week, including during Thursday’s steep slide. But on Friday, support crumbled amid concerns about weak oil demand in what is shaping up to be a slow economic recovery.

The breach triggered numerous automatic orders to exit trading positions many investors set up around certain price milestones. Within minutes, oil prices had tumbled to $69.50 a barrel, the lowest since December 15th 2009.

The US dollar benefitted, at one point hitting the strongest point in eight months on the euro, a stronger dollar tends to have a negative impact on US dollar denominated commodities including oil prices.

CRC Business Lights:

The era of the ‘on-all-night’ illuminated high street could end, the Environment Agency is predicting. The agency says new rules will force businesses to switch off lights and displays at night to meet new limits. The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme requires businesses to cut consumption or face stiff fines.

Meanwhile Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has warned that recent rows over scientific data must not damage efforts to control climate change.  From April, all businesses and public sector organisations that use more than a certain amount of energy must register for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and, from next year, pay for the carbon they emit.

Major supermarkets and high street chains are some of the biggest consumers of electricity who will be obliged to take part in the mandatory scheme. As a result, the practice of leaving doors open to attract passing customers or maintaining bright illuminated signs and window displays through the night may end, the agency says. 

There is a need to look at alternative methods of lighting such as commercial LED lighting, which is more energy efficient and more cost effective than traditional lighting.

The scheme is part of the government’s attempts to improve energy efficiency to meet the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by at least 80% compared to the 1990 baseline.

Tony Grayling, head of climate change and sustainable development at the Environment Agency, said: “The CRC is an opportunity for large businesses and public sector organisations to play their part in reducing dangerous carbon emissions.

“But for businesses the main motivation to cut their energy use will be their bottom line. By cutting energy use businesses stand to benefit from lower energy bills, and could be financially rewarded through the CRC if they perform well in the energy efficiency stakes.”

Around 5,000 firms and public sector organisations which use more than 6,000 MWh of electricity – equivalent to an annual bill of around £500,000 – will take part.

After registration this year, they must record their consumption, and from next April, buy allowances for each tonne of carbon they emit.

The agency will also publish an annual league table of the best and worst performers. Those at the top of the league will receive financial rewards, those at the bottom will be fined.

In an interview with the Observer newspaper, Ed Miliband said that recent controversy over the science behind climate change should not undermine the case that the planet’s climate is changing.

Earlier this month, the Information Commissioner’s Officer ruled that a University of East Anglia unit involved in a row over stolen e-mails on climate research breached rules by withholding data.

In recent days, it also emerged that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) may have exaggerated claims about the melting of the Himalayan glaciers.

“It’s right that there’s rigour applied to all reports about about climate change but I think it would be wrong that when a mistake is made it’s somehow used to undermine the overwhelming picture that’s there,” Mr Miliband said.

Bglobal Smart Meter Deal:

Bglobal Plc said it has signed a new agreement to supply and install smart meters for British Gas Business during 2010. The contract value is anticipated at more than £12 million. In addition, the company said it will provide new data services, delivering recurring revenues of more than £1 million per annum.

Bglobal has supplied British Gas Business with smart metering services under a preferred supplier framework contract since July 2006. The new agreement is a variation to this framework which will guarantee delivery of a fixed programme of meter installations by the end of the current calendar year.

Also, Bglobal announced the signing of an agreement to deliver end-to-end smart metering services to new electricity market entrant Dual Energy Direct Limited or Dual.
 
Bglobal will supply, install and service its latest generation of smart electricity meters to Dual’s business customers in the UK from April 2010 onwards in support of ambitions growth plans. Bglobal will also supply data collection and analysis services and its web-based energy management software platform.

New Supplier Duel Energy:

Dual Energy Direct is a new energy company serving Non-Domestic premises throughout Great Britain launching early 2010. They aim to bring customers an end to estimated bills, better service & realistic pricing through the installation of smart meters.

http://www.dual-energy.co.uk/