The UK’s Business Electricity and Gas price comparison and switching service, the Energy Advice Line, is warning small and medium sized businesses customers to not get caught out in the cold this spring.

In previous years, as warm weather approaches, the energy demand on the national grid eases and the wholesale price for energy tends to reflect this and falls away. The retail price will usually by default follow this trend and business electricity and gas pricing will become more competitive.

Unfortunately this trend has failed to materialize this year as other external factors such as the price of oil is still driving the wholesale price to record levels - which has sadly resulted in huge increases to the customer’s retail price.

Julian Morgan, Commercial Director comments “Small business owners are extremely busy people and the last thing they want to do is spend a lot of time sorting out essential commodities such as electricity and gas supplies. However, the market is extremely volatile at the moment and we are starting to see customer’s renewal prices hitting 16 pence per kWh – this could be 3-4 times what they are currently paying if the customer has come out of a 1 or 2 year fixed price deal. We are asking clients to remain vigilant and keep an eye on the renewal notice when it arrives in the post. Alternatively, as some clients are not receiving their renewal notices before the supplier assumes renewal, we are also asking them to take a proactive stance and contact their supplier and find out what their contract expiry date is. With energy prices set to keep on rising coupled with the prospect of a much tougher trading environment for UK business, small business owners need to act now to reduce the price of essential overheads”

Small businesses need to know what options and alternatives are available quickly and easily. The Energy Advice Line will do all the legwork for customers, providing an impartial online business electricity price comparison service in which the customer can view and evaluate the most competitive offers on the market. We also check the supplier’s terms and conditions and present the information in an easy-to-read, bite-size format.  It need only take three or four minutes to cut through the small print and for customers to begin to make the switch and start saving money.

Julian Morgan continues “Being entirely independent of any particular energy supplier, the Energy Advice Line is uniquely placed to provide impartial advice focussed on the specific requirements of a customer. The process of assessment of need through to switching of supplier is seamless and, critically for the customer, the service is provided at no cost.”

So far this year the Energy Advice Line has helped small and medium sized businesses save as much as 50% off their renewal cost. Importantly, all of this can be done in their own time without a salesperson at the other end of the telephone trying to pressurise them into making what could be the wrong decision.