An intelligent approach to energy & waste management.
We are one of the UK’s leading energy and waste management companies. We support a range of organisations including individual schools, multi-academy trusts, office blocks, retailers, restaurant chains and manufacturing sites through to clients with over 500 locations.
Nobody wants to pay more than they have agreed for any item and our clients’ energy bills are no different. About 5% of all invoices are incorrect. We ensure that clients only pay for what they have used and at the agreed rates.
Having locked a client’s energy contracts in, we’ll have all the data regarding the individual tariffs agreed for each meter. We work with the energy providers monthly to receive meter data and ensure not only that we have the right p/kWh but also that this is double-checked against actual consumption. Where we find any issues or discrepancies, our expert team liaises on the client’s behalf to resolve these quickly. We also have the ability to produce consumption reports and focus on areas requiring correction or improvement.
Having an accurate and reliable budget is key for any business and with energy costs comprising a large chunk of any company’s expenditure, it’s vital to get this right.
Post procurement, we generate meter-by-meter, month-by-month energy forecasts. These take into account a range of variables, including historical consumption, supplier contracts and published energy charges as well as site or store-specific changes planned within the budget period (e.g. increased floor space or trading hours).
We report to clients in the style and with the frequency, they select, enabling them to track performance against the budget in a manner that aligns with other company processes. This is usually monthly and helps our clients take corrective action where they are over budget.
Energy is expensive enough without paying for energy suppliers’ mistakes.
Incorrect consumption data, inaccurate data inputting, wrong billing dates and site misidentification are just some of the areas in which suppliers make mistakes. Our role is to make sure that clients only pay the rates agreed and for actual consumption.
Sustainable Advantage goes through invoices with a fine-tooth comb, highlighting discrepancies for investigation and holding suppliers to account. Our involvement means that clients’ accounting staff are not distracted by this work. We have dedicated teams undertaking invoice validation and providing a much more cost-effective service.
Low p/kWh rates mean little if a company is wasting energy daily either through staff behaviours or inefficient capex. The problem most clients have is the inability to determine in a cost-effective manner where they are losing money in this area.
We are best placed to help. We utilise historical data as well as receiving meter-by-meter consumption data straight from the supplier. Our bespoke software interrogates this data and highlights abnormalities and other areas of concern. Consumption data also links into the budgeting cycle.
We monitor:
- Consumption compared to the previous month
- Consumption compared to similar benchmarked sites
- Individual daily energy use patterns
Different clients require different levels of input from us. In some cases, they only require a monthly report showing which sites could have issues. At the other end of the spectrum, we have clients who want an alarm to be sent automatically every time a tolerance is breached. They also require us to investigate areas of over-usage. In such cases, we undertake further desktop analysis, followed by a site visit from one of our energy managers. We provide detailed reports on any issues we’ve found and set out recommended courses of action.