Managing your energy costs

We're through the first quarter of 2025: the oil, gas, and electricity markets have been up and down, affected by weather, gas storage, the economy, and global events. World events will keep affecting UK energy prices, but we must focus on what we can control.

UK and European gas storage is at its lowest in three years, at just 34% full. Replenishing it before summer ends is key to getting through next winter.

To help you understand what is going on in the energy market and plan ahead, our Trusted Supplier, Utility Aid, produces quarterly energy outlook reports.

Read the full energy outlook report for January-April 2025.

Watch a clip from our webinar which shares tips for keeping costs down in the energy crisis.

Run in partnership with SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) and our Trusted Supplier, Utility Aid.

Energy saving tips

Reducing your organisation’s energy consumption does not require big changes. You can start small. Here are some energy-saving tips from our Trusted Supplier, Utility Aid:

• Turn off appliances that are on standby mode. This could reduce your electricity consumption by an average of 2.5%.
• Check for draughts and report any cracks at work. Draught-proofing a building could reduce heating consumption by as much as 15%.
• Switch to energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs. You can reduce the amount of energy you use for lighting by 90%.
• Only boil the water you need. If everyone did this, we would save enough electricity a year to power the UK’s street lights for a month.

Make educated decisions when switching energy contracts

Did you know that you can secure your new energy contract 12 months in advance of your contract end date? This means that you have plenty of time to shop around and make a more educated decision before switching energy contracts.

Utility Aid has developed their switching site, a tool that lets you generate quotes and secure contracts in a matter of minutes.

Small charities with single meter sites can utilise this tool and make switching simple.

Energy efficiency achieves desired levels of lighting, heating or cooling for minimum energy use, cutting down on waste energy.

Here are some ways your organisation can improve your energy efficiency:

Understand your energy usage with Utility Aid's Green Pack

It has been suggested that to reach Net Zero, we need to reduce the consumption and carbon output in our built environment by between 60-80%.

The Green Pack aims to help organisations reduce consumption in a financially feasible manner. We work with organisations to identify the budgets necessary and promote a methodology based on circular investment - so what they save this year they will reinvest next.

Green procurement

Utility Aid works with many suppliers who offer Green Energy supply. Your organisation can take advantage of this by engaging in their procurement system.

Utility Aid offers a no-obligation quote that will provide all the Green Energy Tariffs that are available.

Education

Appointing an energy champion for a building will help organisations control energy consumption. Utility Aid provides energy champion training to educate on-site building managers on energy and what they can do to help minimise energy spend.

Identification

The identification part of the process is done via an energy audit. This is a remote service, site visits would be an additional cost if required. Once this stage is completed, you will have a thorough report detailing all areas that have potential energy wastage.

Action plan

After completion of your audit, Utility Aid develops a timeline of when measures should be installed and look at potential avenues for funding and financing your project. Your report identifies the savings from implementing single measures, and often implementing multiple measures together will have an impact on the level of savings achieved.

Verification

You will receive:

• A certificated carbon and energy report 12 and 24 months after engagement
• Have access to an additional 1 hour of consultant time to discuss progress, new ideas and any pain points you are experiencing.

Providing this service ensures you stay on track and gives you peace of mind that Utility Aid is on the journey with you.

Engage with local net zero hubs

These are regional hubs that support local authorities and communities to develop local net zero programmes and projects.

They also provide good practice guidance, tools and resources. They act as delivery body for a range of schemes.

Find out more about the five regional hubs and the support they offer:

• Net Zero North West
• North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub
• Greater South East Net Zero Hub
• South West Net Zero Hub
• Midlands Net Zero Hub.

Community Energy England gather a range of ongoing and time-limited funding from a wide range of sources and regions, all relevant to community energy organisations in England.