Case Studies
Care Home
The client
We recently worked with a care home providing essential residential services, where a reliable energy supply is critical for their residents’ wellbeing, safety and comfort. Operating multiple facilities with round-the-clock heating, lighting, medical equipment and catering means substantial energy consumption across their estate. However, their energy management had become fragmented over time, with different meters supplied by various providers. This complexity made it difficult to understand their actual energy costs, compare rates effectively or negotiate from a position of strength when renewals approached.
The project
When they contacted us eight months before contract renewal, the care home faced a challenging situation. Seven meters across their facilities were supplied by different energy providers, each with separate contracts, billing cycles and rate structures. This fragmentation meant no consolidated view of their energy expenditure, difficult supplier negotiations and administrative burden of managing multiple relationships. They needed strategic guidance on market timing to secure the most competitive rates, technical advice on whether their supply configurations were optimal, and a simplified billing structure that would make ongoing energy management feasible. The challenge wasn’t just finding better rates. It was fundamentally restructuring how they procured and managed energy across their entire operation.
Our solution
We began by conducting a comprehensive market analysis to identify the optimal timing for securing competitive rates. We reviewed all seven meters in detail, examining consumption patterns and technical configurations. Our research revealed several meters had incorrect KVA settings that were inflating their costs unnecessarily. We advised on the appropriate KVA adjustments needed before negotiating new contracts. Through several consultative meetings, we explained the technical changes required and their impact on costs. We then leveraged their consolidated consumption across all the meters to negotiate with suppliers, ultimately placing all seven meters with a single provider who could offer competitive rates and a simplified billing cycle.
The impact
The care home now benefits from significantly reduced energy costs following our technical corrections and consolidated supplier negotiation. Moving from seven different suppliers to one provider has transformed their energy management, eliminating the administrative complexity of multiple contracts, bills and supplier relationships. The corrected KVA settings ensure they’re only paying for the capacity they actually need, while the consolidated approach gave them a stronger negotiating position than seven separate small contracts ever could. Most importantly, the simplified billing structure means their team can focus on resident care rather than managing several energy suppliers, with clear visibility of their total energy expenditure and straightforward renewals moving forward.
“Managing seven different energy meters with seven different suppliers had become a nightmare.
“We never had a clear picture of our total energy costs, and renewals were constantly looming with different providers.
“Top Utilities took the time to understand our entire operation, identified the things that were costing us money, and worked out the best time to approach the market.
“While consolidating everything with one supplier has saved us significant money, the reduced admin burden is just as valuable. We’ve gone from juggling seven supplier relationships to one straightforward contract.
“Their strategic approach and technical expertise made all the difference. We finally have our energy costs under control.”
Manager – Care Home
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