It may be fun, but Christmas can be an expensive time of year for the small business owner. With central heating pumping as the winter kicks in, lights on in every room as the evenings get darker, it’s clear that there’s also a cost – your energy bill.

And yet it’s a very easy overhead to cut by paying less for the energy you use and learning to use less of it. There are around 4.7 million small businesses in the UK. Although many owners run their business from home, around 3 million SMEs have standalone business premises, such as hotels, bars and restaurants. Many of these may be locked into a contract with an energy supplier.

But energy is a cost that it is all too easy for businesses to overlook, says James Pink, managing director of pinkconnect.

Businesses are tied into contracts for utilities supply for up to three years. Did you know that when you reach the end of your contract your utility supplier has the right to roll you into a further two-year contract at price of their choosing? If you do nothing your bills could treble. All contracts have a specified notice period and if you did not give notice “in time” in “the right form of words” you may be tied into continuing service with the same supplier but at a price of their choosing, never in your best interest!

How can you prevent this roll over into a new contract? Simple, make sure you send a good utilities broker a copy of your bills. They will make a note of your contract dates on their system and they can let you know when your renewal date is coming up and move you to the best supplier for you at that time.

For a good broker with sensible advice and best prices.

See: Commercial Power