To run a successful business these days, a host of variables must fall in line. For businesses on the up-and-up to businesses that have thrived for years, the name of the game is proactively getting these variables to fall in line. Business owners who have been around the block will tell you the real secret is finding allies that help you achieve success.
For business owners looking for an ally when it comes to their monthly energy bill, the struggle can be real. Energy utility regulations leave some businesses with no options regarding who delivers their energy, where that energy comes from, or how much they pay for their therms or kilowatts. Businesses operating in deregulated states have more options, but the market is murky at best. If you find yourself operating in one of these states, then it might be time to reconsider your options. But where to begin?
Here is where the sales pitch usually goes. But quite frankly, it is not Agera Energy’s style. The retail energy supplier out of New York also delivers efficiency and audit services. So, you have the executive summary of what Agera does, but to better fill in the picture of the difference that Agera makes for the businesses it serves, we will give it up to the folks that see this change every day. Here is what Agera Energy is all about from the business customers that they serve in a wide range of industries.
Restaurants
David Schneider of One Restaurant Group is a successful restaurateur and Agera Energy customer. One Restaurant Group owns and operates 6 restaurants in the Cleveland area and has been in business for over 13 years, to say they know a thing or two about the restaurant business would be a severe understatement. Schneider says that restaurants are unique in that they are constantly using natural gas and electricity 24/7. Between side work, cleaning, and food prep, energy consumption does not stop when customers leave at closing.
Schneider emphasized a restaurant’s energy use by saying, “[Energy cost] are one of our biggest line items.” So, when it came to shopping around Schneider turned to Agera. “I met with several different companies and I really liked the way that Agera handled their business, made it easy for me and me feel comfortable in making the switch,” said Mr. Schneider, “Once the next months energy bill came in and we were able to see a savings, we quickly got the rest of our restaurants on board so that over the course of the year these savings would start to add up and multiply.”
Manufacturing & Processing
In Stephen Kowalski’s world, energy consumption is a big part of the operating cost. In fact, electricity is the largest single expense for his business. Mr. Kowalski is the president of a specialized heat-treating company that has been around since 1975. Heat treating is a process that entails heating metals to make them, “tougher, stronger, and wear-resistant”, said Mr. Kowalski. But not just hot, the metals that Kowalkski Heat Treating processes see temperatures of up to 1000 degrees hot.
Bringing metals to such high temperatures takes a lot of electricity, which can take a toll on heat treating processing facilities like Kowalski’s. “Our largest single expense is electricity”, says Mr. Kowalski, “so we have to be creative to manage our energy cost.” The company chose Agera Energy to furnish part of these energy demands because of the flexibility they offered. Mr. Kowalski elaborated:
Agera came in with a competitive bid and what sold me on Agera was they are putting their money where their mouth, saying we are going to provide you guys with great service, great energy, and all those good things which are valuable to us. But if something doesn’t quite go the right way, we as a company have the ability to shop our business so that we’re protected. And that was very important to us.
Agera Energy knows how important the bottom line is too small businesses and large multi-national conglomerates alike. Working with their client to identify needs and how to best fill those needs is what Agera Energy does best.
Wealth Management Services
ORG Portfolio Management owns and manages roughly 2 million square feet of property in Ohio. Their business model involves locking in a property or client for a long time at a fixed rate. “We have an understanding of both energy markets and capital markets knowing long-term commitments would cause us to spend more money than was necessary.” said ORG Portfolio Management’s Principle, Jonathan Berns,
Mr. Berns stated, “Agera was the only firm that understood that with the volatility in energy markets that the best results could occur by maintaining a lot of flexibility.” And there’s the rub. The real secret to Agera Energy’s success. They fill a demand that American businesses have been calling for, for years, maybe even decades now. The exact reason energy deregulation occurred in the first place. To give energy users more choices.
But what are choices if the person deciding is unaware of them. And here we reach another quandary energy users have identified in the utility market. Again, the problem is as old as deregulation itself. That problem is ambiguity and uncertainty with regards to what type of energy is available to an end user. Under-regulated utility markets, it was very clear who provided a home or business with their energy needs, the one, and only local energy utility company. But with states that deregulated their state energy sectors, mass confusion ensued about what options were available to the average home or business. In all fairness, this confusion seemed to be a part of business as usual for end users, local utilities, state legislatures, and newly founded retail energy suppliers alike.
Creating better utility options was the top priority for Agera Energy but a close second was improving customer service in a way that no company, agency, or utility had ever done before. Working with their customers on a personal basis was paramount to Agera Energy. And the results of such interpersonal efforts have been coming in ever since. Mr. Berns spoke on the pleasure of interacting with Agera to overcome common challenges, saying, “It’s very good to have someone who acts like a staff member, working with us on almost weekly basis monitoring our energy usage, monitoring the rate environment and giving us advice on how we should best buy energy moving forward.”
Education
Ed Reynolds is the headmaster over at Holy Name High School in Worcester, Massachusetts. If you have never been to Worcester, make a trip to visit this beautiful part of the country. While you are there be careful of your pronunciation of the cities name. Maybe hear it before you speak it. But I digress, the only thing that rivals the beauty of central Massachusetts is the severity and duration of their winters. Experiencing the former while minimizing the impact of the ladder is the name of the game out in “Wooster” not ““woo-stuh-sher”.
Mr. Reynolds knows a thing or two about central Massachusetts winter’s and how to keep his students insulated from them. The energy needs of any high school are great but come November through March, Holy Name High School requires a reliable energy source to power their HVAC systems. Meeting this invaluable demand, Agera aims to please, says Mr. Reynolds, “In terms of being our energy supplier, I have been very pleased with Agera, in terms of their billing, in terms of their price point and especially in terms of their service.”
As important as reliable and sufficient energy at Holy Name High School, using green eco-friendly energy supplies also takes priority. The school was the first high school in the state to be powered by a wind turbine. In 1984, the school installed a 40-kilowatt wind turbine which subsequently was upgraded to produce 660 kilowatts in 2001. Saving on energy cost, Holy Name High School is also setting an example for the students that occupy its halls. Mr. Reynolds elaborated:
What we have found at Holy Name High School is that we have changed and evolved as our renewable energy technology has evolved. Our demand has changed from a variable rate to a set rate but one of the things that I have found advantageous is we were able to lock into a six-month period which to me allows us the flexibility we need in terms of our budget, but at the same time provide budget certainty from year-to-year.
As pioneers of the growing movement of eco-consciousness, Holy Name High School understands that leaving a smaller footprint on the environment is a fundamental aspect of operating in the twenty-first century. This is because technology has allowed for more sustainable business practices that make sense long-term and month-to-month. One of Agera’s renewable energy solutions, Pure Wind, allows businesses to customize their energy plan to use a given amount of Renewable Energy Credits. Pure Wind electricity comes from nationally sourced wind farms that generate certified and verifiable RECs.
Grocery Markets
Pat Patiero, Owner of Villarina’s Market, “The biggest benefit of working with Agera is I am saving money. They put the gas and electric with the same supplier.” What this means for the customer is no new bill even if Agera only supplement’s your existing energy supplier. As the Agera’s natural gas and electricity are delivered through your local utility, the only change that comes with billing is a small designation on your normal power bill about where your energy is sourced.
“The face to face with the representative when they came in, they explained without being pushy what I am paying.” Explained Mr. Patiero. Agera is a full-service energy supply, efficiency and audit service and as such has a deeper understanding of their customer’s needs and challenges. Take efficiency for example. Business owners are well aware that the cheapest therm or kilowatt-hour is the one they do not use or subsequently have to pay for.
Agera’s efficiency services can help businesses all up and down the food distribution chain to save money. From wholesale food suppliers to markets, to restaurant’s, the retail energy supplier can assess any weaknesses in your building’s operational efficiencies. In some states, these services can be funded with state-sponsored rebates. Afterall, an energy efficient business is good for society at large.
These efficiency services work well with Agera’s retail energy supply products. Take, for example, the synergies in billing. Remember how we said that Agera’s billing is as simple as a designation at the end of your existing utility bill? Well for those implementing Agera’s efficiency services, the cost of such services can be financed and paid for using the very same bill. That’s one bill for cleaner, more efficient energy. And better yet, you were going to pay that bill anyway.
Hardware Stores
Another business owner out in Massachusetts that has discovered new utility options with Agera Energy is Celeste Drake. Owner of True Value, a hardware store in Gardner, MA that caters to DIYers and commercial industrial accounts alike has been in business for over 35 years. “Agera is a great company for me to work with because they have a great customer service standard that I also expect my staff to have with my customers coming into the store,” said Celeste Drake, “so whether I have a question about something or I need explanation about my statements, they are there for me.”
“The biggest benefit for me is the fact that I make an average of 10% savings a year it allows me to take that money and put it back into the business, whether I do it structurally or take care of my employees in a better way.” Said Celeste Drake.
Taking a Customer-Based Approach to Businesses Energy Utilities
What does a customer-centric approach to electric and natural gas utilities look like from the customer’s perspective? As business owner’s you do not want to hear empty promises or elaborate marketing scheme. You want to know exactly how retail energy operates, how that operation perpetuates itself, and how that operation could potentially save you money on the utility bill. But don’t take it from us, here is what Agera’s customers in the aforementioned industries have to say about Agera Energy’s stellar customer service:
“I would definitely recommend switching to Agera. The customer service piece that you build with the representative, they have your back. The way that they kind of make it easy for you, they take your energy needs off of your plate and allow you to focus on running your everyday business.” – David Schneider
Heat “Their application process is all digital. I like simple, simple doesn’t cost as much. We had a couple of hiccups timing wise and they were able to extend their contract and work with us as a potential customer to make these things work which made it much more comfortable. – Stephen Kowalski
“With Agera, we just transitioned over to a fixed product because we saw the opportunity to make better savings by being locked into a fixed rate and will allow me that for two years, I know just exactly what my goal would be and my budget plan would be much easier than having a net collectible rate.” – Celeste Drake
“If I were to recommend Agera to another school, and in fact I have, I would call to mind their wonderful price point, their flexibility, and their outstanding customer service” – Ed Reynolds
“I would definitely recommend Agera to other business owners because they made the process so easy for me. I was skeptical at first and they made me feel comfortable, I knew what I was doing, I knew what I was signing up for.” – Pat Patiero
“We are assessing our programs with Agera on a monthly basis, I think that their interest is more aligned with a long-term relationship and continuing relationship, more so than just trying to lock you into a single fixed agreement. That you can go assess after the fact. – Jonathan Berns
This flexibility, this expertise, this willingness to work one-on-one, hardly happened in an accident. This process was designed to do just such according to Agera employee, “We are in the business of developing long-term relationships so that Agera can be part of our customer’s business model. We want to offer customized solutions so that our customers have the right decision-making ability moving forward and they know they have a partner in energy consultation with Agera.” Agera Energy has been furnishing business owners with the ability to make informed decisions since 2014.
Tripp Torchia, Regional Director of Channel Partners works for Agera Energy. Mr. Torchia says Agera Energy is a dynamic company on the move that takes a customer-centric approach to their business, “[Agera] is willing to work on a one-to-one basis and on a personal level with all of our customers of all sizes. I really want to have that personal relationship with the customer, so they understand that I am with them every step of the way.”
If you would like to find out more about Agera Energy visit their website at https://www.ageraenergy.com/ and connect with them on Twitter.
