Business Savings Advice

Keeping costs down is something which every business has to do at some point when things get tough, but it’s harder for some companies than others. If your company finds it tough, you might want to look at how much you’re paying for some of your overheads. Keeping a close eye on how much you’re paying for your energy supply might give you a clue as to how you can spend less. Energy is one of the most expensive overheads which any business has, no matter how big or small they are.

The shock that comes with receiving a gas or electricity bill that’s higher than expected can take you aback, but it’s possible that you can avoid a repeat scenario, and all it takes is a quick phone call to the business savings experts at Make It Cheaper. What they can do for you is find you the best possible deal for your energy supply, as they do for the thousands of customers who come their way every week. To give you an idea of how successful they are, in 2011, they saved their customers a combined £88m on their energy bills.

One such customer was Jan Frost, the owner of Screenbase, a Kingswood-based company who specialise in office screen systems. They helped Jan find a better deal with a different supplier after she explained her dissatisfaction with her previous one. “I found that Make it Cheaper were very knowledgeable when I talked to them on the phone. They were also very friendly and helpful”, said Jan enthusiastically.

Among the problems that Jan experienced with her previous supplier included erratic billing, where she would receive a reasonable energy bill one month and then be faced with a much more expensive one the next and a future price hike which would have made it almost impossible for her to continue getting her energy from them. Meanwhile, with her new supplier, she stands to make a saving of £500 per year and she managed to arrange a fixed price tariff with them, meaning that Screenbase pay the same rate over the next 18 months.

As the story of Screenbase shows, it’s easier to make savings on your energy bill than you might think, despite the rise in the cost of gas and electricity. The money saved might make you wonder what else you can save money on in the near future.

Alex is the founder and editor of SmallBizPod, the UK's first podcast dedicated to small business, start-ups and entrepreneurship. Alex writes about topical small business issues, entrepreneurs and anything else that catches his eye here on the small business blog. http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk