For many growers, energy has become one of the largest operational expenses – second only to wages. Understanding where your money is being spent on energy and securing the best deal should be a top priority.
Horticulture businesses face very unique and challenging energy requirements. Heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, irrigation, cold storage and equipment are all critical in supporting food growth.
Energy usage also fluctuates depending on the time of the year and weather conditions. You can find requirements changing which makes forecasting and managing your energy costs particularly complex.
Yet that doesn’t mean a lack of control. At My Energy Consultants, we have a long history of working with the horticulture industry, helping them to save money. In our experience there are three key areas you need to address – checking your energy meters, reducing unnecessary payments and keeping an eye on energy prices.
Energy overpayments – where horticultural businesses lose money
Do you know exactly which meters are in use, how many you’ve got and what you’re paying for each one?
On any medium or large growing site, it’s not unusual for a business to juggle a dozen (or more) meter points across different buildings, barns, packhouses, and heated growing areas. Over time, new meters are added, old ones removed and as such the infrastructure changes. Yet billing records are not updated.
The result? Bills that look “about right” are left unchecked because no one has time to identify the costly errors. Without tracking the meters, you end up being billed for the wrong meters, sometimes for years in a row – resulting in huge overpayments.
That is why, whenever we work with a business, we begin with a detailed energy audit. By mapping meters to the physical layout, we can start to identify discrepancies and uncover overpayments. In many cases, we can recover these costs.
Why manual bill checking costs time – and money
Keeping a close eye on energy usage is critical, but it’s far from straightforward. Suppliers use different billing formats, standing charges shift and rates can changing unexpectedly. Even one small mismatch or error can quickly lead to unnecessary costs.
The problem is, checking energy bills line by line is time consuming. Now repeat that process across multiple meters and it easily becomes a full-time job. Yet, if you don’t dig deep into your bills, these errors stay hidden and the overspend quickly adds up.
One way to get around this is to use technology to transform the process. For our customers we use market-leading software which runs automated checks on your energy bills. It performs the task comparing against more than 120 energy bill variables – regardless of who the suppliers are or what kind of contract you have.
The software will instantly highlight any anomalies including sudden spikes, unexpected changes, incorrect meter allocations, or duplicate charges. Every bill is checked to the same high standard each month without adding work to your plate.
Timing contract renewals – it matters more than you think
We’ve all done it, the reminder arrives to say your energy bill is due for renewal, so you jump online and start seeking out the best deals. The problem is that leaving renewals decisions until the last minute can limit your options when negotiating on price.
Granted, you might achieve a short-term saving with the energy provider looking to hook you in. But, by not taking a long-term overview of your energy, you could be missing out on deals that deliver higher returns over the length of your energy contract.
A smarter approach is to plan ahead. By analysing how you use energy throughout the year – including during peak growing periods and seasonal demand – it becomes possible to model a scenario which secures the best deals. For example, when clients engage with us early in the process, we can negotiate terms and build a package that aligns with operational cycles – not your renewal date.
Let’s start a conversation!
Energy usage in the horticultural industry requires long-term thinking. So should your energy strategy.
If your bills are rising or checking multiple meters is draining your time, let us start the conversation before your next renewal date. Every penny saved is a penny you can reinvest in your business, and going into 2026, that matters more than ever.
Contact us today to see how we can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I know if I’m currently being billed for an inactive meter?
It’s difficult to tell just by looking at a standard invoice. The easiest way to verify is through a physical meter audit where every meter serial number on your site is cross-referenced against your latest energy bill. Get in touch if you’d like us to carry this out for you.
2. Can I recover money from energy overcharges that happened years ago?
Yes, in many cases. If an audit reveals that you have been billed for incorrect meter readings, wrong VAT rates, or redundant meters, we can secure historical refunds from suppliers dating back up to six years. Most businesses are surprised to find that these “hidden” errors can result in a significant lump-sum back-payment. In 2024 we oversaw a significant investigation for a manufacturer spanning 7 years worth of incorrect invoicing and a credit for £498,2200 was recovered from the supplier.
3. Does switching to an automated bill-checking system require new hardware?
Not at all. Modern energy management software (like the system we use) integrates with your existing billing data. You don’t need to install new physical sensors or smart meters to start identifying billing errors and usage spikes; the technology works by analysing the data your supplier is already sending.
4. When is the “ideal” time to start looking at contract renewals?
The best time is 6 to 12 months before your current contract expires. Waiting until your renewal window opens limits your leverage. By looking ahead, we can monitor the market for dips in wholesale prices and lock in a rate that aligns with your specific growing cycles and peak seasonal demands.
5. How much time does an energy audit actually take for the grower?
Very little. Once you provide access to your recent bills and a basic site map, the heavy lifting is done by us. Our goal is to remove the admin burden from your team so you can focus on crop yield while we focus on reducing your energy costs.