Welcome to our first blog of 1-2-1 sessions with our members. This is an opportunity to expand on a member’s profile and give some personal insight into what they do and why.

First up is Keith Davidson – Davidson Associates.

Keith specialises in utility management, providing an ongoing account management and consultancy service. He is an authorised distributor of the Utility Warehouse Discount Club, an award winning residential utility provider covering phones, mobiles, broadband, gas and electricity and works with consultant brokers Full Power Utilities Ltd to ensure you are quoted the most comprehensive and competitive commercial energy whole of market prices, even if your contract renewal is some time in the future.

Keith approaches any consultation from two angles: the supplier and the client’s consumption and preferences.

“Some brokers,” Keith says, “just go to their usual suppliers and get quotes; some actually have an exclusive supplier. They have a quick call with you and then get quotes without considering your needs.

“I come and meet you – discuss your needs, build up mutual trust and use a consultant broker that explores the whole of market in full. I then pass this on with advice to the client. I manage all the paperwork to make it as easy as possible for the client. All they have to do is decide what they want!

“And I remain available as a consultant after any deal is made – to offer advice and support on an ongoing basis. I am here for the long term.”

But, it is not just about price. It’s about consumption as well. Many see their utility bills and want to reduce costs, and quite rightly too; but not many consider what is happening behind the scenes.

Keith adds, “Businesses, charities and individuals approach me to try and reduce their costs – primarily by getting cheaper rates. But I like to identify the cause of someone’s utility costs. A high tariff will obviously play a part but an organisation’s usage will also be a factor. Not many consider how they operate when considering costs.

“I offer a free consultation to look at processes as well as your bills. I aim to get to know you and your situation and be that critical friend – gently challenging things to get you thinking. I avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach and tailor my advice to your needs. Making small changes to processes can have a big impact on usage.”

Some things that Keith’s clients have benefited from include:

• LED lights – last longer and use less energy.
• Automatic/motion activated lights – lights come on when someone enters the room and switch off when no one there.
• Reducing power consumption at the more expensive times of the day, eg householders shouldn’t run tumble dryers during the day, it’s better of an evening, especially if they have a day/night tariff option.
• Switching off PCs, TVs and other devices over night – a simple thing but not many consider doing it.
• White goods should be serviced regularly, simple actions like getting rid of dust at the back of fridges and freezers once a year help to reduce consumption.
• Boilers should be serviced annually for efficiency and to maintain manufacturer’s warranty.
• Radiators should be flushed on a regular basis to ensure efficiency.

Re-evaluating your processes is so important, Keith stresses.

“One client – a car washing company – had massive water bills. They always expected it and thought it was just part of the nature of the business. I had a tour of the facilities and commented on how much water was just going down the drain. We often pay for the water twice – as it comes in and as it goes out as waste. I made recommendations to recycle water, through recycling equipment to not only reduce consumption of water from the mains but to also reduce the cost of waste. Of course, there were costs for installing the required equipment but the year-on-year savings were phenomenal.”

Another consideration is your meter readings.

“So many (both utility companies and the bill payer) rely on estimated meter readings, which can lead to peaks on bills,” says Keith. “ You may go months having bills based on an average estimated reading but once you get an actual reading you have a spike in costs, because the estimated reading was too low. Not only does this create peaks in costs, for businesses, but can impact the tax and levies you pay. In the commercial market many business owners are aware that climate levies apply, over certain daily consumption levels but not many realise the VAT rate increases to 20% above a certain level of consumption. Regular reporting of meter readings helps you monitor your consumption and thus your costs. Installing smart meters will help to manage consumption and correct monthly billing, and also saves time in reporting meter readings to your suppliers. ”

Reducing consumption is not just about saving you money either. Climate change and the need to reduce carbon, plus the ethical side, is more and more a factor in our lives.

“If you have a fleet of vans – why not consider electric vehicles or even alternatives to motorised vehicles? Is your delivery process causing you to emit too much carbon? Reduce your emissions, and then you don’t need to worry about any levies.”

And net zero carbon doesn’t stop with just yourself. Keith actively gets you to consider your suppliers and their supply chain. More and more people will happily boycott companies if they don’t agree with their ethical stance, including who they use as suppliers.

“Could you lose  customers simply because your energy supply is predominantly fossil fuel based?” Keith says, with much gravitas.

In summary, we all want to reduce costs, particularly utility costs. But we can get too focussed on the cost and not the cause of the cost. Keith can help you here, as well as finding you the best tariff. If you want to see how he can help you why not get in touch?