My Worst Nightmares as an Energy Consultant
I’m an Energy Consultant. And I strive to help businesses better manage and save on their energy costs. Sounds simple,
I’m an Energy Consultant. And I strive to help businesses better manage and save on their energy costs. Sounds simple,
I’m an Energy Consultant. And I strive to help businesses better manage and save on their energy costs. Sounds simple, right?
Well, you know what keeps me up at night?
It’s not the energy markets.
It’s not natural gas prices or supplier contracts.
It’s when I see businesses unknowingly walk right into bad deals, and they don’t even know it.
After 25 years in the energy consulting business, I’ve seen it all.
So I decided to share my worst nightmares, not to scare you, but to help you avoid the common (and costly) mistakes that many businesses, both small and large, make when managing their energy.
That might sound like a dream scenario, but here’s the truth:
Loyalty doesn’t always guarantee you’re getting the best deal.
In fact, sticking with the same consultant without checking other options could mean missing out on significantly lower rates. So, while sticking with the same energy consultant has many benefits, it never hurts to at least look at pricing from another consultant.
Competition keeps the industry on its toes and keeps consultants working hard to ensure their customers have the best pricing – like we do. And the only person who benefits is you. When you accept pricing options from another competing energy consultant, one of two things is going to happen:
The one thing I will say is beware of any offers that have an “introductory price” connected to them (more on that in my next nightmare).
Now, this might sound funny coming from an energy consultant – me telling you to stay open to other pricing options. But here’s the thing. I’m confident because I know how we operate here at Energy Professionals.
At Energy Professionals, we don’t just pull standard rates; we leverage one of the largest networks of retail energy suppliers in the industry. We’re constantly negotiating and cross-comparing pricing to find you the best rate possible. Even businesses with long-standing relationships are often surprised at how much we save them.
Unfortunately, we see this quite often:
Customers sign up for a contract with a very low introductory rate.
Sounds great at first.
But what they don’t realize is that the rate starts climbing after a few months, and often ends up higher than the standard utility rate by the time the contract is up.
We help our clients avoid this trap entirely.
Our team thoroughly reviews all contract terms, not just the rate on the first page. We negotiate on your behalf to lock in competitive, predictable pricing – no surprises.
This one hurts the most.
A business goes into a contract and locks in a rate just before prices drop, or worse, they only get pricing from one supplier.
See, many energy consultants work for just one energy supplier, and they only sell that supplier’s pricing.
And that’s something that sets us apart from many smaller operations. We work with one of the largest networks of energy suppliers in the U.S., and we obtain pricing from the most reliable suppliers in your area and present you with the top 3 options, giving you complete power to choose.
At Energy Professionals, we shop the entire market, and more importantly, we negotiate those prices. Most brokers just send you a quote—we fight for the best rate and terms. We’re not tied to one supplier; we’re tied to your success.
This doesn’t happen very often, but here’s what to watch out for:
When you’re presented with a suspiciously low rate from an energy supplier you’ve never heard of, ask questions. Now, just because you’ve never heard of them doesn’t mean they aren’t a reliable supplier. But why not ask?
There are smaller energy suppliers out there that mismanage their energy purchases and go under when the market spikes. It doesn’t happen often. But if your energy supplier suddenly goes under (and yes, it happens), you might find yourself automatically transferred to the utility’s standard rate, which can be much higher.
That’s why we vet every supplier we work with. With decades in this industry, we’ve built relationships with only the most reliable, financially sound, and customer-focused energy providers.
Let me ask you a question:
Have you ever stopped to think about how much easier computers, smartphones, apps, and software make our lives?
Well, imagine how much easier your life would be with utility bill management software.
Gone are the days when you collect all your bills by email or mail and then enter them all into an Excel sheet to try to keep track of all your expenses.
And if you have more than 10 locations and no way to track all your utility bills in one place, you’re probably losing money or overspending it.
That’s why we partner with industry-leading utility bill management platforms.
These tools serve as your single source of truth for all energy usage and spend, helping us (and you) automate the entire utility bill capture process, providing a way to analyze all your bills, identify anomalies, waste, and cost-saving opportunities across all locations.
You should never sign an energy contract without a discussion about the energy market and a good explanation as to “why” that rate and contract term is a good move.
Some businesses, not completely understanding the energy market, make decisions based on someone’s word or a “gut feeling” about the market.
But we don’t guess.
We have an on-site team of experts who analyze real-time market data, look at historical pricing trends, and consult with energy market experts to back every recommendation we make.
And yes, sometimes when we predict the energy market will go down, we’ll ask you to hold off signing any contracts until we can get you better pricing – because at the end of the day, we don’t win if you don’t get the best possible energy rate.
While no one can predict the future 100%, we give you the best-informed options to protect your budget. And we provide all the information you need to make an informed decision, one that you are confident about.
We are so dedicated to making sure you have all the information you need to make a decision that we are the registered trademark owners of “Knowledge is Power.”
We’ll never push a supplier or contract on you. We’re here to:
That’s what we do. We’re Energy Professionals, and your energy strategy is our priority.
CONTACT US if you’d like us to review your bills and see what rates are available.
James Lightning
Editor, Energy Professionals
info@energyprofessionals.com
(888) 473-3829
Energy Professionals is committed to finding its customers the best possible rates on electricity and natural gas. Tell us your location and service type and our energy manager will connect you to the most competitive offers.
Switching to an alternate supplier is easy. There is no chance of service disruption, and you'll continue with your current utility for energy delivery and emergency service. Take a few minutes to discover your best offers, and enjoy the benefits of retail energy in your home or business.
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