Why how you buy matters
Two organisations with the same consumption can pay very different prices for the same year, simply because of when and how they bought. For larger users the buying strategy is often worth more than the choice of supplier.
The two main routes
- Fixed: all of your volume is priced in one purchase on one day. You get budget certainty for the term, but all of the timing risk sits on that day, and the supplier builds a risk premium into the rate for carrying the price and volume risk.
- Flexible: your volume is bought in tranches ahead of delivery, for example across 12 to 24 months. You pay the weighted average price (WAP) of those purchases, so no single day decides your rate, and you avoid much of the supplier risk premium.
The two can be combined. Many flexible contracts allow part of the volume to be fixed early, or the remainder to be locked in if the market moves against you.
What we do
- A written buying strategy: your budget, how much risk you can absorb, how much to have secured by which date, and the price triggers that prompt a purchase.
- Market monitoring: we watch the wholesale market against your strategy and tell you when a trigger or deadline is close.
- Purchases with your supplier: we arrange each tranche with your supplier on the basis you have agreed, so decisions follow the plan rather than the headlines.
- Reporting: your position, average price secured so far, the budget against the market, and a check that invoices match the purchases made.
Who it suits
Risk-managed buying usually suits larger, multi-site or energy intensive organisations, especially those buying across several years or sites. If you need one fixed number for your budget, a fixed contract bought at the right time may suit you better. We will show you both before you decide.
Common questions
Is flexible buying riskier than fixed?
It carries a different risk. Fixed concentrates timing risk on one day; flexible spreads it across many purchases but leaves the final price open until the last tranche is bought. A written strategy with clear limits is what keeps that risk in check.
Do we have to make the buying decisions ourselves?
You agree the strategy and its limits. Within those, we prepare each purchase and manage it with your supplier, and you stay informed at every step.
Does Energy Planner buy energy?
No. We arrange the contracts and purchases with your supplier on your behalf. You contract directly with the supplier, and every fee is disclosed at quote stage.
For the full background, read Fixed or flexible? Choosing your renewal strategy.
Want to see both routes for your sites?
Book a call and we will set out fixed and flexible options side by side.
Book a callThis page is general information, not advice on your specific circumstances. Contract terms, charges and scheme rules change, so it is worth confirming the detail for your sites before making a decision.