Switched on Solutions - Sheffield

James Bond

I've known Dave Baker since I met him at a networking event in 2008. We've remained friends since. I run an alternative therapy clinic and the energy contract was coming up for renewal. I didn’t want to suffer the rollover trap or worse be put in default out of contract rates. You may not know what that means.

If you run a business there is a chance, you’ll have a contract for your gas and electricity. Sometime in that contract there is a narrow window period of time when you can cancel that contract. If you don’t inform them appropriately during that time then at the end, they can either put you into default out of contract rates which can be sky high or they can extend the contract unilaterally and raise the rates. It’s caused many businesses to go out of business
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Anyway, I filled in a letter of authority and termination for Dave Baker’s company called Switched on Solutions. That allows his company to find out when the relevant dates are. When the time came Dave and I spoke. I told him that the powers that be at our company wanted to stay with British Gas and I furnished him with full details of what they had offered us directly. The reason being that we rent out properties too and we have some 10 accounts with them for homecare 400. Given the number of accounts we have we get good rates.

To my very pleasant surprise, the daily standing charge for both electricity and gas that Dave quoted with British Gas was markedly lower than what they offered us directly.
For electricity, the standing charge offered directly was 147.73p per day. Through Dave’s company, it was 62p per day! The unit charge was 29.175p directly and 24.94p per KwH through Dave’s company.

For gas, the standing charge offered directly was 161.17p Through Dave’s company the daily standing charge was 44.6 pence per day! The unit charge was 6.659p directly and 8.8 p per KwH through Dave’s company.

Now our energy usage is very low so the difference in unit charge was irrelevant. The difference in the daily standing charge almost made me fall out of my chair (literally!)

Now the contract has come through with all the relevant contract dates. Now it is true that I will put them in my diary and fill in a letter of authority and termination. However, that’s not necessary. Dave’s company is on the ball, it’s something I don’t need to worry about. I won’t suffer the rollover trap nor will we go into default out of contract rates. What’ll happen is that nearer the time he’ll contact me and duplicate the process and get me a good rate.

As a business owner I have a million and one things to do. Now I do not have the time or expertise to scour the market for the umpteen energy suppliers there are out there. Some of them only supply businesses and aren’t on price comparison websites, they only go through brokers like Switched on Solutions. It would take me a few days to do this and even if I did, I wouldn’t get a good price like Switched on Solutions would get me.

So, the usual questions. Are they worth the money? Well, the service is free but even if they had charged me £100 for the service I would have paid it. When the contract came through I was told of their commission. A business owner’s time is worth at least £100 per hour so that paled into insignificance, Two days at eight hours per day at £100 per hour is £1600. No business owner can afford that much time and money.

Would I recommend Dave’s company to anyone? All day every day.

Would I use them again? Of course!

My advice to the reader is to give Switched on Solutions a call and get the ball rolling to saving you a lot of money.

Jill Wood