Whilst it can be an easily overlooked area of responsibility for busy council clerks, making sure that the energy consumed by council properties and streetlights is competitive and responsibly sourced can reap rewards for both the environment and the council’s purse.

As a non-domestic entity, it can be daunting for the clerks of smaller councils to wade into the difficult waters of arranging a commercial utility contract which, by definition, comes without the assurances and protections of similar domestic arrangements. Often the inherited incumbent supplier is chosen as a safe bet against the myriad of small and large energy companies that now operate in the UK energy market; fears also abound over collapsed energy companies and rogue energy salespeople.

Many clerks opt to carry out their own independent market reviews to find the right deal for them, however many suppliers do not offer suitable tariffs for unmetered supplies, making finding a good deal both time consuming and difficult. As a result, some clerks have turned to the services of energy consultants and brokers who guide them to suitable deals and suppliers who are able to service their respective needs.

Our new utility partner

Clear utility Solutions, has partnered with BMKALC and is committed to bringing greener and more cost-effective energy tariffs to BMKALC members countywide.

The scheme, similar to those already running in 14 other county associations, is focussed on ensuring local clerks have access to an easy and convenient energy comparison service which, with minimal time and effort, has been successful in helping them to secure more suitable contracts for their energy needs. With a firm focus on renewable energy and cost reduction, the scheme has enabled local clerks to purchase tailored energy contracts from reputable energy suppliers in a way that was previously not possible.

• Commercial Energy Consultancy
• Free to use
• Act as a bridge between consumer and supplier
• Have relationships with 25 different suppliers
• Contract Bucket – increased buying power as a national scheme
• Local and Town Council specialists

Nationally the scheme has helped parish and town councils save over £100,000 for their respective precepts and the scheme goal of supplying wholly renewable power where possible has meant that over 488,000kg CO2 of carbon emissions have been prevented.

Many suppliers are still billing councils on standard or variable tariffs that can be as much as 40% more than comparable fixed deals. As such, councils that are on these standard tariffs with their respective suppliers may well be missing out on potential savings for their precepts. With energy prices set to rise and uncertainty over how Brexit will affect the cost of the approximately 12% of gas and 5% of electricity the UK currently imports from the EU, making sure you have the right deal for your energy has never been more important.

We believe that CUS understands our sector and delivers a one stop portal which will bring benefit to our members.  BMKALC does not receive any monetary recompense for any business that you undertake with CUS.

Use our partnership portal to access our new utilities comparison service