British Gas teams with Plain English Campaign to help pubs understand energy bills
New research carried out by One Poll on behalf of British Gas reveals that over half (57%) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe their energy suppliers use too much complex language which often stands in the way of the best deals.
The research also found that that a quarter of businesses (24%) say they spend too long dealing with their energy bills, contracts and pricing renewals because of the jargon used by suppliers.
In response, British Gas and the Plain English Campaign have launched ‘Energy Made Simple’ – an industry-first online guide to help businesses better understand information about the energy they use to run their business.
It explains complex energy topics in easy-to-understand language and also offers advice and tips on how business can implement energy-saving measures to cut their bills.
According to the research, only a fifth (20%) of businesses are currently taking energy-saving measures, despite savings of up to 20% on offer for those that do.
Angela Needle, head of energy consultancy at British Gas Business, said: “We know that our small business customers are short on time and want to feel confident they’re getting the best deal.
“But we recognise that as an industry we’ve not always helped them do this. By launching Energy Made Simple, we want to give any business, regardless of its supplier, the tools to quickly understand their energy contracts and how to manage their use effectively.”
Common energy jargon that businesses find confusing:
- Deemed pricing (77% of businesses cannot fully explain)
- Out of contract (63%)
- Unit price (60%)
- Kilowatt hour (69%)
- Standing charge (64%)
- Estimated bill (58%)
