http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Mr+Jonathan+Elliott Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=423593&ca=Business Eighteen months ago Ofgem - the energy industry regulator - launched its supply ‘Probe’, an investigation into the markets for electricity and gas supply. Top of the agenda for small businesses was rollover contracts (which automatically renew without a signature). You may have heard these also bein... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=423596&ca=Business According to independent research conducted among 1,000 UK small businesses on behalf of Electricity 4 Business last year, only 20% of businesses know when their commercial energy contracts are due for renewal. Why is this statistic so significant? Well, in order to switch provider and take advantag... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=423612&ca=Business Despite the colossal drop in wholesale energy costs since their peak a year ago, you’d be fooled into thinking that the UK’s energy suppliers are about to start offering cheap business electricity in time for the winter. Ofgem, the energy industry regulator has just received this in writing followin... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=409695&ca=Business In the 1990s, the energy industry was deregulated allowing domestic and business customers to choose their preferred energy supplier. Business energy is sold in one, two or three year contracts, domestic energy is not. Nearly two million small business customers (SMEs) now have the freedom to choose... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=396441&ca=Business How much do prices differ for businesses? The prices that suppliers charge for business electricity, gas and other utilities can vary massively. It’s not unusual for one business to be paying three times the rate as the building next door. Over the past couple of years the highest unit rate for busi... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=396445&ca=Business What is a rollover contract? A rollover contract (also known as evergreen, assumptive renewal) is ’an agreement between two parties that is automatically renewed (rolled over) after each completion - or maturity period, until cancelled by either party.’ Unlike household energy contracts, nearly all... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=386863&ca=Business Businesses thinking of switching energy suppliers to reduce their bills should check their contracts for hidden and complex notice periods. Our estimate is that as many as two-thirds of would-be switchers suffer setbacks because they are unaware of contractual obligations they have with their existi... Business Mr Jonathan Elliott Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=386864&ca=Business Businesses switching energy suppliers to take advantage of cheap deals are being unfairly snared into expensive contracts once the initial term ends. All business electricity and gas suppliers impose increases when renewing contracts ‘assumptively’ which automatically take fixed rates from as low as... Business Management Mr Jonathan Elliott Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=386866&ca=Business+Management It’s not often that you can save £15,000 in overheads with one phone call but that’s what Hazel Healey managed. Hazel works for Nigel Clarke, one of Birmingham’s largest accommodation providers for the homeless, running 14 hostel residences as well as two independent hotels. “Our energy bills had be...