38 | Tees Business
“ We recently did a full cost reduction budget exercise for a major manufacturer in Glasgow and saved £ 1.3m over the fiveyear term ”
– Utility Alliance managing director Bob Moore
>> than we could chew and that it would never work ,” recalls Phill . “ But although we set ambitious targets , we ’ ve consistently succeeded in hitting them .”
All three men have military backgrounds . Darren worked as a civilian on major defence logistics projects in locations including Afghanistan .
Bob was a driver in the Royal Logistics Corps who progressed from heavy goods lorries to chauffeuring government ministers around Northern Ireland .
Phill ’ s tasks in the Royal Corps of Signals included erecting telegraphs on a Kosovan mountainside to enable peacekeeping troops to communicate with each other .
After coming out of the army , Bob and Phill started out at the bottom as cold callers for npower . Both rose to senior positions before moving to their previous employer , where they met Darren .
Utility Alliance helps firms cut costs by searching 45 different energy suppliers , not just in the UK but throughout Europe . They are able to harness the purchasing power of 50 or 60 businesses at a time to buy energy in bulk at a far lower price .
As well as direct savings , customers also know exactly what their energy costs will be for the whole term of their agreement , which can be up to five or six years .
“ Now is a really good time to fix your energy because we ’ ve seen future models and costs are very likely to rise ,” says Bob . “ Brexit is adding to volatility on the markets and it makes sense to have certainty .
“ We ’ re not just a pricing tool ,” says Phill . “ We also help customers reduce consumption , using state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to identify where energy ’ s being wasted .”
Approximately a third of businesses never consider changing their energy supplier , even though the savings can be substantial .
“ We recently did a full cost reduction budget exercise for a major manufacturer in Glasgow and saved £ 1.3m over the five-year term ,” says Bob .
“ We reduced their consumption by about 15 %, partly by replacing a £ 40 component that our equipment identified as being faulty . We then saved another 10 % through finding them the cheapest possible supplier .
“ That holistic approach is something we plan to do more and more . If we don ’ t know how people are using their energy , how can we ever reduce it ?”
The board – Bob Moore ( left ), Darren Sutherland ( centre ) and Phill Moore at Utility Alliance ’ s new HQ in Hartlepool .
Bob says businesses of all sizes can benefit from using an energy broker . And while firms might think they can get cheaper deals for themselves , he insists this can be a false economy .
“ People don ’ t always read the small print and understand the hidden charges . The jargon ’ s often almost impossible to translate . We give the actual delivered price , so you know exactly what you ’ ll pay throughout the charging period .”
As the firm grows , the team are sharing the fruits of their success with the wider community . Utility Alliance ’ s name is proudly emblazoned on the shirts of Hartlepool United , while the firm also sponsors Middlesbrough and Burnley football clubs and regularly donates to charities and good causes .
They are also passionate about offering opportunities to young unemployed people who can show they have the potential to contribute to one of the most positive stories to emerge from Hartlepool in recent years .
“ When I left school my dad told me to get a job or I ’ d be kicked out ,” says Bob . “ I joined the army because I had no other place to go . I want to give people the chance to stay in Hartlepool with all their friends and carve out a career .”
Already , 135 young people have been put
through a ten-week , in-house basic training course and 60 % of those have then been handed a one-year apprenticeship . Many of the others have gone on to find alternative work with the help of the NVQs they have gained .
“ Eighty per cent of our staff are aged 18 to 25 and we ’ re giving them all the tools they need to further themselves in life ,” says Bob .
“ Some of these young people come from families where there ’ s been three generations of unemployment . We have some fantastic success stories and we couldn ’ t ask for any more commitment from them .
“ Every now and again I get into the trenches with the troops to man the phones . Showing you ’ re willing to get stuck in commands respect .”
Utility Alliance is already in the top three in the industry and its sights are firmly on the number one spot . The next challenge is to future-proof the business ahead of major changes they anticipate in the coming years .
“ In ten years ’ time people won ’ t have an energy contract with a supplier , it will be more like your mobile phone tariff , but from a battery storage firm ,” says Bob . “ Companies will generate their own energy from the roof , storing it in a battery to use when they need it .”