Guide to Utility Bills for UK Businesses
Your business’s customers expect you and your team to be experts at what you do. But when it comes to your business energy and water bills. Our expert team are here to offer you a helping hand.
Business energy contract due to renew? Call us on 0800 9777 000 or fill in our business quote form to see how much you could save…
Why track your utility bill spending?
Whether you’re starting a new business or running an existing business, there’s a lot to think about – especially when it comes to how you manage cash flow within your business.
Getting a handle on expenses is crucial to the smooth running of your business; this means understanding where your business is spending money and where savings could be made.
Nowhere is this more true than with the unavoidable and often significant expenses associated with your utilities. In this guide we’ll look at some of the common utility bills businesses pay and where savings could be made on those bills.
Understanding utility bills
Every business is different and may have different utility bills associated with its operations, but there is common ground that it’s useful for everyone to understand. In this guide, we’ll look at some of the more common utility bills and break down the charges with the essential services that keep your business running. These services, termed utilities, form the backbone of your operational infrastructure.
Common utilities for UK Businesses:
Electricity – This is used to power a vast array of functions within businesses, from lighting and computers to machinery and heating systems.
Gas – This is used to fuel heating systems, heat water, buildings, and certain industrial processes.
Water – This is crucial for maintaining hygiene and sanitation along with facilitating various industrial applications.
Wastewater – This covers the costs of removing and treating wastewater generated on your premises. This includes water from inside the building as well as rainwater from drains.
Deciphering your utility bill
Your utility bill will consist of these key elements:
Account Information – This section will include your business name, account number and billing address alongside other information related to your account.
Charges – This section will include a breakdown of the costs associated with the utility service. Depending on the utility in question and how they are billing your business, it may consist of charges such as a fixed standing charge (connection fee) and variable charges based on your usage.
Usage Data – This section will include any insights into the quantity of each utility consumed during the billing period. It’s key to identifying areas for potential reduction in usage and cost savings.
Payment Information – This section will specify the total amount due to be paid for the billing period, the date the payment is due and which payment methods are available to make payment.
Additional considerations
While not universally classified as utilities, some services share similar billing structures.
These additional services could include:
Waste Collection – Encompasses the costs associated with the collection and disposal of business waste. This is because local authorities usually only provide a waste collection service to domestic properties, and businesses have to make separate arrangements.
Broadband – While not indispensable for all businesses, a reliable internet connection is pivotal for many modern operations and is often subject to recurring billing similar to utilities.
Phones – Whether it be a landline or a mobile phone. Keeping in touch with customers and suppliers is important for all businesses and will also be subject to recurring billing similar to utilities. Of course, there are Pay as You Go / Prepaid options for mobile phone contracts, but these would be avoided by many business owners.
Unlocking savings through bill awareness
By meticulously reviewing utility bills, businesses gain valuable insights into their consumption patterns, enabling them to implement cost-saving strategies and make informed decisions about their energy supplier.
Here are some additional steps to consider:
Embrace energy efficiency – Invest in energy-efficient equipment and implement consumption reduction measures during off-peak hours. These steps can lead to significant cost savings over time.
Monitor usage – Tracking utility usage over time allows businesses to identify consumption trends and implement targeted reduction strategies accordingly.
Engage a utility broker – Utility brokers, like Exchange Utility, have existing relationships with the majority of the UK’s utility suppliers and can help you compare rates and tariffs, and even negotiate on your behalf.
The Takeaway – Take a proactive approach
By looking at ways to actively manage your energy consumption, UK businesses can streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and ultimately reduce overall operating costs. This proactive approach not only fosters financial stability but also underscores a commitment to sustainability in today’s competitive business landscape.
Saving money on business utility bills
Just like any other business expense, there are often ways to save money on your business utility bills. For instance, energy efficiency specialists can provide a detailed audit of your business and recommend tailored solutions to reduce your utility consumption and costs.
Even if you’re unable to make changes to lower your energy usage or make enough changes to make a noticeable difference, you may still be able to make savings on your business energy bills by ensuring you’re on the right business energy tariff. Our expert team of business energy experts have helped businesses of all sizes to find new energy deals.
Why use Exchange Utility to compare utility suppliers online?
✔ Our expert team of business energy brokers is one of the best in the industry
✔ The process of switching to a new business energy tariff can take as little as 5 days
✔ We have years of experience helping businesses just like yours to switch gas and electricity
✔ We can save you time by comparing a range of gas and electricity suppliers on your behalf
✔ We compare electricity and gas prices from industry leaders to find the right rates for your business
✔ We have built a solid reputation for being a reliable, independent and trustworthy comparison company
✔ Don’t just take our word for it see what our customers are saying about us on Trustpilot
To get started, call us on 0800 9777 000 or fill in the quote form above to see how much you could save…
