Cold calling Energy suppliers

[jackiechanmeggiemoo]

Hi guys, how do you all find your energy suppliers?
I am a small sandwich shop and I am constantly being bombarded by cold callers for my energy business.....it drives me mad!
Who do I know is legitimate and how do I know if it's a good deal....I'm not due to renew until feb, but I'm being told I can now start to change.
Help!!!!

 

[Mr D]

Take nothing verbal as gospel, read any contracts before signing. Most especially the bit about what happens when you want to leave.
Can google for energy suppliers, best bet though is ask other businesses who they have found to be good or bad.

Sadly its common enough for sales staff to promise what cannot be delivered in order to get a sale. You being tied in for years, you getting a bad deal, you having to fork out for additional services - not the sales staff's problem.

 

[NickGrogan]

If they're cold calling you then they'll be adding a big margin to the price - cold calling for energy isn't cost-effective, so generally, you'll want to avoid anyone that cold calls.

There are plenty of comparison sites, a quick search for "energy brokers" will give you a list of consultancies, or "energy suppliers" in you want to go direct. There are also online comparison sites like Compare The Market that offer business energy too.

Avoid suppliers/brokers based in Blackpool.

Some suppliers let you agree to contracts up to 12 months ahead, other 6 months, others only 3 months, so you could agree to a contract now but not with all suppliers.

Make sure that you send a termination notice to your current supplier so that you're free to swap if you want to.

However, this won't make any difference to the number of cold calls you get, small food shops are a target for many cold calling centres - not just for energy - because they tend to have an owner-manager in the shop all day.

Good luck

 

[MikeJ]

Corporate telephone preference service does reduce the number of cold calls, and gives you an excuse to hurl abuse at them when they do phone.

 

[The Byre]

1. Tell them to put it in writing and put the phone down.

2. Hire Mr. Greemy. One of these pin-head cold callers asked for him, so we said he was out and thought no more about it. Then we got another and another, so Mr. Greemy took over building work, planning, insurance, bookkeeping, utilities, pension schemes and anything else that was asked about. Mr. Greemy was always out.

3. Mr. Greemy is available, as he got shot dead recently by his gay lover after he dated a woman.

 

[Mr D]

3. Mr. Greemy is available, as he got shot dead recently by his gay lover after he dated a woman.

Ah, useful for dealing with any zombie hunters you come across.

 

[intheTRADE]

If they're cold calling you then they'll be adding a big margin to the price - cold calling for energy isn't cost-effective, so generally, you'll want to avoid anyone that cold calls.

I expect companies like NGP and Utility Alliance who have grown 10 fold over the last 2 years on the back of cold calling would disagree with this

 

[Mr D]

And how much did they spend on cold calling?
Cost effectiveness and growth are different.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Basic rule - never, ever agree to anything on the back of a phone call - get it in writing.

 

[WaveJumper]

As above don't ever agree to anything on the phone, in fact just hang up. if you really want to change your supplier go out and look at the options for yourself.

One suggestion from me on this topic would be check with your local Chamber of Commerce or if you have a BID group in town talk to them. Having worked with several, many have group schemes running for cheap energy and even waste collection plus many other services for high street business's, give them a call.

 

[NickGrogan]

I expect companies like NGP and Utility Alliance who have grown 10 fold over the last 2 years on the back of cold calling would disagree with this

So would Utilitywise, oh wait, they went bust owing millions.

 

[intheTRADE]

So would Utilitywise, oh wait, they went bust owing millions.

Purely because of awful mismanagement at the top after cold calling got them there

 

[Noah]

Corporate telephone preference service does reduce the number of cold calls

Not to business, unless I am misinformed - in which case I will be delighted to be enlightened.

 

[NickGrogan]

Purely because of awful mismanagement at the top after cold calling got them there

No, mainly because their agents "overestimated" the consumption and got businesses to sign long contracts with very high commissions, even when the business were moving or closing in the near future.

Source: Agents that worked for Utilitywise.

Bad management didn't help either.

fyi, your website is down

 

[Mr D]

Purely because of awful mismanagement at the top after cold calling got them there

Just cold calling?

Or multiple methods some of which were more cost effective than others?

 

[Mr D]

Not to business, unless I am misinformed - in which case I will be delighted to be enlightened.

What is the purpose of Corporate telephone preference service then?

What is Corporate TPS?
The Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) is the central opt out register whereby corporate subscribers (see definition below) can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls to either all their organisation's telephone numbers, or to certain numbers. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the CTPS.

It takes 28 days for the registration to become fully effective.

If you register any of your telephone numbers you need to be aware that you may not receive unsolicited telephone calls from other organisations which you and your colleagues may find useful and would be interested in receiving.

 

[Noah]

What is Corporate TPS?

Thanks. A link would have been even more useful.

When I went searching, I ended up here :

"Your company services as an official list cleaner and licensee will be publicised on both the TPS corporate and consumer Web site listing. To apply please fill in the application form"

which didn't seem to be the solution.

 

[NickGrogan]

as well as this we can reduce the amount of nusance calls from all people trying to sell you energy and brokers trying to get more and more information from you.

Excellent, how are you going to do this?

 

[alan1302]

as well as this we can reduce the amount of nusance calls from all people trying to sell you energy

You just use nuisance forum post instead to get some free advertising? LOL

 

[UtilityLee]

Excellent, how are you going to do this?

directing calls to us and mentioning that you have an account manager who looks after your energy reduces calls by approximately 80%

 

[UtilityLee]

You just use nuisance forum post instead to get some free advertising? LOL

it may be a nuisance to you but it may help someone on here and would not be a nuisance to them. and it wasnt free advertising - i was responding to a post with a solution, that was all.

 

[Mr D]

directing calls to us and mentioning that you have an account manager who looks after your energy reduces calls by approximately 80%

Directing calls to you prevents calls coming in?

 

[intheTRADE]

Hi, I work for a company called Utility Alliance in Hartlepool, we sponsor our local football team and are a very well recognised company in the north east. we are not brokers, we are energy consultants and can actually work with you on renewals and reducing consuption annually to help you save money onn energy. as well as this we can reduce the amount of nusance calls from all people trying to sell you energy and brokers trying to get more and more information from you.
happy to discuss further if you would like to message me and i will send my details over.

You can tell UA is run by former Utilitywise employees

 

[alan1302]

and it wasnt free advertising

I think you will find it is...especially when you signed up purely to get some work

 

[Mark T Jones]

it may be a nuisance to you but it may help someone on here and would not be a nuisance to them. and it wasnt free advertising - i was responding to a post with a solution, that was all.

Ok seriously, do you think this is a sensible way to promote your business?

 

[NickGrogan]

directing calls to us and mentioning that you have an account manager who looks after your energy reduces calls by approximately 80%

And how will that reduce the number of calls?

What percentage of call centres do you think will actually make a note of this and stop calling?

 

[Mr D]

it may be a nuisance to you but it may help someone on here and would not be a nuisance to them. and it wasnt free advertising - i was responding to a post with a solution, that was all.

People helping out on multiple threads who then suggest they can help on one thread? A forum member using their speciality.
People replying to one thread and suggesting they get some work from it....

Looks like advertising.

 

[Qukaylan]

I find that you should not stick with only one supplier but search for better offers and switch suppliers when possible. You will probably need to have contract for up to one year, but after that, you will be able to choose your next supplier and decrease operational costs of your business