Fractional energy manager: senior energy expertise, only when you need it

Route 1 I'm a fractional FD, CFO or director You look after several businesses part time. You want one energy specialist you can bring into each of them, who works the way you do. For fractional leaders → Route 2 We just need someone to look after our energy Nobody in the business owns energy. You want a senior person to manage it properly, without hiring someone full time. For businesses →

What is a fractional energy manager?

A fractional energy manager is an experienced energy specialist who works with your business on an ongoing, part-time basis. You get the same thinking a full-time energy manager would bring, but only for the hours and moments that actually need it: the renewal, the budget, the billing problem, the scheme deadline.

It sits between two things most businesses already know. A full-time energy manager is usually only affordable for large organisations. A renewal-only broker appears every few years when a contract is ending. In between, energy tends to land on the finance director's desk by default, alongside everything else.

In one line

Someone who knows your contracts, your meters and your bills all year round, and is there when a decision needs making, without the cost of a full-time role.

How it compares

	Doing it in-house	Renewal-only broker	Fractional energy manager	Full-time energy manager
Who it usually suits	Very small, simple sites	Businesses that only want a price at renewal	SMEs, multi-site groups and mid-market businesses	Large, energy-intensive organisations
How it is paid for	Staff time	Usually built into the contract	Usually built into the contract and disclosed, or a fixed fee agreed in writing	Salary and employment costs
Renewals and tenders	When someone remembers	Yes	Yes, planned months ahead	Yes
Bill checking	Rarely	Not usually included	Yes, through the contract	Yes
Metering and data	Rarely	Sometimes	Yes	Yes
Schemes and compliance	Often missed	Sometimes	Yes, with a deadline calendar	Yes
Budgets and board reporting	Finance does it	Not usually included	Yes, in a finance-friendly format	Yes
Continuity if someone leaves	Knowledge leaves with them	Depends on the broker	Records kept and shared with you	Depends on the person

A general comparison. Every business, broker and in-house team is different.

For fractional FDs, CFOs and directors

If you work across several businesses, you already know the pattern. Energy is one of the larger overheads in most of them, it renews on different dates, each one has its own supplier, and nobody in the business really owns it. So it lands with you.

We work the way you do: part time, across a portfolio, with one consistent approach for every business you bring us into.

Illustration only. One point of contact, one way of working, every business you look after.

What that means in practice

One contact for every business. You introduce us once per business. We collect the bills and set up a Letter of Authority so we can speak to suppliers directly.
A renewal calendar for each business. Contract end dates, notice periods and tender windows, so nothing rolls onto out-of-contract rates on your watch.
Numbers in your language. Annual cost, cost per site, what is fixed and what is passed through, and what changes next April. Ready for a budget, a forecast or a board pack.
We work to your rhythm. Month end, budget season, board dates. You tell us when, and the information arrives in time.
The client stays your client. We keep you in the loop on every decision and never go around you.
No introduction fees. We do not pay for referrals, so there is never a reason for us to put anything other than your client's interests first.

For businesses that just need energy looked after

You might not have a fractional FD at all. You might simply be a growing business where energy has become too big to leave to chance, but not big enough for a full-time hire. That is exactly what this is for.

You get a named, senior energy specialist who knows your contracts, meters and bills, keeps an eye on them all year, and is there when something needs deciding. No call centres and no passing you between account managers.

What a year looks like

First month: get the full picture. Collect bills and contracts, set up a Letter of Authority, map every meter and contract end date, and flag anything urgent such as an approaching renewal, a deemed rate or a billing error.
Every month: keep it right. Bills checked against the contract, meter and data issues chased with suppliers, and any change to your sites or usage handled before it becomes a problem.
Budget season: give finance real numbers. A forecast for the year ahead, showing what is fixed, what is passed through and what is likely to move, so the budget is built on facts.
Six to twelve months before renewal: plan, then tender. Agree the buying approach, gather prices from a broad panel of suppliers, and set out the options side by side with our fee shown. You decide.
All year: schemes and deadlines. Watch for schemes and rules that affect you, such as the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, SECR reporting where it applies, and the move to market-wide half-hourly settlement.

Five things every finance director should know about their energy

When each contract ends, and the notice date. Missing a notice window can tie you to a rollover or leave you on out-of-contract rates, which are usually much higher. See when to renew business energy.
How much of the bill is not energy at all. Network charges, policy costs and levies make up a large share of a business electricity bill, often around half, and many are set by industry and regulators rather than by your supplier.
What is fixed and what is passed through. A "fixed" contract can still pass some charges through. Knowing which ones is the difference between an accurate budget and a surprise.
Whether the bills are right. Estimated reads, wrong meter details and incorrect charges are common. Checking bills against the contract is one of the simplest ways to protect cash. See bill validation.
What your broker is paid. Since 1 October 2024, Ofgem rules require suppliers to make broker fees clear to micro and small business customers. Ask, and expect a clear answer. See broker fees explained.

Bring us into one business first

Start with the business that worries you most. We will review the bills and contracts and show you what we find, free and with no obligation.

Get a free benchmark →

How it is paid for

Most of our work is paid for through a fee built into the energy contracts we arrange, which the supplier pays to us. We tell you what it is at quote stage, in writing, and it appears in your contract. Where a piece of work does not involve a new contract, such as a one-off audit, we agree a fixed fee with you in writing before we start. Full details are on how we are paid.

Why Energy Planner

Independent, not tied to any supplier. We compare quotes across a broad panel of suppliers.
Senior advice, direct. You deal with the founder, with 15 years in business energy.
Electricity, gas, water and metering under one adviser. Including export contracts for sites that generate their own electricity.
Signed up to the Retail Energy Code TPI Code of Practice and a member of the Energy Ombudsman scheme. See our code of practice.
Proof, not promises. Read our anonymised case studies.

Common questions

Is a fractional energy manager just an energy broker with a new name?

No. A broker is usually involved around the renewal. A fractional energy manager stays involved all year: bills, meters, budgets, schemes and planning the next renewal well ahead of time. Arranging contracts is one part of the job, not all of it.

Is there a minimum size of business?

No fixed minimum. It tends to be most useful where energy is a meaningful cost, there are several sites or meters, or nobody in the business has time to own it. If you are not sure, send us a recent bill and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth it.

I'm a fractional FD. How do we work together on a client?

You introduce us, we agree with the client what we will look after, and we set up a Letter of Authority. From then on we keep you copied in on anything that affects the numbers, and you remain the client's finance lead.

Do you pay fractional FDs or introducers a fee?

No. We do not pay for referrals or introductions. That keeps every recommendation free of any conflict, for you and for your clients.

We already have a broker. Can you still help?

Yes. We can start with the things that are often left alone between renewals, such as bill checking, metering and scheme eligibility, and look at contracts when they come up.

Can you start part way through a contract?

Yes. Most of the year-round work, such as bill checking, data, budgets and planning the next renewal, does not depend on where you are in the contract.

Will you speak to our board or investors?

Yes. We can prepare a short summary of your energy position, costs and risks, and join a meeting to talk it through if that helps.

Please note: this page is general information about how we work, not advice for your business. Prices, schemes and rules change, and what is right for you depends on your sites, contracts and usage. We will always set out the facts and your options in writing before you make any decision.