by RichardGardiner | Nov 25, 2013 | Energy
Total Utilities Management Group, New Zealand’s leading independent utilities procurement and energy management company has entered into an alliance with Australian company EnergyAdvice to deliver Trans-Tasman energy management, procurement and energy efficiency solutions for large energy users in New Zealand and Australia.
“Large organisations wanting to take a ‘whole of company’ perspective on energy and carbon management and reporting are looking for companies with a combination of global reach and local expertise to assist them,” said Total Utilities Managing Director Richard Gardiner.
“It is this need for country-specific expertise that has driven our Trans-Tasman alliance with EnergyAdvice. The relationship allows us to bring highly specific knowledge of local regulations and markets to our clients in the highly complex energy market.” (more…)
by Jonathan Gardiner | Nov 13, 2013 | Energy
By now you should have received your October natural gas accounts. If you are in the Vector or Powerco networks you should have seen a reduction in your overall cost of gas. The ‘gas year’ runs from October to September and a raft of industry costs are reviewed annually ahead of October 1st. Typically an inflation adjustment is passed through with metering, network and transmission charge changes applying.
The good news this year for most natural gas customers, especially those based in Auckland, is that the annual review should result in lower costs. The Commerce Commission has enforced two sets of reductions – in transmission and distribution. The change to transmission costs affects all customers. As such, the charging methodology and overall level of the charge has changed. (more…)
by RichardGardiner | Sep 18, 2013 | Energy
Seventeen Clubs NZ members have saved a total of $362,000 on their power bills this year by handing their contract negotiations over to Total Utilities Management Group. With an average saving of more than $21,000 per club over the two to three year contract term, members are more than happy with the service offered at a special rate to Clubs NZ by Total Utilities.
“I was astounded by the results we achieved by putting our power out to tender through Total Utilities,” said Hamilton Working Mens Club General Manager, Richard Shrubsall.
“All the relevant supplier offers were presented to me in a fully transparent report, written in plain English. There were no hidden costs and all the comparisons were made on a ‘like for like’ basis. The actual savings we achieved were outstanding. I was so impressed that I have already highly recommended Total Utilities to other clubs.”
If you want to discuss your power costs with Total Utilities, call Linda MacIver on either 09 576 2107 or 021 886 034 or go to tumg.co.nz.
by RichardGardiner | May 29, 2013 | Energy
A group of six clubs cut their energy bills by almost 20% – saving them a massive $175,400 – by handing their power negotiations over to Total Utilities Management Group.
Savings ranged from $18,500 to $54,400 on the contestable energy part of their Time Of Use (TOU) bills – which excludes fixed line charges.
The clubs ranged from North Island RSAs and Cosmopolitan Clubs to South Island Working Mens Clubs. Steve Andrews of Manurewa RSA, who has a 13 year track record working with TUMG, saved 17% on his club’s electricity bill and fixed his power price until 2015. Not quite the $80,000 rebate that TUMG had achieved for him a few years earlier, but still a saving worth having.
By taking the energy requirements of clubs out to market as a group, TUMG is able to negotiate great power prices. Analysts then document and recommend the best supplier to suit each club’s needs and advise them on the most beneficial contract terms.
All the club manager has to do is supply one month’s electricity account details and TUMG does the rest. Based on the average saving gained by this group of six clubs, TUMG’s fixed fee will currently be repaid in savings within two months of the new contract term – leaving the remaining 34 months’ savings to go straight into the clubs’ bank accounts.
Current market conditions are extremely good for Time of Use (TOU) pricing according to TUMG analysts. “TOU pricing is holding at an unusually low level at the moment,” says TUMG’s Chris Hargreaves. “Clubs have the opportunity to lock in pricing for the next three years by renewing their contracts– when TOU prices change, they can change quickly so our advice is to act now.”
Read more about Manurewa RSA & TUMG…
To talk to TUMG about your power contract pricing, call 09 5762107
To find out more go to www.tumg.co.nz
by RichardGardiner | May 29, 2013 | Energy
When Steve Andrew first contracted Total Utilities Management Group to manage his electricity contract renewal he wanted to access cheaper power pricing. He didn’t expect an $80,000 pay-back from two electricity companies – that was an ‘unexpected bonus’ according to the Manurewa RSA manager.
Richard Gardiner of TUMG started to talk to Steve about the club’s electricity pricing around 13 years ago and Steve has used the independent utilities broker to renew his power contract and negotiate terms for the club ever since.
“TUMG analysts lay out all the options for me,” said Steve. “They recommend the best electricity supplier every time we need to renew our contract and their advice has saved the club money every year.
“For the past few years, TUMG has handled our gas contract too. We’re not a huge gas user but I reckon they cut our gas bill by 30-35% each month – that’s $200 a month we can spend elsewhere.”
About five years into the relationship, TUMG uncovered a billing error. Manurewa RSA had gone through a major building renovation and the power company put in a new meter. Unfortunately they forgot to de-commission the existing meter on the old site.
“We didn’t realise it at the time, but we were being charged twice over,” Steve continued. “When TUMG realised what was happening, they worked out the exact amount over-charged and approached the two power companies concerned with a bill.
“TUMG handled all the negotiations on our behalf and the end result was $80,000 coming back to the club. The power companies weren’t too happy about it but TUMG’s expertise got a great outcome for us – I’m not sure if I could have got the same result.”
As chairman of the Auckland Club Managers Group, Steve has been happy to recommend TUMG’s services to his fellow managers. “There aren’t really any downsides. TUMG charge standard fees which are soon more than covered by the savings the company brings. It just makes sense.”
by chris | Apr 22, 2013 | Energy
When you’re in opposition talk is cheap. Last week’s announcement by the Labour/Green combo David Shearer and Russel Norman does beg the question why the previous Labour Government didn’t take this course of action when they were in office for nine years.
Compounding this anomaly is the fact that for whatever reason, power prices rose faster during those Labour-controlled years (1999 to 2008,) than they have done over the past four years. Cynics amongst us will also remember that the well-above-budget financial performance of the leading energy companies Genesis, Mercury and Meridian during the Dr Michael Cullen era made a significant additional financial contribution to the NZ Government’s coffers.
Labour seem to be conveniently glossing over the fact that distribution charges are unaffected by this proposed change and that these charges have been responsible for a good percentage of recent price increases.
With the newly-proposed market model it is likely that the much-needed investment in infrastructure would be halted or delayed. Without market forces at play, poor prospects of gaining return on investment would discourage companies from financing infrastructure improvements. This was witnessed during successive governments from the late 1980’s to late 2000’s, as a result Transpower and some of the generators are now playing catch up – ironically this has resulted in the increased costs that the Labour/Green alliance are now proposing to combat.
From an industry point of view, the real problems with New Zealand’s electricity are: (more…)
