If you run a small business or are thinking of starting one, making sure you have the right energy provider is crucial in order to cut costs, get quality service and protect the life of your business. Knowing the right set of questions to ask when looking for a potential energy provider can help arm you with the right information in order to make the best possible choice.
Do You Have Good Relations with Small Businesses?
You’ll first want to obtain some information on other businesses around your size that work with the electricity provider. Ask to see a list of customers who have agreed to share their experience or have published testimonials on the provider’s website. This will help you gauge whether or not the electricity provider is the right match for you.
What’s Your Pricing Structure?
It is essential to take a look at the kilowatt per hour charges incurred on a typical day. Depending on the time of day there may be spikes in prices and other factors that you need to consider.
How Do You Handle Payment?
The energy provider may have different deals for different types of customers. Things like fixed rates, online options, and recurring payments may be possibilities you can look into.
How Do You Control Costs?
Several technologies exist that energy companies can leverage in order to control costs. If your potential electricity provider has these types of technologies in place, find out which ones they use. Knowing this information will help you understand whether or not they will be able to provide efficient service and help you save money.
How Do You Compare to Other Competitors?
Ensure that you are shopping around and not just going with the first provider you find online. You want to look at the competitors and compare their prices and services to see how they stack up side by side.
How Long is the Contract?
This is another important area you’ll want to look into when searching for potential electricity providers. If you are looking for better rates, a longer term contract may be the way to go.
Are There Additional Costs Associated With Using More Energy?
Going over your predetermined energy limits can eat away at your businesses profits faster than just about anything else. It is essential that you know the details and potential penalties incurred if you exceed those limits, particularly if you are making plans for expansion.
How Much Cost is Involved in Switching?
Knowing all the relevant information about your potential energy provider is important if you want to keep your businesses open for the long haul. There is a lot that goes into it, and you’ll want to make sure you understand it all, even things like charges for early termination of service. Doing this kind of research will help inform you so that you know the right questions to ask your retail energy provider and are better able to control your energy costs.
Do You Have Adequate Cyber Security?
This is a question that often gets overlooked as it doesn’t seem relevant, but it is crucial. An energy provider that does not have proper cyber security policies and protocols is one that will not be able to protect your account information from hacks and fraud. Make sure you understand what measures they will take in the event of a cyber attack.
Once you have done adequate research and are armed with the correct set of questions you’ll need to dive in and do your due diligence in order to find the right energy provider. The life of your business may depend on it.