The UK's Largest Energy News Blog - Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd

Is Fossil Fuel Dependence Over:

Felipe — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:20:18 +0000

Thorium The Future of World Energy Generation

The world is on the verge of an energy crisis. In a recent statement the International Energy Agency said that the world must invest $26 trillion (£16.7 trillion) over the next 20 years to avert an energy shock.

For decades scientists and researchers across the globe have been looking for a sustainable solution to solve the growing global energy demand and stop the rise in energy prices. We need a proven solution to be brought into the world on a large scale, without delay!

Such solutions already exists and it has been under our noses for quite some time. Its name is Thorium, a naturally occurring, slightly radioactive metal, capable of producing immense amount of energy, in a very safe, environmentally friendly and very economic manner.

According to Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) the use of Thorium could very well be the missing link we have all been looking for towards a sustainable low carbon energy efficient society.

Dr Rubbia says a tonne of the silvery metal produces as much energy as 200 tonnes of uranium, or 3,500,000 tonnes of coal. For a better understanding a handful of Thorium could light London for a whole week.

Thorium is abundant and clean enough to supply global energy demand for centuries. According to experts there is more energy available from thorium than all coal, gas, oil and uranium combined.

What baffles me is that fact that it was demonstrated to be reliable by its pioneers more than 40 years ago and it was simply left aside by nations like the US, Russia and China. If it had been given the attention it deserved the fears of a global energy crisis could be avoided.

Why such an efficient, abundant and affordable fuel has been hiding in the shadows of nuclear research centres around the globe is what puzzles me. But I’m not here to discuss that, I’m here to raise the awareness and campaign for the development and production of Thorium energy plants around the world from now on.

Despite being left aside for more than 40 years. Experts believe if a vast scientific and strategic resources project similar to the old Manhattan Project conducted during World War II to develop the first atomic bombs, could reinvent the global energy landscape bringing to an end our dependence on fossil fuels within three to five years.

For those of you interested in learning more about Thorium visit the International Thorium Energy Organisation (IThEO) at www.itheo.org/. Or if you would like more information on our range of energy broker services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

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10 Amazing Energy Saving Apps:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:17:38 +0000

Want to be more energy efficient, there’s an app for that with our 10 amazing energy apps for the iPhone and iPad

There’s an app for being more energy efficient, and we have put together our ten energy apps. These iPhone and iPad apps range from offering general sustainability hints and tips to measuring your monthly energy costs. A lot of apps now focus on offering general tips and everyday actions that you can take to help save energy or measure what you use more efficiently.

1. If you need to see just how green your local area really is try AllertMe Energy Map iTunes (Free) The app will allow you to find out the average spend per household a year on energy in your area, how much electricity and gas is used and how much carbon this creates. Energy Map shows how your borough ranks against others in the UK for energy use and CO2 emissions. Compare your area with the best and worst offenders in our League Table. Even use Energy Map when you’re out and about to see how much local residents in any area spend on energy. A great tool for any energy broker is the ability to view a map of the UK showing annual energy spend per area or simply browse through all UK areas from A-Z.

2. The British Gas App iTunes (Free) allows you to easily submit your gas and electricity meter readings at any time allowing them to generate a more accurate bill. You can view your account summary with your last bill amount, payment details, see what tariff you are on and when you last submitted a meter read. You can now also view your energy consumption as a graph and compare your usage over previous months and year. The application provides a convenient guide on how to read your energy meters and emergency numbers for gas and electricity. And if you have any questions the App makes it easy to email us and we aim to respond within 24 hours.

3. With Meter Readings iTunes ($1.99) if you closely monitor your household energy/water usage and the chances are you will SAVE MONEY! This easy to use application allows you to track your household utility meters. Once you start entering meter readings, your usage, costs and savings are calculated and your usage and costs are displayed in easy to visualise graphs.

4. The Kill-O-Watts iTunes ($0.99) is an electricity costs calculator. It lets you specify the electrical properties and usage habits for each appliance to find how many kilowatts-hours it consumes and how much you pay for it on a monthly and yearly basis. Choose from more than 120 typical appliances or create new appliances based on the real ones that you own. Identify the top electricity consumers of your home. Compare the electricity consumption cost of two different brands of appliances before buying one of them. Try different usage scenarios and find possible savings. You’ll be surprise to find out how much money you can save with this little application.

5. With the MeterRead™ iTunes ($2.99) its strength is in the calculations it provides. With each reading you record, you get up-to-date stats of your energy use, including an estimate of how many kilowatt hours you’ll burn for the next 30 days. You’ll know at a glance whether your energy-saving activities are on track, or if you need to turn off a few more lights”

6. Carbon Footprint iTunes ($2.99) is an application for the iPhone and iPod touch that allows you to track fuel usage for multiple cars. By entering a few pieces of data every time you put fuel in your tank, Carbon Footprint is able to collect and calculate a number of useful statistics.

7. With the Energy Saving #1 iTunes (Free) wouldn’t it be great if you could load your iPhone’s or iPad’s battery anytime, anywhere? Energy Saving #1 presents a solar panel on your screen and gives the impression you found the ultimate way to provide energy for your iPhone! Impress your friends with this great solution for energy production. But please pay attention to this: Don’t leave your iPhone behind unattended, Don’t let your iPhone get to hot, Don’t expect your battery to be loaded this way, but you will get new energy saving tips everyday!

8. The GreenMeter iTunes ($5.99) is an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that computes your vehicle’s power and fuel usage characteristics and evaluates you’re driving to increase efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cost, and lower your environmental impact. Results are displayed in real time, while driving, to give instantaneous feedback. Though it’s most effective on the road, you can learn from greenMeter even before you get in the car. By tipping the device forward and backward to simulate acceleration, you can see the effects of acceleration, aerodynamic drag, and rolling resistance across the speed range. Then implement this knowledge on the road, by choosing an efficient cruising speed and using the built-in eco-driving displays to moderate acceleration while you drive. Thanks to a novel algorithm that computes parameters over the entire speed range, the app does not need GPS, opening usage up to all generations of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

9. The ShopGreen app iTunes ($0.99) rewards the user by calculating, logging and saving green actions taken to reduce the carbon footprint. Daily tips and great green suggestions help making the correct decisions easier. Carbon savings are tracked within the built-in Eco-Bank. Location aware specials and discounts are offered through participating green friendly companies. Increase the Eco-Bank balance to receive rewards in the form of coupons and specials.

10. The Carbon Calc iTunes (Free) is a Green House Gas (GHG) emissions calculator. If you have wondered what your contribution to global warming is, Carbon Calc is a simple calculator that lets you input your Driving, Flying, and Home energy use. Once you know your footprint, you can compare your net emissions to the US average and the world average. You can optionally offset your footprint by purchasing Carbon Credits.

If you would like more information on our range of energy broker services or would like to find out how we could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

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Late CRC Registration:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:15:50 +0000

Carbon Reduction Commitment Registration

Only a third of organisations have registered for the CRC Scheme

The deadline for public and private organisations to register for the CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment) scheme is next month and according to reports from the Environment Agency only one third of organisations have registered.

On September 30th 2010, every public or private organisation in Britain that use more than 6,000 Megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity a year is required to registered for the Carbon Commitment Reduction. Every organisation that misses the deadline will have to pay a £5,000 fine with an additional £500 for every day they are overdue.

Speaking to PublicTechnology.net, head of climate change and sustainable development at the Environment Agency, Tony Grayling said:

“Around a third of organisations that we expected to register for the CRC scheme have registered well in advance of the deadline. We would urge the remaining businesses to sign up now, and not leave registration to the last minute.”

The CRC is Britain’s first mandatory energy efficiency scheme aimed to help the nation meet its Climate Change Bill commitment of reducing 80% of the CO2 emissions by 2050. As afore mentioned in the first phase only “big” private and public corporation have to register which is expected to affect approximately 5,000 organisations in the UK.

But why wait till your company meets the requirements needed to enter the scheme. Why not start improving your business energy efficiency today?

Energy industry and sustainability experts have stated that homeowners and business leaders all share a joint responsibility for improving the UK’s energy efficiency and help Britain meet its legally binding commitment to reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.

Domestic and business electricity suppliers should work together with their clients to contribute towards the carbon reduction emissions target by obliging home and business owners to improve their energy efficiency, therefore reducing the CO2 emitted by their home and businesses alike.

In short, we all have our share of responsibility to help Britain achieve the dream of a low carbon society. From the big corporations that consume thousands of Megawatts per hour every year, to our own homes, if everyone does their bit the UK can become one of the most energy efficient nations in the world.

For business owners looking for innovative business management solutions, contact Catalyst now and one of our experienced energy consultants will be happy to discuss our energy management solutions in detail with you.

If you would like more information on our range of energy broker services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

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Energy Suppliers and Their Tariffs:

Felipe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:32:17 +0000

The Biggest UK Business Energy Suppliers and their Tariffs

Choosing the right energy tariff for your business is not an easy job and it is best to leave it for the professionals, like an energy broker or a business energy consultant. With so many options available and the complexity of the UK energy market it is easy to choose the wrong business energy supplier and waste thousands of pounds each year on energy bills.

In the same way that domestic customers are free to compare prices and switch to a cheaper supplier, business customers can also choose the best deal for their needs. Below you will find a list with the major business electricity suppliers and their tariffs. This list is more like a guide and it is aimed to help you have a better understanding of how each business electricity suppliers charge business based on the amount of energy they consumer yearly.

The UK’s biggest energy suppliers, British Gas, EDF, E.ON, npower, Scottish Power, and Scottish & Southern Energy, all have tariffs designed specifically for business customers.

British Gas business electricity

British Gas (www.britishgas.co.uk), the UK’s largest energy supplier, offers two business electricity tariffs:

Business electricity for small and medium businesses – For businesses that spend up to or less than £50,000 a year on their electricity bills. Rates are fixed for a set period, so you’ll always know what you’ll be paying each month.
Business electricity for large businesses – For businesses that spend more than £50,000 a year on their electricity bills and/or have more than 20 sites. Choose from either fixed or flexible contracts.

British Gas supplies gas and electricity to over 950,000 businesses around the UK, and every customer has their own account manager. The account manager is responsible for arranging connections and metering services, as well as the registration and switchover process, and any billing or payment queries.

You can also opt for Green Electricity which uses energy from renewable resources, and could help reduce the amount of Climate Change Levy (CCL) your business has to pay.

EDF business electricity

French-owned energy supplier EDF (www.edfenergy.com) offers two business electricity tariffs:

Business electricity for small and medium businesses – For businesses that spend up to or less than £30,000 a year on their electricity bills and have less than 20 sites. Prices are fixed for either one, two or three years, so you’ll always know what you’ll be paying each month. Bills are paid quarterly.
Business electricity for large businesses – For businesses that spend more than £30,000 a year on their electricity bills and have more than 20 sites in the UK. Choose from either fixed or flexible contracts, and bills can be monthly or quarterly.

EDF has over 450,000 business customers, all benefiting from a choice of contract length, dedicated business advisers, and 2% off bills for choosing to pay by direct debit, as well as free energy efficiency advice to help cut your company’s fuel bills.

E.ON business electricity

Energy giant E.ON (www.eonenergy.com) has over 500,000 business customers and is one of the UK’s largest business energy suppliers. It has one business electricity tariff, designed for small and medium companies with less than 50 sites in the UK that use less than £100,000 worth of electricity a year. The deal offers:

Fixed electricity prices guaranteed for the duration of your contract
Either a one or three year contract
A discount for paying bills by direct debit
Free energy efficiency advice

Choosing a three year contract means you will be able to budget your energy costs for longer, protecting your business against electricity price increases for three years.

Npower business electricity

With over 300,000 business energy customers, Npower (www.npower.com) offers one business electricity tariff specifically for small and medium businesses that use less than £100,000 worth of electricity a year.

Fixed electricity prices until 2010
Energy efficiency advice to help lower your energy bills
2% discount for paying by direct debit.

Npower business customers are given a free e3 pack, which contains a free Electrisave monitor worth £79.95 (a smart meter), and all the energy efficiency tools and advice you need to reduce your energy bills by up to 25%.

Find out more about Npower’s business electricity tariff.

Scottish Power business electricity

Scottish Power (www.scottishpower.co.uk) has over 200,000 business customers and offers two business electricity tariffs:

Business electricity for small and medium businesses – For businesses that use up to or less than 75,000kW of energy a year.
Business electricity for large businesses – For businesses that use more than 75,000kW of energy a year.

Large businesses (with more than 25 sites) can benefit from internet invoicing, which gives customers access to up-to-date billing information whenever they want, and they can view up to 13 months’ historic data, including invoices and statements.

Scottish Power allows customers to pay in six different ways, including monthly/quarterly direct debit, using credit/debit cards and by cheque, cash or giro cheque. Businesses will receive a discount for opting to pay by direct debit.

Scottish & Southern Energy business gas

Scottish & Southern Energy has over 9 million customers in the UK. Its business customers can benefit from:

Fixed prices for the entire contract period
Contract packages with a variety of contract periods and payment methods to suit your business
Experienced business energy advisers
Local customer service centres in Scotland, England and Wales. Or the option of a visit from an experienced Business Energy Adviser to talk to you about your business energy needs.

Switching business energy suppliers can be a fast and easy process, not to mention that you could save up to 50% on your gas and energy bills. If you would like more information on our range of energy broker services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

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CBI Calls Energy Action:

Felipe — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:59:48 +0000

CBI calls for immediate actions on delayed energy projects

The CBI has launched a warning to the Government on Monday (Aug 16th) about the risks of replacing the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) with a Major Infrastructure Unit could lead to further delay to energy projects as investors are still not confident about large-scale building projects.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants the Government to “get a grip” on planning for large-scale power generation projects so investors can feel confident in investing in such projects.

To make matters even worse the CBI revealed a “log-jam” in the IPC after identifying 37 power plant projects, equivalent to 17.5 GW, which are still awaiting Government approval.

Some of the projects, which include gas and coal fired power stations, on- and off-shore wind farms, biomass, wave and tidal projects, have been waiting three years for a decision.

Dr Neil Bentley, director of business environment at CBI, said: “The government must get a grip on planning. We need to build new low-carbon energy sources, including wind, biomass, gas, nuclear and clean coal plants. These are essential for securing our energy supplies and meeting emissions targets.”

“We already have a log-jam of delayed planning applications for major projects inherited from the previous government, and there is still uncertainty about how the new Major Infrastructure Unit will work in practice.”

To sum things up, Dr Bentley highlighted the fact that streamlined planning projects could be a smart move to encourage investment.

“In the next six months, the government must clear the backlog of delayed planning applications. This will send a strong signal to investors that it is serious about fixing the planning system,” Dr Bentley added.

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Ocean Thermal Energy:

Felipe — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:01:34 +0000

Renewable Energy News - OTEC – Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation

Renewable energy is considered by many as the corner stone of Britain’s energy security. With North Sea oil and gas reserves declining and the recent nuclear fumble it is becoming ever true that we will have to rely heavily on renewable energy generation to keep the light on in Britain.

Green energy generation also plays a centre role when the subject is climate change. Across the globe scientists, researchers and engineers alike are developing innovative energy generating ideas using renewable resources.

Recently I was checking on the latest news about renewable energy generation and one thing has caught my attention; energy generation using deep sea water or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).

Ocean thermal energy conversion uses the temperature difference that exists between deep and shallow waters to run a heat engine. As with any heat engine, the greatest efficiency and power is produced with the largest temperature difference. This temperature difference generally increases with decreasing latitude, i.e. near the equator, in the tropics. Historically, the main technical challenge of OTEC was to generate significant amounts of power efficiently from this very small temperature ratio. Changes in efficiency of heat exchange in modern designs allow performance approaching the theoretical maximum efficiency. – Wikipedia

The video below explains in more detail how OTEC can generate energy. Despite not being a technology that we could use here in the UK, what really caught my attention was the fact that a single 100 Mw floating plant can generate 800 million Kw of electrical energy, without the need of oil, gas or any other fossil fuel. OTEC only needs the temperature difference between the ocean hot surface water and cold deep water.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x59MptHscxY

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Part 2 Energy Efficiency Q&A:

Felipe — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:11:19 +0000

Energy Efficiency Q&A Round Two

As promised here we are with the second round of question and answers about energy efficiency. Today we will answer questions about rebound effect and negawatt, so if you want to find out the meaning of these terms keep on reading.

What does energy efficiency mean for businesses?

For a business, energy efficiency mostly applies to electrical appliances, heating equipment and everything else powered by electricity. Governments have pushed manufacturers to produce increasingly low-energy devices, such as desktop computers, televisions, refrigerators, freezers and a wide variety of electrical appliances used in each industry.

Simple energy efficiency measures at work include installing loft and wall insulation, draught-sealing windows and doors and replacing incandescent bulbs with efficient, modern CFLs and LED lights.

Cars are covered by a different energy efficiency scheme, which looks similar to the red-to-green EU Energy Label and ranks vehicles on their carbon emissions per kilometre (CO2 g/km). The most efficient modern cars emit less than CO2 100g/km, and all new cars in the EU will be required to – on average across European fleets – emit less than 130g/km by 2015. But this is content for another article, lets get back to energy efficiency.

What’s the rebound effect, and what does it mean for energy efficiency?

In 1865, William Stanley Jevons suggested that improvements in energy efficiency could result in unintended “rebound effects” – such as behavioural changes – that offset the energy savings. For example, greater fuel efficiency in cars may actually lead to motorists driving more frequently and for greater distances, cancelling out the environmental benefits of efficiency.

A report from Cambridge University earlier this year suggested that such rebound effects could cancel out 52% of anticipated energy efficiency savings by 2030.

What’s a negawatt?

The IEA suggests that energy efficiency should effectively be viewed as just another energy source, much like coal or wind power. Following the spirit of the IEA, the US scientist Amory Lovins suggested using the compound “negawatt” (negative-watt) as a unit for expressing the energy waste avoided through energy efficiency.

We have reached the end of the second of our Energy Efficiency Q&A. We would love to have a third round but for this we’ll need your help. Head to our Twitter account or Facebook Page and leave your questions there or if you prefer you can use our comments section below.

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Wasted Energy At Work:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:13:04 +0000

How much electricity power do we waste at work

As a business person have you ever thought about avoiding wastage of your electricity supply to further reduce costs? If you haven’t done so already, then you might want to ponder your thoughts on that just for a while. Electricity power is wasted in different ways, and some of them are not quite as obvious as you think. Here are some pointers that will give you an idea:

1) Standby Power

Standby power is usually the power consumed by electronic appliances when they are in the standby mode. While using the standby mode for devices when you don’t use them is a good idea, substituting it for a shut down can be detrimental. In order to help the device in standby mode maintain its previous state, some power is used, which increases your expenses by quite a substantial amount over the long run. Therefore, use the standby mode when you go on a coffee break, however, remember to shut the appliance down when you leave for the day.

2) Overuse of cable modems and computers

While using cable modems, you might notice that they are left switched on at all times even when they are not in use. It is usually assumed that computers draw almost an equal amount of power in the same way as a perfectly working refrigerator, which is between 70 – 250 watts. Therefore, you might want to take a closer look at how you use this equipment to save on your energy expenses.

3) Excessively charging your equipment

Do you have the habit of leaving the phone connected to the charger throughout the night? Do you always use AC power supply when you work on your laptop? Over charging battery-run equipments will further add to your expenses, and over time, these products will start consuming more electric power to run efficiently.

One way to avoid this is to unplug the gadget from its charger once it’s charged. On the other hand, if you’re too busy all the time to do that, you might want to purchase chargers that come equipped with a system capable of halting the power supply when the equipment is fully charged.

4) Plugged in phone charges

Look under the desk in most businesses and you will probably find a mobile phone charger that has been left plugged in with no phone on the end. What most people don’t realise is that even without the phone plugged in, the plug is still using the same amount of power. Therefore avoid wasting excess power by removing these from the sockets when not in use.

5) Office Computers

Because of the increased boot up time of the new windows platforms such as Windows Vista, many people choose to leave their office computers on all night and over the weekend to avoid waiting for the lengthy boot up process in the morning. Unfortunately your modern day computer is a hive of electrical activity when not in use, and a number of computers left on, can drain serious amounts of power over the course of a year. Avoid this by switching computers off or using software to automatically schedule your computers to shut down and power back up at the right time. Our PC Powerdown software allows you to activate your own schedule for only £12 per PC, an investment that will easily be paid for in just a matter of months.

If you would like more information on our range of energy services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

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Part 1 Energy Efficiency Q&A:

Felipe — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:01:40 +0000

Energy Efficiency Q&A Round One

Every time we discuss the current and future state of Britain’s energy industry a certain subjects can not be avoided, such as energy efficiency, climate change, carbon footprint, green energy and few others that we will discuss in a series of two articles starting today.

So what is energy efficiency? Is energy saving the same as energy efficiency? What role does energy efficiency play in slowing climate change? Below you will find answers to all these questions.

What is energy efficiency?

Energy efficiency generally refers to achieving the same result – lighting up a house, for example – by using less energy. It can be used to describe everything from small-scale changes such as more energy-efficient refrigerators and PCs in homes right up to more efficient power stations or energy savings across a company’s supply chain.

Perhaps the most obvious example of energy efficiency is the energy-saving lightbulb. A compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb typically uses around fives times less energy than a conventional incandescent bulb, but produces the same level of illumination.

What’s the difference between energy efficiency and energy-saving?

Though the two are often used interchangeably, efficiency is just one aspect of energy-saving (sometimes called energy conservation). Energy-saving can also include, for instance, behavioural changes such as encouraging individuals to turn appliances off standby, or technologies such as automated lighting systems that only turn on when they detect movement.

How big a role does efficiency play in slowing climate change?

Alongside increased energy generation from renewable sources, it’s one of the two key strategies that governments are deploying to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The UN sees efficiency improvements as quicker and cheaper to implement than green energy, and such speed will be crucial to avoid tipping points – where dangerous runaway climate change occurs – that scientists believe may be less than a decade away.

Efficiency has a major role to play in cutting CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that improvements in efficiency alone could be responsible for 65% of the reduction in emissions from developing countries over the next 20 years. The UK’s Committee on Climate Change places energy efficiency at the heart of its recommendations for meeting the UK target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050.

This is it for round one of our Energy Efficiency Q&A, hope you enjoyed it and make sure you don’t miss the second round on Friday.

Got a question you want to ask about energy efficiency? Use our comments section to do so or feel free to drop us line on Twitter or on our Facebook Page with your queries. You never know your question might be featured on the second round of our Energy Efficiency Q&A.

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Business Electricity Comparison:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:21:36 +0000

Best Practices for Business Electricity Price Comparison

Think it’s time to reevaluate your business electricity provider and reduce your company’s energy costs? Here are some helpful pointers to get you started:

Ask for competitive pricing bids

To ensure your company continuously enjoys good energy rates from your chosen supplier, you should have multiple bids to rely on. Based on these bids, find out what the providers’ terms are like as well as risk factors. Bear in mind that those who offer the lowest prices are not always the best, because at the end of the day, you may find their services lacking in quality. Watch out for unwelcome surprises in the form of hidden costs in the price quotes.

Understand your electricity bill

Companies should prioritise energy suppliers based on who can provide electricity bills that are easy to read. There should be no hidden costs; rather, every cost including late fees should be outlined clearly on the bill. It goes without saying that the power bills should be delivered in a timely manner each month or on a quarterly basis, and disputes settled within 10 business days – quickly and amicably.

Rope in an energy broker to do the job

Energy brokers are considered bulk buyers for companies to increase savings on their energy consumption, but that’s not all they do! An energy broker also helps you compare prices and educate you on what the current market prices are for energy sources like oil and natural gas. Reputable brokers usually own comprehensive websites with guides to energy savings and lots of content to educate you. They will be more than happy to guide you through the process of comparing electricity prices for your business — in fact, at Catalyst we provide you with all these services at absolutely no cost.

Perform a background financial check on providers

Even if you do not enlist help from an energy broker, you should find out an energy provider’s financial status. Just as they have the right to perform credit checks on consumers, so do the consumers to do background checks on potential providers. They should ideally boast of good Better Business Bureau ratings and a solid financial statement for each year they have been in operation. Never hesitate to ask for their annual financial records to better understand their business operations and reliability.

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CO2 Footprint Reduction Tips:

Felipe — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:01:08 +0000

Business Energy Saving & CO2 Footprint Reduction Tips

When we talk about energy efficiency and energy saving the first thought that comes to my mind is “Every Little Helps”. This old saying can be applied with perfection when trying to reduce your business energy consumption.

Saving energy means reducing your business carbon footprint. Many business owners across the land think that the quickest and easiest way to slash CO2 footprint is by switching to a green energy provider. These business owners are right to a certain extent. Why?

Because even though they switched to a renewable energy provider their business continues to consume the same amount of energy as before. Despite buying energy from supplier that provides 100% green energy you also need to improve your businesses energy efficiency and here is when the old saying “every little helps” comes to mind again.

There are simple ways you can stop wasting energy and money now on your energy bills. By referring and applying some simple household energy saving tips you will be amazed how much you can improve your business energy efficiency.

Reducing thermostat temperature by 1ºC could cut down your heating bill by up to 10% saving you on average £55 per year. The same can be applied to your business water but in a larger scale, your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.

Leave the lights off on rooms that are not used frequently and always remember to turn them off when you leave such rooms.

Stop leaving equipment on standby unless they need to. Turning your equipment off at the plug could save your business £45 per year.

Use low energy light bulbs like LED Lights or any other energy saving bulb. LED lighting can generate huge savings for your business in the long term, for more information on commercial LED lighting

As you can see “Every Little Helps” when the subject is energy saving and energy efficiency. For a professional approach and an even more efficient energy saving scheme for your business, contact an energy consultancy firm where a trained and fresh pair of eyes can identify areas where great savings can be made.

Have you got any energy saving tips not mentioned? Why not share them with our readers and business owners across the country? Feel free to add them on our comments section and help us make Britain more energy efficient.

If you would like more information on our services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

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Compare Gas Electricity Prices:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:39:55 +0000

Compare Gas Electricity Prices – 3 FAQ’s to Help You Switch Providers Easily

With the fluctuating prices of energy, most business owners agree that saving money on their power bills can help lessen operational costs and lighten their financial burden. Besides saving more money that you can put to better use for your business, you will also be doing your bit for the enviroment and you could also benefit from renewable energy sources. Something that your current provider may not be able to offer.

Here are the 3 frequently asked questions together with their answers to help you get started on the right step towards comparing gas and electricity prices.

1. How do I know if it’s time to switch and compare energy prices?

Listen to the industry news, and you’ll know when the suppliers have lowered their prices! Once they do, you’ll know it’s an opportune time to switch providers.

There are other benefits that should cause you to switch and compare prices. You may have been “hooked” into your current provider because of the initial deal you signed on. However, you quickly realised that the offer is not so great after a while, due to the fact that other competitors are now offering better packages. The best thing to do is to keep abreast with energy-related news, and constantly educate yourself by comparing prices.

2. Which provider should I choose?

When comparing energy prices online, you are required to key in your postcode. This is because the cost you will pay depends on where your business is situated in the UK. That said, it does not mean that you should choose the provider that boasts the cheapest prices. Quality matters too, and is usually evident in the course of dealing with the provider.

In fact, this being the most important step that will possibly affect you for a number of months in the near future, it’s best to use the help of a good energy broker, especially when it is available completely free of charge — at least at Catalyst it is.

3. What should I do after I have decided the provider I want to switch to?

Virtually nothing! You do not have to notify your old provider but you may need to verify details when the new provider or broker steps in. You also need to pay off any outstanding bills to avoid hiccups and possibly a hefty penalty.

Or you might want to subscribe for further updates direct from our site.

Ofgem Overhauling Regulation:

Felipe — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:41:24 +0000

Ofgem Overhauling the UK’s Energy Regulation

Last week Ofgem, the UK’s energy industry regulator, unveiled its plans to introduce incentives for companies that develop creative solutions to reduce their business energy usage, improve energy efficiency and help them meet low carbon commitments. Ofgem is conducting a major overhaul in the UK’s energy regulation, as part of its plans it will facilitate £32 billion of investment in low carbon networks and expand the low carbon innovation fund to encourage greater innovation across gas and electricity networks.

To give investors more security Ofgem is also studying the possibility of extending price controls for energy networks from five to eight years.

It is estimated that Britain needs £200 billion in investments over the next ten years in order to maintain renewable energy supplies at affordable prices for businesses and households alike. The £32 billion that Ofgem is putting forward to stimulate businesses to develop their own solutions to improve their energy efficiency is nothing compared to £200 billion needed, but it sure is a good start to help Britain achieve its low carbon society dream.

Alistair Buchanan, Ofgem’s chief executive, said: “If Britain’s energy networks are going to meet the challenge of delivering a low carbon economy then we need them to have innovation in their DNA.”

Meanwhile the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Ofgem are trying to accelerate the roll-out of smart domestic energy meters.

The bodies released a prospectus outlining the government’s plans to roll out smart meters to every household in the UK.

This rollout aims to provide efficiency and interoperability by simplifying and improving industry processes, including changing suppliers, as well as enabling smart grid development.

For businesses looking to gain more control over their energy expenditures the installation of a smart meter is also highly recommended, simply request it from your energy supplier or from your independent energy broker.

Smart energy meters will empower you to make choices on how much energy your business is using in real time, precise data collection solutions all aimed at putting you back in control of your costs.

If you would like more information on our smart meter services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

Or you might want to subscribe for further updates direct from our site.

Energy Market Report Aug10:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:48:20 +0000

Our monthly analysis of the UK gas and power markets is now available on line for the month of August. The service is intended to keep you up to date with all the major news in Europe’s gas and power markets. It is also designed to keep power executives focused on market activity in an easy to digest format.

Your find our August 2010 report here and all historical energy reports can be located here.

Or you might want to subscribe for further updates direct from our site.

Commercial LED Lighting Info:

Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:01:31 +0000

Replace your old lights for new commercial led lighting

A very wise man once said, “the only thing that’s permanent is change.” And indeed, it’s true – regardless of what industry you belong to, things are quite different today than they were only a few years ago. However, the change we’re referring to in this article is about commercial LED lighting.

Gone are the days when we had mercury-coated excuses for lamps to light our offices and workplaces. In fact, even the seemingly modern incandescent lamps have begun their journey towards being completely obsolete. However, the good thing about it is that they’re moving down to get replaced with something that is truly superior in every aspect imaginable.

To begin with, let’s consider power consumption. Commercial LED lighting is 70%-80% more energy efficient than traditional lighting, which is no mean feat at all. This is possible due to the superior technology used for the design and manufacturing of LED lights. This means that if your current lighting system costs you, say £2000, LED lights will bring that bill down to about £400.

Another consideration is the life of the product. LED lights can last up to 50,000 hours, which is about ten times as high as incandescent lamps. This also means that each LED light is effectively worth five regular lamps even if you consider just the lifetime of these devices. When you factor in the kind of reduction in electricity bills LED lights would bring about during this lifetime, the equation goes so far in favor of LED lights that not buying them might even seem illogical.

When we discuss the lifetime of these lights, there’s another factor that comes into the picture – the maintenance efforts and cost. As a simple equation, since an LED light lasts five times as much as traditional lights, it also means that the cost of maintenance and replacement of these lights would be five times lesser than that for traditional lighting.

LED lights also produce less heat, which means that the power required to keep the area clean is reduced by a certain amount. This leads to further saving in electricity bills because there’s lesser load on the air conditioners to cool the surrounding area.

We could just go on and on about why LED lights are superior, however, we believe that we’ve made our point. Be smart and reevaluate your commercial lighting systems today.

If you would like more information on our Commercial LED Lighting services or would like to find out how this could benefit your business, simply call our energy team today on 0870 710 7560 or request a call back at time to suit.

Or you might want to subscribe for further updates direct from our site.

The UK's Largest Energy News Blog - Catalyst Commercial Services Ltd

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