INTERVIEW


our competitors. So, for example, if we’re dealing with a customer that might have an alternative offer on the table, we might be very similar on pricing but we have a proposition that includes so much more than just the price. We can offer dedicated account management and energy monitoring and management, which means that we can proactively support customers to reduce their energy usage.


“Some customers do just want a price and that’s


absolutely fine, but what we tend to find is that the higher up the consumption ladder a customer is, the more that customer uses on energy and, naturally, the more their expenditure is. Therefore they need a bit more knowledge about what is going on and how they are using their energy, such as where they’re wasting it and where they can make efficiency savings. “For a small business that level of detail is perhaps not


as prominent at times, but in a larger business it definitely is and that is where we come into our own.” Sustainability has many guises and is a concept that is


becoming ever-more embedded in the psyche of businesses large and small and across all sectors. Sustainable energy specifically is not a new concept, but it is an ever-evolving one. Put simply, it relates to creating energy that meets the ever-increasing demands of a wide variety of consumers in a way that can be maximised – such as renewable sources – and produced and provided in a way that doesn’t harm the environment. Given how the energy sector and sustainability now, in


most cases, have a very natural synergy, does Daniel believe that the energy sector bears a greater sense of responsibility? “The onus is definitely on the energy sector to practice


what it preaches and also make both the public and businesses more aware of how they can be sustainable moving forward” argues Daniel. “We look to lead by example. We have our own software


in our premises and we run the business in a very sustainable way – if we’re not making a conscious effort to reduce our own energy consumption, then why would anybody else come to us? “A lot of the companies that we have a relationship with


have targets that they have imposed on themselves and/or want to reduce their energy usage for a variety of reasons. Energy is something you can’t necessarily see and you might not know when or where it is being used, you just know that, for example, the lights come on. “Once you can see where it is being used and, importantly, wasted – through, for example, the innovative technology that we utilise and provide – then businesses can become vastly more efficient. In a rising energy market, the real way to save money is to use less. “For example, we have worked with many companies


where their out-of-hours usage can be between 25% and 30% of their overall usage, and that’s when they’re not even open. Automatically, you can potentially cut 20% off that. Yes, energy is still required at these times – such as for perimeter lighting or security – and we understand that, but a lot of the time there are many ways to cut consumption and it’s our responsibility to educate customers as to how this can be done and offer solutions.” While reducing energy consumption in order to reduce


costs is hardly an act of corporate altruism, the knock-on effects of a business committing itself to a more sustainable way of operating can be both tangible and profound, as Daniel explains. “Running a sustainable business can have


overwhelmingly positive and far-reaching consequences and there’s a huge corporate social responsibility element to sustainability and it is something we are very aware of. “Take, for example, the fact that we work with a lot of charities and smaller businesses. Many of these charities - and certainly the small businesses - have to be self- sufficient and fully-funded themselves. Helping them to become more sustainable can be very powerful and rewarding because it helps the organisation concerned operate in a more efficient and cost-effective manner, which naturally helps in the way they operate and are run.


42 business network March 2018


Daniel believes that it is the responsibility of the energy sector to lead by example


“However that isn’t an end to it because saving money


can, ultimately, lead to business growth and a consequence of this is the generation of new jobs in the local economy. From an energy perspective, helping these organisations to operate in a sustainable manner then also makes a positive impact on these communities as they can demonstrate sustainable, green credentials which is good for the environment and benefits a community’s inhabitants – so sustainability certainly has many layers.” Part of the equation of making businesses more


sustainably savvy and compliant needs to centre round knowledge, education and best practice. This is something Utility Alliance is aware of and, Daniel believes, having a platform – such as this month’s Chamber-facilitated Sustainability Summit: Improving Energy Efficiency and Competitive Advantage – is of vital importance. “To be in a room and have a captive audience of people


and businesses that want to reduce energy consumption and talk about becoming more sustainable is really valuable,” says Daniel. “It’s a great fit and a great position to be in. We don’t


consider ourselves as the finished article in any way shape or form either so these types of events represent great opportunities to take away learnings and information too from peers and experts, it’s great to learn from other businesses from a variety of sectors and hear about their experiences. I think it’s really important to speak with the wider businesses community to discover what they’re doing well and what we can learn from; it definitely isn’t a one-way street.” So what of the future? While the success of the past few


years has created obvious change for the business, with new goals and targets, the overarching vision and focus of Utility Alliance, Daniel says, remains the same. “As an organisation we want to continue to work hard,


be profitable and grow and run the business in a good, sustainable way and that always has to be our aim.”


‘The onus is definitely on the energy sector to practice what it preaches and also make both the public and businesses more aware of how they can be sustainable moving forward’


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