
21 March 2007
Volume to the supplier is important but little changes in volume can soon mount up and so players must be careful when they have a growing portfolio.
Most retail contracts are designed in such a way that the supplier is responsible for volume risk. The reason for this is that the way in which to manage volume risk is to have a large portfolio of customers. The general trends in weather can be the biggest swing constant associated with volume. In other words if a small factory or hotel closes or opens the supplier can offset these costs against the natural swing of a 35TWh portfolio made up of domestic customers and small industrials.
So on the premise that the supplier manages this in a portfoilio would it not be easiest to add new sites onto an existing contract at the same rates previously struck. Arguably as it is likely to be lost in the noise, it is a small win for the supplier and a big win for the customer. The danger with this approach is that the supplier stops valuing the option associated with new volume coming in. This means that they start giving more and more away free, shareholders do not like this and so suppliers are careful about just losing things in the noise.
67 %
Is your custom that important?
 
24 June 2005
The more customers a supplier has in a rising market the more exposure to power price they have, this may not always be welcome when the buying forward is so expensive.  
read more...
67 %
Is seasonality dead
 
23 June 2005
The differences between Winter and Summer are getting narrower, but this may indirectly cause more problems. If the Swiss trains stop what next?  
read more...
October -What to Expect
 
03 October 2011
October is a month to identify some good value purchasing opportunities. History suggests we will see prices slip through the month before the real winter drivers kick in.  
read more...
Gas Balancing Alert Issued
 
05 January 2010
National Grid issues a rarely used Gas Balancing Alert following both supply and demand pressures. With severe weather warnings in place and freezing temperatures set to continue, will this be the last of the GBAs?  
read more...
EdF enters the world of competition..
 
05 November 2009
EdF has capitalised on competitive energy markets across Europe, not least in the UK, while at the same time enjoying a dominant, competition free, environment at home in France. It looks as though the EC has finally caught up with them...  
read more...
Powerisk Receives-Independent Energy Consultant Commendation
 
29 November 2010
At the recent Energy ‘Buying and Supplying’ Excellence Awards, Powerisk received a Commendation in the Independent Energy Consultant of the Year category. The awards, held at The Langham Hotel in London, were designed to showcase and recognise the very best practises in the energy supply and procurement arena with consideration given to all those involved in the process.  
read more...
New White Paper highlights need for Energy Risk Management
 
11 November 2010
Yesterday, npower launched its new white paper, commissioned from the London School of Economics on Energy Risk Management for UK business. The paper comes on the back of research that suggests that UK businesses now feel that energy presents a higher level of risk to their business than health and safety and security issues. But what should businesses be doing to manage the risks?  
read more...
Suddenly it's "British Petroleum"
 
02 June 2010
A name not used in a very long time, but suddenly the US are quick to refer to BP by its old name of British Petroleum, hoping perhaps to distance itself from blame regarding the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But as the US announces a criminal investigation and as BP shares suffer further should the British economy concern itself?  
read more...
Too Many Buyers….
 
08 October 2008
Too many buyers and not enough sellers were the reasons attributed to significant gains seen in the power markets.  
read more...
Peak vs Baseload
 
18 June 2007
Sometimes negotiation on some elements of price could result in some interesting opening into the black box which is electricity pricing.  
read more...
Backwardation and contango
 
20 April 2007
The curve is changing shape this could be a short term thing as players tend to forget the back of the curve as it is less liquid but more often than not it is a fundamental shift in the market next week will tell.  
read more...
The Nightmare Scenario
 
01 March 2006
The market balloons in price, profiling is abandoned, and Mrs Jones at 33 Wavertree Mansions is seen showering at 3am in the morning. Unlikely, but it is happening in the water industry.  
read more...
Does shape matter?
 
27 February 2006
Under the NETA rules the market would always favour those who are flexible and able to adapt. As stability in market prices is becoming more normal, this allows players to assess the market even start to think about creating flexibility within their own shape.  
read more...