The electricity bills have piled up in the mailroom. With every payment, your finance staff treats you with a sidelong glance. Does there exist a hidden button to save money? Not precisely, but comparing business electricity offers rather near proximity. Click for more

Not just bored accountants should change providers. Although anyone can work on it, you should aim higher than simply playing about with a few figures on a spreadsheet. To make sense of kilowatt-hours, unit rates, or standing charges, you could feel as though you need an engineering degree. Still, you can dissect it without resorting to hair pulling.

Sort your last few bills first. Not the most glittering reading, but really essential. Get the yearly consumption data. Are there any trends in use? Does your bakery burn substantially less juice on weekends? Perhaps your agency runs on those “creative late nights,” and cue the scorching midnight jokes.

Then either pick up the phone or click around. Though they sometimes receive a poor reputation, if you pay close attention to the details, comparison sites are gold mines. Be not swayed by “cheapest” prices by themselves. Until you get socked with a massive standing charge, that advertisement sounds great. Sometimes a cheaper unit pricing reveals a monthly fee buried in extremely fine wording. Never be the company that learns the hard way.

Engage suppliers in conversation. Indeed, that terrible call is something to fear. They are taught in jargon, so don’t hesitate to ask, “What does this line mean?” If a deal seems overly shiny, stop. Termination costs, contracts spanning more than a sluggish line at the post office, and renewal traps abound. Mark contract dates directly on your shared calendar; future-you will appreciate you.

Green energy choices may appeal to you; consider less pollution, more positive energy. Look closely, though: Is the tariff really helping green projects or is it merely brilliant marketing? Sometimes all you are purchasing is a fancy-looking booklet with little actual value.

Remember to find out from other company owners what they pay for. Lunchtime arguments over a sandwich teach you more than hours of lonesome Googling. Perhaps someone else has done the tough work and could alert you to covert fees or helpful representatives.

Contract length calls for particular attention. Get caught, and leaving early might cost almost as much as staying. Should your company grow, a strict agreement could cause you problems. Conversely, temporary agreements may offer better prices. It is a balancing act fit for a circus.

See spot rates. When wholesale prices drop, they seem luscious; but, they bite back the moment the market swashes. Are you able to bear gambling? Others can. Others value consistency, same as a hot cuppa’s dependability on a wet morning.

All this investigation takes some time. Even 10 percent, though, is still savings. Those are new office chairs, a better coffee maker, or an additional member of your marketing staff. Review your deal annually; energy prices vary more than a cat running after a laser pointer.

Comparative analysis of electricity is not precisely like walking on a sunny beach. Still, it does beat burying your head in the sand. Now, care results in savings later; who wouldn’t want a bit more budget wriggle room?