14 entrepreneurs Energy broker does power the Zen way
Enlightened power purchasing is the ethos behind Zenergi, a very switched on company based at Lyndhurst. It was started by Kevan and Rachel Walsh 10 years ago and is an energy broker and consultant of electricity, gas, water and telecoms, specialising in business and education. Its focus is to secure the best solutions for customers, whether they operate from a single site or several, at a time when there is a huge amount of choice. Zenergi was formed to bring simplicity and directness and offer a breath of fresh air to those tasked with sourcing the best power supplies from multiple suppliers. As an independent, privately-owned business, with no ties or formal links to others, it is free to move through the market to identify and provide solutions, writes Sue Hughes of The Business Magazine
With more than 17 years in the energy sector, Kevan and fellow director, his wife Rachel, have dealt with every conceivable aspect of giving customers the best energy packages, advice and service. In that time they’ve also been exposed to one sad, but undeniable truth – that customers are not looked after as well as they should be by utility companies. Customers are often forced to deal with people who don’t have the experience to provide the right solution and they are invariably treated as a source of profit rather than a person. Their determination to change that drives the spirit of Zenergi.
How do you account for your success overall and do you have a business mantra?
What’s your background in the energy sector and how did it lead you or inspire you to set up your own business?
Most of the male side of my family are in the Forces, but I soon realised that wasn’t for me as I don’t like people telling me what to do. I went to college for a day, and then realised the commercial world was for me. After working for some friends in an office equipment company I went on to work for another friend in contract procurement and the energy brokerage side developed when the markets de- regulated in 1994. Zenergi was formed a decade ago – a year after electricity was deregulated. It began with a consortia of schools and we worked to obtain cheaper electricity for them.
How did the company grow from that point?
Rachel and I rented offices near to our home, then at Fawley; it was just the two of us with family members drafted in for help. We moved – both home and office eight years ago – to Lyndhurst and we grew organically. From 2012-13 we have increased from eight to 20 staff. We have a strong management team and non-executive directors who help grow the business in other areas.
www.businessmag.co.uk
We’ve always punched above our weight and continuous self improvement has helped to grow the team, which is the core of the business. We always do business the ’zen’ way, a certain way and its integral to training for all members of the team. We answer the phone within three rings, you will always speak to a real person and not tap your way through a menu, and customers have a personal point of contact. We don’t have account numbers – we have names. Our philosophy is to take the stress out of utility buying through having the right trained staff. We hire for attitude; it’s not just about IT and software, but we have highly customised CRM software and this is an ongoing area of business development. We undertake data validation, rebuild invoices and can, therefore, act quickly as prices move, even in a day. Local authorities are the main competitors in the education sector, but we’re faster, more pro-active and much more customer focused.
Which services have you focused on and why?
Electricity and gas are our main focus, and with water/telecoms we work with partner organisations. Business clients and the education sector use more than domestic consumers, therefore it was an obvious area to develop and a natural evolution as schools have more purchasing power. I am passionate about schools getting good value for money as there is so much wastage under an LA regime. Many are becoming academies, which is a good thing in my opinion.
It’s bad enough being a domestic consumer with every conceivable contract option pitched – from broadband and mobile phones, to utilities – so how do you get the company’s offering out there to potential customers who may feel a little jaded?
We’ve never made a cold telesales call. We follow up referrals, have extensive repeat business – some 98.8% – and excellent industry contacts. That is what has led to the success of Zenergi and our customers like the way we run our business and look after them.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – NOVEMBER 2013
What about plans for future growth or new ideas and products to offer?
The business is growing in excess of 20% per annum and we are looking at more energy management and green deal-type offerings. The latter, covering energy improvements to a home or business without having to pay all the costs up front, is a great idea in theory, but I do not think it has been well implemented by the Government. Energy management is our next big area for development, because the cheapest unit is the one you’re not using. Educating people is about switching off, not merely moving to low energy lightbulbs or timed power down systems.
Where do you stand on new sources of power?
I am not a fan of solar. The Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rate for generated electricity dropped again in the summer from 15.44p to 14.90p per kWh. The
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