How one conversation led to a £107,000 refund for a leading independent boarding school

Like many boarding schools, this leading co-educational independent school’s energy consumption accounts for a significant proportion of its overheads – which has a knock-on impact on operating costs. But since 2019, we’ve been helping the school secure competitive energy rates through tailored energy procurement, supporting accurate energy cost forecasting and freeing up time through contract management.

A team effort

In early 2024, a single conversation led to a surprising cost saving. During a routine meeting with our Strategic Customer Success Manager, Billy Pryke, our client asked how our energy Bill Validation services could help. Billy explained how we could make sure their energy bills were accurate, freeing up valuable staff time and safeguarding their finances. Our client was happy to let us review the school’s bills and check everything was in order.

Making an impact

After an initial review, looking at unit rates and billing periods, Billy spotted significant anomalies with the school’s energy bills. While the signed contract was billed to the correct rates, a mid-contract renewal with more favourable rates hadn’t been applied. So Billy flagged this discrepancy with our Service Manager, Matt Leech, for further investigation.

Matt and his team got straight to work with a historic billing analysis. It confirmed that the school had been overcharged for the whole 12-month contract – so we set to work pursuing a refund for the school from their supplier.

Driving results

Seven phone calls and 53 emails later, our perseverance paid off. The supplier finally admitted to the error. But they wanted to gradually offset the amount they owed over future bills. We didn’t think this was good enough, so Matt and the team pushed back. Their tenacity resulted in a full refund in one payment of £107,000, direct to the school.

Thanks to this close relationship, our energy management services continue to safeguard the school from potential financial losses. We’re delighted to be helping them stay one step ahead with energy procurement advice, bill validation and energy cost forecasting for accurate budgeting.

Want to find out how we can make sure your bills are accurate? Have a conversation with one of our team today. We’re trusted to deliver energy procurement, energy cost forecasting and energy management for schools.