You are thus scratching your head and wondering whether someone put a tanning bed in the break room without telling you while glancing at your most recent electricity bill. Though everyone has been working remotely, the figures don't add up, and somehow the bill is larger than last month. commercial electricity? Not exactly. More akin to a jumble of poor timing and fine print.
Now let us discuss standing charges. Those annoying daily charges regardless of whether you turned on one single bulb or not. They are your energy connection's rent. You might be a cave-dweller, and the meter would still run merely for being hooked in. It is about existence rather than use. Horrible, right?
There then is the tariff circus. Fixed, changeable, semi-fixed, flexible-ish, whatever garbage someone created last Thursday. You sign a "deal" believing you are saving money, only to discover you are following a strategy that increases every time it rains somewhere else. Predictability is something? Years ago, that left the building empty.
These days, providers enjoy playing about with ideas like "great value" or "smart solutions." Usually, that means "you'll need a legal degree and a magnifying glass to know what you're actually paying for." And avoid even starting me on renewal traps. A whisker will let you miss a deadline? Welcome to a 12-month price increase not asked for.
Smart meters: disputed subject. A few people swear by them. Others assert they have made bills jump like a startled goat. One person even blamed theirs for unusual midnight surges, even though the office refrigerator was empty and the lights were out.
While some energy brokers sound useful, not all of them are saints. While pushing deals that benefit, well, clearly not you some pocket generous commissions. It's like asking a fox the nicest chicken coop. Always be aware of the cheque signing author. Should it not be you, your merchandise is here.
Let's discuss consumption. Ever actually looked at your moments of highest consumption? How much power disappears into thin air between 4 and 6 p.m.? You would be astounded. As it turns out, running 14 pots of coffee and blasting the heating at once is not a wise use of money.
And indeed, vampire devices are genuine. That printer over in the corner? Still silently consuming power even while I'm asleep. Likewise, with that antiquated microwave nobody believes in. Unplugging saves money not only for hippies.
Basically, Ask questions of everything. The numbers. The jargon. The negotiations. Anything smells fishy is most likely electric.