All posts by EnergySeeker

What the removal of Climate Change Levy (CCL) means for customers.

In the Budget statement on 8 July 2015, the Chancellor announced the Government’s intention to remove the Climate Change Levy (CCL) exemption for renewable electricity. This change means that Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) relating to renewable source electricity generated from 1 August 2015 onwards will no longer be eligible for the purposes of the CCL exemption.

There will be a “transition period” to redeem any LECs relating to generation before 1 August 2015; the length of this transition period is yet to be determined by the government which presents uncertainty for the industry.

Ofgem have clarified that LECs (and UK Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin “REGOs” or EU Guarantees of Origin “GoOs”) will continue to be issued for UK and Continental renewable generators post 1 August, but will not be eligible for CCL exemption.

The change in legislation will affect some customers, and for many suppliers they will be looking to ease-in potential changes wherever possible. In particular, customers that will be effected to some degree are customers on Levy Exempt Energy contracts, Customers on Renewable Energy, Customers with discounts to CCL fixed in unit rates and Renewable Energy – new customers and renewals.

Energy providers will be in direct communication with customers prior to any changes to announce the details of their response to this Government’s announcement. For further information on the removal of the CCL exemption for renewable electricity, in the first instance contact your energy provider, or alternatively get in touch with us and we will be happy to assist.

This week, the Government launched a campaign with the slogan “Power To Switch”, which is to encourage consumers to shop around to find cheaper energy deals.

It said 95% of dual fuel customers of the so-called big six suppliers could have saved an average of between £258 and £663 a year by switching.

Labour has vowed to freeze prices for 20 months if it wins the General Election in May, a pledge which sparked fury among big six suppliers. With this in mind the Energy suppliers have already started increasing the rates due to this General Election as they will be worried they might not be able to increase the rates for 20 months!

Now is the best time to start having a look at your Energy bills and get a cost comparison sorted! You can do this easily on our website all you need to do is fill in a short form and we will be in touch, Or you can give us a call to discuss this further on 02476 555115.

Did you know businesses in the UK waste on average around 20% of the energy they buy! Applying our top 5 tips to save on Energy bills is probably a lot easier than you think. Being energy efficient makes a huge difference.

Here are the 5 tips to save on Energy bills, starting today!

1. Switch Lights off Switching off lights in unoccupied areas and making sure all lights are switched off at night. Changing to energy efficient light bulbs could cut your lighting costs by as much as 15% each year!

2. When not being used, switch off computers and other appliances (don’t leave them on standby) Did you know that a single computer and monitor left on 24 hours a day will cost over £50 a year! So if you have just 15 computers in the office, that’s a saving of over £700 in the year! It might not be possible to turn off computers in the day but if they are not in use at night turn them off. Also printers and scanners should also be turned off when not in use.

3. Control your heat Why lose up to 35% of the heat from your office through the walls and up to another 25% through the roof when you could install cavity wall and loft insulation? Double-glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50%.

4. Turn the heating down Inefficient heating and cooling are often the prime reason for high energy bills simply reducing the temperature by 1ºC can cut your heating bills by 10%. Often in a business environment simple heat saving tips can be employed that will save money.

5. Cost Comparison Did you know the price of energy has been on the rise for a number of years now rising around 9-10% each year? Comparing the energy market for your business is really worthwhile and you could make some great savings!