Pro Installer June 2017 - Issue 51 | Page 62

62 | JUNE 2017 Business Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk CALL FOR CLEAN ENERGY Research carried out by energy price comparison website Love Energy Savings has revealed that over 40% of people believe businesses should source their energy from renewable sources. In the survey of 1,001 con- sumers, 33% said they would personally pay more for energy from renewable sources. But while many homes in the UK are switch- ing to greener energy suppliers, businesses don’t always enjoy the same variety of tariffs. With the government providing businesses with incentives to be more environmentally friendly, it seems likely there will be an increase in the amount of energy that suppliers get from renewable sources in future. But how do businesses balance demand for low prices with the push for more renewable energy? To help inform the public about where the main suppliers get their energy from, Love Energy Savings has released a quick comparison guide. Phil Foster, managing director of Love Energy Savings, commented on the research: “Green energy tar- iffs are already popular for home- owners, and while there are not as many renewable contract options available to businesses, due to us- age requirements, many suppliers do offer a greener alternative. “We’ve found that businesses are increasingly aware of their carbon emissions, as taxes and governmental requirements force compliance and measurement. Suppliers know this too and it will be interesting to see how their fuel mixes change as green targets become ever more challenging.” Guy Harwood, TPI contract man- ager at Npower, says that ultimate- ly it comes down to demand and that price remains the key consid- eration for most customers: THE REBRAND Network VEKA has announced the next phase in its evolution, rebranding as Independent Network. Built on a solid 20+ year heritage as a leading network of the UK’s most trusted independent install- ers, Network VEKA invested significantly in consumer research to identify oppor- tunities to better connect with consumers. Dawn Stockell, marketing director for The VEKA UK Group unveiled the new branding. She commented: “Network VEKA has worked tirelessly to become a beacon for consumers who have lost faith in the home improvement industry. Our ‘recipe’ – our brand pur- pose and values – remains unchanged. That said, the evolution of our brand iden- tity shows that we are more consumer aware; we know what customers want and we are adapting our com- munication to better reso- nate with their needs. We’ve done much to redress public opinion in the industry with our many loyal customers. However, the mistrust that still exists elsewhere makes Independent Network – still powered by VEKA – as rele- vant as ever.” www.networkveka.co.uk “Customers are certainly more aware of green energy, but in re- ality, we still feel that price is the number one driver for customer behaviour. If they can get a good price and green energy, customers would probably go for that, but we still aren’t in a position where a customer would prioritise a green tariff over price.” www.loveenergysavings.com