Insights

BICS and the Energy Intensive Industries scheme both cut manufacturers’ electricity costs – but you can only claim one, and you may be excluded from BICS if you qualify for EII. Here is how to tell which route is yours.

Half-hourly settlement is more complex than most finance teams realise. A clear guide to how HH metering works, what the parties involved do, and where billing errors enter the chain.

A practical step-by-step guide to preparing for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme: the codes, site data, six months of consumption evidence and electricity assessment you need to gather now.

How BICS eligibility is decided: the sector (SIC code), product (HS code) and electricity intensity tests, why it is assessed site by site, and how to check where your business stands.

How does the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme actually work, and what could it be worth to your business? A clear explainer of BICS savings, exemption bands and timing.

Energy is one of the largest and most controllable operational costs for UK businesses. A practical guide to procurement strategy, bill recovery, data visibility and compliance integration.

Buying energy well is not about finding the cheapest quote. A complete guide to energy procurement strategy for medium and large UK organisations – timing, structure, tendering and independent advice.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 explained clearly for UK businesses. Who must report, what the data requirements are, and how to build a process that serves both compliance and commercial purposes.

MHHS is already underway – migration started in 2025 and continues through 2026 into 2027. A clear guide to what the reform means for UK businesses and what to do now.

ESOS Phase 4 is not a simple repeat of Phase 3. New requirements, a tighter timeline, and a December 2027 deadline. Here is what has changed and what to do now.

A commercial water audit independently reviews your business water bills line by line, identifying overcharges and errors. Most businesses that have one find something worth recovering.

Your energy contract renewal happens every few years. Get it right and you reduce cost and risk. Get it wrong and you’re locked in at the wrong price for the next one to three years. Here’s how to approach it properly.

Managing energy across multiple sites without the right platform means working blind. This guide covers what a commercial energy management platform should do – and what most don’t.

ESOS Phase 4, SECR annual reporting, CCA renewals, and more. A complete reference guide to UK energy compliance deadlines for finance teams and sustainability managers.

Billing errors in commercial energy are more common than most finance teams realise. These are the most frequent mistakes we find – and how to spot them before they compound.

Both are mandatory. They cover overlapping ground. They are not the same thing. A clear guide to the two main UK energy compliance frameworks – and how they actually fit together.

If you manage utility costs for a business, there is a reasonable chance you have been overcharged. Here’s how revenue recovery works – and how to find out what you’re owed.

DUoS. CCL. TNUoS. Every charge on your UK commercial energy bill explained clearly – so you can spot errors and understand what you’re really paying for.

Markets move fast. Contract structures are complex. The wrong decision at the wrong moment can cost you tens of thousands. Here’s how to think about it – properly.

The UK’s hospitality sector is under growing strain. Once manageable energy bills have become one of the biggest threats to profitability.

One of the latest developments is the Nuclear Regulated Asset Base (RAB) Levy, which will soon appear on business electricity bills.

The UK’s electricity system is on the verge of one of its largest reforms in decades: moving from a system where many consumers’ usage is estimated (or averaged) to one where every meter is settled half-hourly.

In today’s volatile energy market, businesses are under pressure to control rising electricity costs while meeting sustainability goals.

Over the past three months we’ve noticed a trend, with businesses actively contacting us for a second opinion and guidance. We’re happy to oblige and always offer an honest assessment of the situation.

We’ve spoken before about the “Perfect Storm” which is causing the current energy crisis. There’s been multiple issues that have all happened at the same time and it’s impacted the supply and price of gas across Europe and beyond.

The energy regulator, Ofgem, launched a review in February 2018 that focussed on delivering a faster, more reliable energy switching service tailored for residential customers and micro-businesses.

We’re supporting our clients to achieve their Net Zero objectives with a range of measures, starting with understanding how they consume energy and then designing, implementing and measuring their renewable energy strategy.

At eyebright we help our property management clients efficiently manage their energy contracts and portfolio.

We’ve listed some of our top tips below.

In an announcement on Sunday, National Grid confirmed it had sold a 60% equity interest in its UK gas transmission and metering business to Macquarie Asset Management & British Columbia Investment Management Corporation.

The energy crisis has been well documented over the past two months, but we’re often asked about the solutions that could change the current landscape and improve the situation for residential and commercial customers.

There’s concern about the escalating issues between Russia and Ukraine, especially as Vladimir Putin has now taken military action. This uncertainty is leading business decision makers to receive conflicting advice on what the best course of action is for their company.

We have many customers that require a comprehensive energy solution to meet their multi-site utility needs. Organisations that have multiple different sites or numerous meters in one location for their gas and electricity…

Many businesses, regardless of size, often find that they’ve forgotten to renegotiate their business energy deal and have moved onto the variable rate. This means that the cost of energy per unit will rise unnecessarily.

The last two years have been difficult for many businesses and specific sectors have been affected more than most. From recession to Brexit and COVID-19 to rising energy prices, it’s been a challenging time to lead a business.

The government has reopened the Climate Change Agreement (CCA) scheme to new entrants and it’s an excellent opportunity to receive a discount on your Climate Change Levy (CCL).

At eyebright, we’re proud to support our clients with their sustainability and energy strategies, especially as more organisations decide to make the switch to greener energy.

Northern Irish energy supplier, firmus, has announced that it intends to increase the cost of its tariffs. The move, which will see costs increase for domestic and commercial customers…

In April 2022 a new charging structure will be implemented following a review by the industry regulator, Ofgem. This process is called the Targeted Charging Review and it will be implemented in stages.

Following the news that many energy companies have ceased trading we felt it important to help you understand what’s happening and provide a response to the most common questions we’re being asked.

The Premier League in England will host the first net zero carbon game of football on the 19th September when Chelsea visit Tottenham Hotspur. Supported by COP26 and the English Premier League, the fixture will be called #GameZero.

News emerged this week that energy supplier PfP Energy has ceased trading, leaving 80,000 residential customers and 5,000 non-domestic customers without an energy supplier. So, when providers close what happens to your business energy?

During the pandemic there was a suggestion that carbon emissions could fall as a result of businesses being closed, however research from Gazprom Energy has not found this to be the case.

The Department for Business has opened an investigation to assess how green energy is being produced and marketed, with concerns being raised that some companies are misleading consumers.

DC Thomson, Journey to a greener future. If you are interested in making your business more sustainable, get in touch with our eyebright team.

In recent years, renewable energy tariffs have become increasingly popular. In response to this demand, more suppliers are now offering green tariffs.

Starlink, the brain child of billionaire Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk, is a highly ambitious satellite internet service that aims to deliver high speed internet access anywhere on the planet.

Climate change agreements are voluntary agreements made by UK industry and the Environment Agency to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

OJEU, previously OJEC, is the Official Journal of the European Union. All public sector tenders with a value above a certain threshold are published here. Organisations which receive public money are covered by this legislation

Certain companies are now required to participate in SECR under The Companies Directors’ report and Limited Liability Partnerships (energy and carbon report) Regulations 2018 which came in to action on 1st April 2019.

Sifting through bills, trying to access meter readings and comparing tariffs that make little or no sense are all common pain points for housing associations.

eyebright examines short term measures to reduce business energy costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information please get in touch

For several businesses, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) otherwise known as cogeneration provides the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and the cost of energy bills.

Geothermal energy is the energy stored in the form of heat beneath the earth’s surface and is a renewable source which is present all over the globe.

DCP161 was introduced by industry regulator Ofgem to ensure Half Hourly supplies which have gone beyond their assigned available capacity will be charged a serious amount more than currently.

In Scotland, the charges for un-metered business water supplies are based on the rateable value of the property. Apart from premises that have been built since 1 April 2017, water and waste water charges for most premises are…

With the launch of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme in late March 2018, the UK Government will support UK SMEs that currently don’t have access to full fibre broadband (FTTP/FTTC) with vouchers…

The transition to renewables from a rigorous carbon era is well underway. Many large businesses can easily make the necessary adjustments to their business infrastructure to reduce their carbon footprint.

What does it mean to be green? In our modern world, many customers, whether it be consumers, businesses, or public-sector organisations, expect the businesses they buy from to be sustainable and…

If you take an interest in the energy politics, or politics in general, you may be aware of the ‘Clean Growth Strategy’, subject to many a headline in the last couple of months.

Earlier this week the UK Government proudly announced that they had accomplished their target of reaching 95% superfast broadband coverage across the UK.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) have been known to us for the last 6 years and are now well established with the commercial property sector.

Individual holiday homes, which are rented out in their entirety as specific properties to groups of people now require an Energy Performance Certificate in Scotland, contrary to advice prior to January 2017.

With 500,000 business users moving away from legacy telephony systems every year, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony is expected to have made the traditional ISDN market extinct by 2025.

Scotland’s mountains are not only beautiful and a big asset for the UK’s tourism and leisure industries, they are also invaluable for the energy industry.

We are approaching the festive season once again. Christmas is a time of happiness, but it can also be the cause of stress for many.

The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is an energy assessment and energy saving scheme that is compulsory for all large UK organisations and their corporate groups that meet the qualifying criteria.

To better understand your electricity costs you should know what different cost elements your supplier is billing you for.

Free WiFi in arenas and stadiums used to be a pleasant surprise for spectators. It has become an expectation.

FTTC and FTTP are the two primary methods for the delivery of broadband into a business premise or home.

Six months after the opening of the commercial water market in England to competition, how are the 1.2 million business water customers embracing their newfound freedom?

Free WiFi used to be a pleasant surprise for customers and selling point for hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and tourist attractions.

Smart Meters are being rolled out through out the UK at a rapid rate and if your business doesn’t have one yet then it will do in the very near future.

Following on from the new EU regulations General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) which is being rolled out as of January 2018.

For all businesses involved in telephone trading, May 2018 is a time to mark in the diary. New EU legislation regarding General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) is being introduced across all member states…

DDoS attacks have been mentioned far and wide in the news. The attacks have impacted online services ranging from Russian Banks to Spotify, Twitter, the Clinton and Trump US Election websites and everyone in between.

In this “Focus on” article, we are sharing another client success story. A case where we could help a great local business improve their utilities management, and make a difference through significant savings and maximum support.

At Delft University of Technology, researchers have been working on an alternative to fossil fuels which just so happens to be a toilet…

You can’t turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or open a newspaper these days without seeing an advert from Smart Energy GB telling you about the next generation of energy metering.

Choosing an energy supplier can be complicated and once your choice has been made, you need to stick with the supplier for the duration of your contract – which can easily be several years.

Making sure you get the best deal on utilities does not have to be a complex procedure, although in today’s market there are a lot of ways in which you can end up paying more than you should be.

Studies have shown that businesses in the UK could save more than £1.6 billion if they reduced their energy use and waste simply by implementing greener behaviours.

White Space as a new cutting-edge piece of technology has the power to totally alter and shift the landscape of digital telecommunications. The benefits that have been discovered brings many advantages…

In 2017, most businesses in the UK have access to working broadband along and can choose from different providers, and types of connection.

Embracing the opportunity to support green energy is something all business should strongly consider. The environmental benefits should always be the primary driver in making the decision to “go green” but…

In this article which is part of our “Focus: on” series, we share the success story of another clients of ours. Our client, who asked us to stay anonymous, is based in North East England and offers…

The signed Letter of Authority is a critical part of a satisfactory client experience with eyebright. We pride ourselves on being able to save a client time in managing their utilities and in presenting our client…

The Scottish Government is currently encouraging businesses and households in Scotland to become more digital. Introducing the “Digital Scotland” Programme was a key step on the way to transforming Scotland into a world class digital nation by 2020.

In today’s world running a business on the move has never been easier. How? Fibre broadband. For businesses, fibre broadband allows you…

Your water bill is made up of different elements: Water and sewerage charges, plus in some case other, usually infrastructure related charges.

In our “Focus on” series, we want to spotlight some of our favourite customer cases. Cases where we could help a great company by taking away unnecessary cost, hassle and frustration and really make a difference.

Many of the Competition and Markets Authority’s “remedies” for the energy market are taking effect over the next few weeks, and with their implementation, we are expecting some significant changes in favour of energy customers.

There are some big changes afoot in the SME energy market at present with the Competition and Markets Authority’s “remedies” starting to take effect over the next few weeks.

Our series on the leading parties’ plans for the UK energy market concludes with an analysis of the relevant statements in the Green Party’s manifesto, or as they call it “The Green Guarantee”

Only two days to go until the UK General Election 2017, and in the fourth article in our series on energy in the leading parties’ campaigns, the spotlight is on UKIP’s vision for the energy market.

Leading up to the General Election on Thursday, 8 June 2017, we scrutinise the leading parties’ energy policies. The third article in our series is dedicated to the Liberal Democrats’ stance on energy.

What do the General Election 2017 campaigns reveal about the parties’ energy policies? For the second part of our series of articles we have scoured the Labour manifesto for their plans…

The General Election is fast approaching and each of the leading parties have now published the manifestos. In a series of articles we will scrutinise their positions on energy and how their implementations would affect your business.

In this article, we will have a closer look at one of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) suggested remedies to make the UK energy market more competitive and consumer-friendly.

The energy industry always seems to be in a state of flux. Technology changes, and it must adapt and embrace or risk being left behind.

Project Nexus is an upgrade to the UK’s gas IT infrastructure that primarily centres around how data is passed between the Central Data Service Provider for the UK gas market (Xoserve), and gas suppliers.

National Grid (or Scotia Gas Networks in Scotland) operate the majority of the UK pipelines. In recent times, though, this market has become more competitive through the emergence of IGTs, or Independent Gas Transporters.

Meter Operator (MOP) agreements and Data Collection and Aggregation (DC/DA) agreements are often overlooked but with the ever-changing energy market and the introduction of P272 it is now more…

One important and simple way to accommodate the boom in new devices and attract customers to your premises is to source a reliable WiFi connection and allow your customers stable access to the internet from your premises.

Climate change is one of the key issues in energy production, and abandoning coal as a source for energy is one of the main strategies to “go green” and avoid global warming.

We are always delighted when we get the chance to really demonstrate our expertise and knowledge by helping a local business with a particularly tricky situation or securing savings that really make a difference.

April the 1st has come and gone with the full effects of the Ofgem legislation P272 coming in to force. The question is who has been left looking foolish, the energy industry or the unsuspecting customers they supply.

To larger consumers of electricity, KVA charges are nothing new but they are often overlooked when it comes to an avenue for savings.

Competition. Cost-cutting. Return on capital employed. These are words and phrases that may not naturally be the first concern to a charitable or not-for-profit organisation (NPOs).

It is probably the hottest topics for many businesses in the UK in 2017: The most recent businesses rates revaluation. Our guide will answer the most pressing questions for everyone whose business is affected by the new rates.

The countdown towards the deregulation of the English Water market is finally over. In this blog article, we will have a look at the benefits and opportunities…

The Chancellor’s latest budget announcement once again stressed the UK government’s ambition to create a world-leading digital economy.

Currently, if you are the owner of a commercial premise that is not occupied, you do not have to pay any water charges. From April 1st 2017, owners, landlords, property development and management companies will…