Two proposals rarely describe the same work. Separate the services first, then compare on the same lines.
Verification
- Verified as at:
- Source:
- Omnium method; service definitions as used in our own scopes of work
- Last reviewed by:
- Omnium
Figures in this sheet were current at the verification date above. Regulated charges reset each April. If you are relying on a figure, check the source or ask us.
A4 board pack. Cover page, then a running head and foot on every page.
The short answer
Comparing consultancies is hard because two proposals rarely describe the same work. Put every proposal on the same page first: the same list of services, the same deliverables, the same payment basis, the same exit terms. Then compare.
The service types, separated
Most confusion comes from bundling. These are distinct pieces of work, with different effort and different outcomes, and a proposal should say which of them it includes.
| Service | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Procurement or renewal | What should the next contract be, and with whom? |
| Invoice validation | Does each invoice match the contract that was signed? |
| Cost recovery | Has anything been charged in error, and can it be reclaimed? |
| Capacity review | Is the agreed capacity right for what the meter records? |
| Consumption and waste | What is being used that does not need to be used? |
| Compliance and reporting | Which obligations apply, and what evidence has to be filed and by when? |
| Bureau and administration | Who handles queries, changes of tenancy and the paperwork? |
A like-for-like sheet
Ask each consultancy to answer the same set of lines. Where an answer is not given, mark it as not given rather than assuming it is included.
- Services included, from the list above, and services excluded.
- Deliverables and how often each one arrives.
- Who does the work, and whether any part is subcontracted.
- Payment basis for each service, stated separately.
- What the authority document permits, and how it is limited.
- Term, notice period, and whether the agreement renews automatically.
- What data is returned at the end, and in what format.
- Named contact and response times for queries and disputes.
Comparing cost without comparing rates
A unit rate on its own is not comparable, because rates are quoted for different contract lengths, different capacity assumptions and different commission arrangements, and market prices move between one quote and the next.
Compare the total cost of the arrangement instead: the fee or commission for each service, the effort you have to supply, and what the work is expected to produce. A proposal that costs less because it excludes invoice checking is not cheaper, it is smaller.
What a comparison cannot settle
No sheet tells you whether a consultancy will do careful work. Comparison narrows the field on scope, payment and terms. Judgment on quality comes from references, from what a consultancy is willing to put in writing, and from how it behaves when the honest answer is that nothing is wrong.
Related sheets
- How to choose a business energy consultancy
A buyer's guide to choosing a UK business energy consultancy: how they are paid, what the authority document permits, the questions to ask, and the warning signs.
- Contract types, and how a fixed rate is built
The four business contract types, how a supplier assembles a fixed price, and why the wholesale market is no longer the larger part of an electricity rate.
- Invoice validation
What goes wrong on energy invoices, how validation works against the contract, and why we validate for payment rather than approve.
Take this sheet into a meeting
How to compare energy consultancy services exports as an A4 board pack: a cover page carrying the title and the verification date, then the sheet itself with a running head and foot on every page.
If this sheet raises a question about your own sites, speak to us.