Electricity & NG Purchasing Group Sparks to Life

EMC has taken an innovative group approach towards helping members acquire energy more competitively, targeting energy management strategies and cost savings opportunities for members. The Energy Group is designed to provide members (large and small) with the ability to acquire energy more competitively, significantly reducing costs and streamlining administration through the strategic application of Lean principles. 

Objectives:

• Provide members with a unique energy purchasing strategy which levers the volume of all participating members through aggregation... to drive more competitive pricing and consistent cost savings, through custom strategies.
• Ensure that every EMC member is given the opportunity (and enough information) to make an informed decision about how best to manage their energy costs.
• Provide members with the opportunity to secure more stable energy pricing and a better ability to manage their energy costs.
• Eliminate the mark-ups on energy commodities charged by energy retailers and streamline administrative costs through best practices and an experienced group facilitator;
• Achieve 15 to 40% energy cost savings for members compared to comparable retail offerings.

By helping members work together, the potential cost savings are huge... between 15 and 40% on commodity costs (compared to comparable retail offerings), by engaging a competitive tender strategy with larger group volume, eliminating the mark-ups charged by energy 'door-knockers' and by 'Leaning' administration costs. 

As with all EMC initiatives, maintaining high quality of service is paramount.  Our goal is not to ensure everyone signs up... rather to provide all of the pertinent information for members to make an informed decision about how to best manage your energy costs.

After half of EMC's Ontario members participated in a whirlwind month of Energy Briefings across the province early in 2008, Phase One of EMC's 2008 Energy Initiative has sparked to life... with the launch of the EMC Energy Group for Power & Natural Gas Purchases. 

Nearly 20% of our Ontario members joined EMC's inaugural Power & NG Purchasing Group, with more joining in subsequent tender rounds and other members 'waiting in the wings' for their current strategies to wind down before joining. 

According to EMC's Energy Group facilitator ECNG Energy LP, EMC's group represents a significant buying force in the market... comprising the single largest group purchase of energy for manufacturers in the province!

Questions for Manufacturers:

• Is managing your energy costs giving you a headache?
• Do volatile energy prices affect your business?
• How would your budget look at the end of the year, if your energy costs swing by 30% per month, as we have seen occur in the past year? Purchasing energy directly from your local utility does not protect your business from price volatility!
• If you could take some of the guess work out of budgeting for energy costs, would you?
• Are you tired of being inundated with phone calls and drop-in visits from retail energy marketers?

Benefits:

• Better Cost Certainty: Members are better able to manage energy costs and budgets;
• Better Energy Prices: Members are able to access 'Tier 1' wholesale energy pricing typically reserved for utilities and very large consumers.
• Better Security of Supply: Members energy supply needs are sourced from secure, reputable wholesale suppliers.
• Customized Strategies: Member strategies are specific to their needs... they are not put into a 'one size fits all' bucket. Each strategy is presented with tailored options.
• Energy Expertise: Members are able to access to energy market experts, who review their strategies and needs on a regular basis and identify any market conditions which may present opportunities for additional savings
• Green Energy: (Future Benefit) EMC's Energy Group facilitator ECNG Energy is exploring 'green energy' options which will be communicated in the near future. This could include purchasing energy from renewable resources, carbon tax credits, etc.