A commercial energy broker works with businesses by procuring energy supply for their electricity and natural gas customers. Specifically, commercial energy brokers have agreements with multiple Retail Energy Providers and offer price quotes from many suppliers to their business customers.
In addition to procuring energy supply and lowering energy costs, commercial energy brokers offer additional benefits to their customers. However, this option only exists if your business is in a deregulated energy market and you have the power to choose your energy supplier.
One of the challenges in managing your business is keeping operating costs to a minimum. Consequently, one way to do this is to focus on your business energy costs.
Lowering your operating cost requires a focus on how much energy your business uses and the rate (price) you are currently paying. Also, consider when to switch business energy suppliers and what contract termination terms apply before deciding what is best for your business.
Let us discuss the why and benefits of working with a commercial energy broker to help your business lower costs and increase energy efficiency.
Commercial Energy Broker Overview
Commercial energy brokers act as liaisons between retail energy providers (REP) and end-users such as your business in deregulated energy markets. In a deregulated energy market, REPs purchase energy from the wholesale market and resell it to businesses in the retail market.
When your business decides to purchase energy from an REP, you have the option to engage the services of a commercial energy broker. In other words, the energy broker provides you the experience and REP business relationships to work on your behalf negotiating the retail energy supply agreement (type, terms, pricing, and duration).
The first step of the commercial energy broker will be to determine the current status of your business energy contract. Since your contract has a termination date and notice period, you need to allow time to prepare a transition.
This will give you time to review different REPs, their energy plans, and take time to choose the right one for your business.
Commercial Energy Broker Value Proposition
LOWER ENERGY RATES (PRICING)
Commercial energy brokers offer value to their business customers through service and supplier competition. Since there are many retail energy providers in deregulated markets, it can be overwhelming for a business owner to vet supplier offers and decide which offer is the best.
These offers reflect wholesale energy market prices and typically are only valid for 24 hours. As a result, it is difficult to obtain quotes from 60+ suppliers and compare them on the same day.
This is where a commercial energy broker offers value to their business customers. Since they have relationships with multiple supplier price desks, it is a simple matter to quickly obtain price quotes and present them to their customers Additionally, commercial energy brokers can help their customers negotiate among the multiple suppliers, usually via real-time competitive bidding, to find the lowest energy price.
In other words, a commercial energy broker forces suppliers to compete for your business, and this competition results in lower energy rates. So your business gets the best offer available among a broker’s portfolio of energy suppliers.
DUE DILIGENCE
Commercial energy brokers understand the legal terminology in the retail energy contracts they offer to businesses. Not to mention that an energy supply contract can be complex with many different product offerings and conditions. Also, each energy contract varies by the energy supplier.
The experience of a commercial energy broker helps the business owner understand the energy contract terminology and its implications. For example, terminology such as capacity charges, bandwidth clauses, transmission charges, Kilowatt-Hours (kWh), pass-through charges, and others will affect your business energy costs.
Simply put, the commercial energy broker serves as an energy consultant (who is not on the payroll) to the business owner. As a result, you receive the advice and guidance to successfully enter into an energy supply agreement that will benefit your business’ future.
What Do Energy Brokers Do?
As previously mentioned, commercial energy brokers procure energy supplies for their electricity and natural gas customers. Furthermore, energy brokers have agreements with multiple Retail Energy Suppliers and offer price quotes from many suppliers to their commercial customers. In addition, there are complementary services that commercial energy brokers offer to bring value to their customers:
CONTRACT EXPERTISE
Commercial energy brokers understand the legal language of their customers retail energy contracts. In other words, energy brokers help customers understand the contract language and energy terminology. Consequently, their customers do not need to understand the details of the energy supply agreements of multiple suppliers themselves.
SUPPLIER VETTING
Commercial energy brokers help their customers choose reputable energy suppliers since they know the energy market. In short, not all energy suppliers are made equal.
Some energy suppliers are large, publicly-traded companies with significant financial revenue. However, other suppliers are small, “fly-by-night” energy suppliers with limited financial resources.
Consequently, the commercial energy broker helps customers clearly understand whether the energy supplier has the experience and financial resources to honor a fixed-price energy agreement without adding additional “pass-through charges.”
CUSTOMER SERVICE
As part of the business relationship, a commercial energy supplier offers customer service to their commercial customers. While utility issues are rare, if they occur, the energy broker is available to help guide the customer through the resolution process. For example, if it is a billing error or a billing question, energy brokers can help rectify the situation due to their direct lines of communication with energy suppliers.
Why Use An Energy Broker
If your business is in a deregulated market, there are many advantages to using a commercial broker for purchasing electricity or natural gas.
The most important benefit a commercial energy broker offers to their customer is procuring low-cost energy for business savings. Of course, that is the bottom line, right?
Energy brokers understand commodity markets and have supplier relationships to secure a low energy rate for your business. Also, commercial energy brokers understand how commodity markets trade and can continually monitor future prices to offer future energy savings.
When your company works with a commercial energy broker, you have the experience of an energy consultant on your staff to make your job easier. By simply calling your energy broker with a question or shopping for a new energy rate is convenience. Conversely, if you don’t use an energy broker, you are forced to take on these tasks yourself.
Here are the major benefits of working with a commercial energy broker.
SAVINGS
The energy broker has access to more energy suppliers, resulting in lower energy rates which saves on your utility bill.
CONVENIENCE
You focus on your business operation saving time while the energy broker communicates with the suppliers providing you a single energy proposal comparison.
SERVICE
Your energy broker is your single point of contact when you have a question or need of your energy supplier.
MANAGEMENT
The energy broker and support staff are market experts in anticipation of future energy savings for your business.
Commercial Energy Broker Conclusion
A commercial energy broker works with businesses by procuring energy supply for their electricity and natural gas customers. Generally, an energy broker has relationships with multiple energy suppliers to offer competitive energy rates in deregulated energy markets.
Your business energy costs depend upon much energy your business uses and the rate (price) you are currently paying. Consequently, a commercial energy broker focuses on getting you the most competitive energy rate from the right energy supplier under the best contract terms.
Call us at (888) 920-2434 or Contact Us to discuss how our Energy Broker Services can help your business take control and lower its electricity and gas costs.