Will company execs demand 100% renewable energy from their utility suppliers before the brown option is removed?
Unlikely. At least from sectors more focussed on their own sustainability than the planet’s. However, for companies starting to think about decarbonisation, financial directors can bag an easy win.
Business utility contracts typically expire after one, two or three years. More often than not, the decision maker opts to renew on the same tariff with their current supplier. After all, it’s much easier to stick to the familiar and discard the unknown.
While this is true, the impending end of a contract presents a chance to see how the gap between green and brown tariffs has closed, and in some cases has flipped when niche suppliers are brought into the equation.
Happy to take on the shopping around leg work for time strapped execs is Peter Lisney, a business utility broker with Utilitrack. He said, “We’ll go out to tender on behalf of a company months ahead of their contract end date and show them how the alternatives stack up against their current tariff. Just like insurance brokers, the suppliers pay us commission which means our service is free.”
However, Peter believes a little pressure from outside the boardroom could hold the key to walking a greener path.
“The take up of green tariffs still has a way to go but I think that’s because it’s rarely challenged from within. When employees, customers and other stake holders start asking how the company’s energy is generated, I predict this balance will start to shift quickly. It’ll be a tick for their sustainability plan, a tick for their PR machine and a massive tick for the planet.”
Peter can be reached on 01962 600901 or peter.lisney@utilitrack.co.uk.