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Haven Contract – Complete (Fixed) vs. Standard (Semi-Fixed)
More choice, whilst adding more confusion for SME customers... What kind of fixed Haven contract do you want? Historically gas and electricity contracts have fallen into two key categories: Fixed or Non-Fixed (aka Pass Through). The key difference being that...
Temporary Builders Supply
Electricity to sites under construction... Here at Direct Power we have 16+ years of experience helping the construction industry arrange Temporary Builders Supplies. What is a Temporary Builders Supply? There are two main categories: Small and Large Temporary...
Do you qualify for ESOS?
ESOS Qualification Criteria... Participation in The UK’s Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme, aka ESOS, is compulsory for large organisations. The aim of the scheme is to help focus large business’s attention on energy efficiency. ESOS Qualification criteria are:1....
EDF Data Aggregator and Data Collector too expensive?
This might just save you some money! If you have a half hourly supply live with EDF (MPAN starting 00), you need to familiarise yourself with the Data Collection arrangements on your account. We have found that default EDF Data Collection (DC/DA) Agent charges are...
Energy Intensive Industries (EII)
EII exemption from CFD, RO, and FIT... Contracts for Difference (CfD), Renewable Obligation (RO), and Small-Scale Feed in tariff (FiT) are schemes enabling the transition to a renewable energy mix. As you can appreciate, it costs a lot of money to fund our green...
MOPs for Opus customers…
Make sure your MOP is sorted! When it comes to new connections, Opus is helping many businesses connect to the grid, or upgrade their supply to accommodate an increased load. For example this would occur going from a smaller Non Half Hourly...
Not all Fixed Contracts are Equal…
What kind of fixed contract do you want? Historically gas and electricity contracts have fallen into two key categories: Fixed or Non-Fixed, aka Pass Through. The key difference being that Fixed contracts offer price certainty, whilst...
E.ON SME Contracts…
Fixed isn't always fixed, read the fine print! E.ON SME, who deal with Smaller Electricity and Gas Business Customers, issued guidance 19-Mar-19 that their fixed product will not be truly fixed going forward. Whilst E.ON endeavour to honour...
UIG: Unidentified Gas
What is UIG... Unidentified Gas? Unidentified Gas, also known as UIG, is gas supplied to the network that cannot be directly attributed to a gas shipper. It is the shortfall between the volume of gas that enters the National Grid and that which is measured...
Mid-Term Review Contract
E.ON offering "blend and extend" style contracts... Mid-term Review contracts: We all know that a longer term contract enables accurate budget planning, reduces workload, worry, and frequently delivers more economic prices. We encourage...
CCL relief for CCA Agreement Holders
CCA - Climate Change Agreements and CCL... What is CCL? CCL stands for Climate Change Levy, it is applied by suppliers to electricity and gas bills in the UK. You pay the main rates of CCL if your business is in one of the following sectors: •...
British Gas MOP/DC/DA charges…
This might just save you some money! If you have a half hourly supply live with British Gas (MPAN starting 00, which is normally listed beneath ‘Details of Charges’ header and has a ‘S’ in front), you need to familiarise yourself with the...
Reactive Power
What are Reactive Power charges? All Suppliers and ultimately customers are subject to Reactive Power charges, which are applied by the Distribution Network Operators and passed through to the end consumer where appropriate. It is impossible to...
CCL relief and VAT relief SCAMS!
Don't get caught out... It seems there is a new scam circulating at present. Clients have reported being cold called and told that because they operate a low profit making or non-profit making business, they qualify for CCL relief. This is not...
Energy Complaint Assistance…
Need help resolving issues with your supplier or broker? Direct Power has been in operation for 15+ years, and our client facing team has around 100 years of combined experience as liaison between end-consumer and supplier. If you can think of...
Extra Energy…
What to do when your energy supplier folds? Extra Energy has failed! Just like in any market, Energy Companies can fail. Unlike other markets, energy is considered an essential service, so energy regulator OFGEM has protocols in place to ensure...
MOP for New Connections…
Get your MOP in place for your Half Hourly new connection! When arranging a new half hourly connection there are three main contracts to arrange in order to keep your project on track: 1st – Connection Agreement This is between the Consumer and the local...
Export MOP
The What, Who, and Why of an Export MOP... At Direct Power we are proud to offer Half Hourly Export MOP (Meter Operator), solutions to clients who generate their own electricity. We have found that many people are unaware of the details of an export MOP, or simply...
Npower Settlement and Agent Charges too expensive?
This might just save you some money! If you have a half hourly supply live with Npower (MPAN starting 00), you need to familiarise yourself with the Settlement and Agent Charge arrangements on your account. We have found that default Npower Settlement and Agent...
Avoid MOP, DC, DA Double Charging…
You could be paying twice for MOP, DC, DA services! Are you experiencing double charging for MOP, DC, DA? All Half Hourly MPANS require a Meter Operator (MOP), Data Collector (DC), and Data Aggregator (DA). To learn more about each of these...
MOP vs. MOP+DC, DA
The What, Who, and Why of MOP, DC, DA... MOP: What is a MOP? MOP stands for Meter Operator, and it is their role to provide and maintain your electricity meter and communications, typically on a five year lease contract. Who needs a MOP?...
CCL Exemption!
Big energy user, big savings on CCL... Get your CCL exemption! Since 1 April 2014, taxable commodities used in mineralogical or metallurgical processes have been exempt from the main rates of climate change levy (CCL). The exemptions ensure the UK tax treatment of...
Rogue Brokers – Calling Other Brokers
Who is calling me? - Part 3 We have written a few posts over the last year regarding "rogue brokers". We spoke of the infamous "kVa capacity check" as well as the "energy check" that they claim you desperately need. Now it appears that these...
Contract Length when Moving…
What contract length should I go for if I anticipate a move in the future? Customers frequently ask what contract length duration they should take if they anticipate a move in the near future. Many clients mistakenly think it is better to opt...
Avoid Excess Capacity Charges!
How to avoid excess capacity charges / unauthorised capacity charges that started appearing April 2018... For years customers who breached their Agreed Supply Capacity haven’t felt much financial pain, that all changed 01-April-18. The charges...
What makes a great client?
Help us help you... At Direct Power we are fortunate to have many clients who have remained with us for 15 plus years. Given the competitive nature of the market place, we pride ourselves on this statistic. Our client’s aren’t apathetic, they...
Recommendations!
Here's what our customers are saying about us... You can read tons of information on our website on the services that Direct Power offers business in the UK. Electricity, Natural Gas, Water, P272, MOP, kVA, capacity, etc., etc..... But we believe that sometimes it is...
Moving your business?
Make sure you're getting your gas and electricity sorted... Moving is one of the most stressful times for any business. The to-do list is never ending and you only have so many hours in a day. There is a lot to get organised as far as gas and...
Available Supply Capacity
Setting the right capacity for your needs... Just like Goldilocks and her porridge, you want an Available Supply Capacity (ASC), that is just right! Set an ASC too low for your needs and you will be faced with excess capacity charges. These...
The Conservative Party’s Price Cap Proposal
Will it affect me? A number of customers have been contacting Direct Power with concerns following the recent Conservative Party’s Price Cap Proposal. In brief, the proposal is aimed at complacent domestic customers, i.e. those who do nothing...
Rogue Brokers – kVa Capacity Check
Do I need a kVA Capacity Check?Last year we wrote a news article entitled "Energy Brokers Cold Calling" in which we highlighted the dangers of “rogue” brokers and their deceptive practices. We have heard from our customers that these calls are once again...
Water Market Definitions
As we enter the opening of the new Water Market, please use the below definitions to help you understand the jargon, and make sense of some common acronyms. CC Water - Consumer Council for Water - Independent representative of businesses and...
A Choice in Water is Coming!
Thoughts as the English Water Market Opens up for competition... So what has happened to date in the UK Water Market? Direct Power has been working with multiple supplies to prepare for the opening of the market since early 2016. This has been a rather frustrating and...
Excess Capacity Charges!
Excess Capacity Charges are about to get Extremely Expensive... Excess capacity charges are applied to customers who use more than their Agreed Supply Capacity, ASC. i.e. if you use more than your Agreed Supply Capacity in a given month, you...
P272 Upgrades and MOP Contracts
Have you just upgraded to HH due to P272? You now need a MOP! If you have an 05, 06, 07 or 08 Meter you should already know about Ofgem’s P272 mandate, which requires all suppliers to upgrade these meters from Non Half Hourly to Half Hourly...
CRC to be Scrapped
2016 budget reveals abolition of CRC! CRC refers to the UK Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. The aim of this scheme is to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from both public and...
Reduce Energy Spend: Avoid the Red Time Band!
Consumption costs and how to reduce energy spend: Red for Low, Green for Go! Multiple components factor into the rates that appear on an electricity bill. With Commodity costs falling in recent months, and non-commodity costs on the rise,...
Fixed vs. Pass Through Electricity Contract
What is the difference between a fixed and pass through electricity contract? There is no one size fits all when it comes to business electricity contracts in the UK. There are a wide array of electricity consumers, ranging from the small...
Got a Complaint?
What to do if you are dissatisfied with your energy supplier or TPI... Direct Power is proud to report that we have a very happy and content customer base! Unfortunately not everyone experiences such smooth sailing with their energy...
Why pay for a TPI? Because I’m worth it!
Why pay for a TPI? As with any service provider, there are good and bad TPIs (Third Party Intermediaries) in the energy market. Assuming you have partnered with a reputable TPI, the relationship can prove beneficial on many levels. Don’t be...
Energy Contract Duration
The long and short of energy contract duration... When it comes to UK energy prices, it is not a case of ‘one size fits all’. Did you know that gas and electricity contracts can be offered in a wide variety of contract length, with the most common being standard one...
CCL Exemptions and Climate Change Levy
CCL Exemptions and Climate Change Levy... Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a tax on UK business energy use, and is applied to your energy bill and collected via your supplier on behalf of the UK Government. The scheme is one of many designed to...
Blend and Extend Contracts
Given that I am on a fixed contract, is there anything I can do in this falling market? Energy Costs are inevitable for all businesses, and for many they make up a large proportion of their cost base. The difference between securing an energy...
ESOS Deadline: Thousands Still Non-Compliant
Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)... ESOS is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for large businesses and organisations in the UK that meet the qualification criteria, and involves completing an audit of their energy usage. As of this...
Falling Oil Prices, but my Bill isn’t Cheaper!
Why have consumer electricity and gas prices not fallen as steeply as oil? A current theme is that electricity and gas consumers are sometimes disappointed by the lack of reductions on their electricity and gas renewal prices. With a...
What is P272?
Why is my Non Half Hourly meter (NHH) being changed to a Half Hourly meter (HH)? …P272! P272 is an Ofgem mandate that requires all Maximum Demand meters to be converted to Half Hourly Meters before 31-Mar-2017. The purpose is to improve billing...
Energy Brokers Cold Calling
Who is calling me? I would like to think that the majority of energy consultants act in a professional manor. Unfortunately, as the years go by, I am finding this to be far from the truth. The one common complaint I am receiving from our...
Time to clean up with a new MOP!
MOPS do more than clean floors! In the electricity world, ‘MOP’ stands for Meter Operator, and all Half Hourly Meters require a separate MOP Agreement covering the cost of maintaining the meter. If a fault is discovered with your meter, it is...
Reduce Your Capacity, Reduce Your Bill!
Reducing Capacity at Your Site... The start of the New Year brings with it a number of resolutions, this year, why not ditch the ‘eat less, move more’ and pick a resolution that Direct Power can help you with. How about you ensure your Half...
Help, I Need a New Meter Connection!
Getting a New Meter Connection Shouldn't be this Hard! With the UK economy improving we have noted an upturn in the number of clients requesting a new meter connection as their businesses grow and expand. But things are never straightforward....
Meter Removal and Disconnections
Why pay for meters that you no longer use, no longer need? Did you know that even if you are not consuming gas or electricity through a meter, you could be charged to cover the fixed costs associated with the meter. These standing charges can...