News Archive - Monthly Archives: April 2018

Young star racing ahead thanks to sponsorship deal

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Motorbike racing prodigy Jay Able takes after his name when it comes to hurtling around race tracks at high speeds.

The 12-year-old from Westbury in Wiltshire is one of the fastest in his age group on two wheels, having swept all before him in a fantastic start to the season despite a step up in grade.

Riding his Aprilia RS125 bike – capable of speeds of up to 100mph, Jay claimed a hat-trick of trophies at the recent Anglesey meeting of the NG (North Gloucestershire) Road Racing Series and is also top of the Formula 125 EMRA (East Midlands Racing Association) Championship after winning both the opening rounds.

Last season Jay finished fourth in the British Mini GP70 class and reached the final stages of the inaugural British Talent Cup – a stepping stone for young British riders to make it in MotoGP – despite competing against lads up to four years older than himself.

Only an engine seizure in the first round of the Championship and ongoing clutch problems prevented him from claiming a podium finish.

Teenage gears

Supported by Bradford-on-Avon company Energy Management and other sponsors, Jay’s schedule is set to become even busier when he turns 13 in July and becomes eligible to compete in the Junior SuperSport 300 Series.

Energy Management is delighted to be able to play a small part in helping Jay remain on track so that one day he can fulfil his ambition of joining the British SuperBikes circuit.

“Many of us within the company are motor-racing enthusiast ourselves and as we’re always looking to help out talented youngsters in the local area, it seemed like a natural fit when we first heard that Jay and his family were looking for sponsors to help fund what is an expensive sport,” said Energy Management director Malcolm Barrington.

“We’re delighted to continue our association with Jay and his family for a second year and would like to congratulate him on a fantastic start to the season. Long may it continue.”

Jay’s dad Mark, a motorbike training instructor, thanked Energy Management for their ongoing support.

He commented: “Even at this stage of his career you’re looking at an annual commitment of around £15,000 so any funding we get helps massively. The sponsorship we receive from companies like Energy Management is crucial in helping to keep Jay on the track.”

Jay is not the only speedster in his family. Younger brother Sean, aged 11, is also showing great promise and currently competes in the Cool Fab British Mini-Bike Championship.

 

Bringing multiple energy contracts into line

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Running a business across several sites can be complicated – and potentially costly – without a co-ordinated energy management programme in place.

Over time extensions may be added to existing properties or new sites bought as your company grows, bringing about changes in your energy needs. This may involve having new meters installed or amendments to your capacity allowance.

If not properly managed, and not all companies have the necessary in-house expertise or time to do this, you could end up with a disparate energy contract portfolio with different renewal dates for your gas and electricity necessitating negotiations with multiple suppliers.

A lack of joined-up thinking in procurement, cost management and consumption makes it difficult to pinpoint areas where energy efficiencies can be made and lead to missed opportunities when it comes to saving money.

Looking specifically at procurement, aligning energy contracts into one brings clarity and has several advantages:

  • An identical start and end date to an energy contract allows for smoother negotiations at renewal time
  • Buying larger volumes from one supplier should help secure a better price for your power
  • Uniformity of billing makes it easier to spot errors contained in invoices

Speak to one of our procurement team to find out how we can help secure the best deal for you regardless of how many sites or meter points you have.

Click HERE to find out how we helped a nationwide logistics company align all their energy contracts.

 

Energy prices: protecting yourself against the ‘perfect storm’

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The volatility of the energy price market was brought into sharp focus in March.

With homeowners and business owners turning up the heating to beat the big freeze, demand threatened to outstrip supply, prompting National Grid to issue its first gas deficit warning since its introduction in 2012.

It was the ‘perfect storm’ predicted by industry experts back in August when Centrica took the decision to fully close its Rough storage site, off the Yorkshire coast, due to safety concerns.

Until it was taken offline, Rough accounted for more than 70 percent of the UK’s gas storage capacity and could meet 10 percent of daily peak winter demand for nearly three months.

Fears that the UK would become more dependent on imports and vulnerable to price hikes in the winter months came to pass as same-day delivery prices tripled at one point to reach a 12-year high.

For businesses that do not want to be exposed to such volatility, Energy Management recommends Fixed-Priced energy contracts.

Fixed-price contracts are longer-term energy procurement arrangements that offer businesses greater security, planning and budgeting.

Other businesses may be less risk-averse and willing to use fluctuations in the energy market to their own advantage, in which case more flexible options are available.

If you would like to talk to one of our team about the options available, please give us a call on 01225-867722