Derry-based Click Energy helping local businesses go green

As the commercial energy market continues to evolve, businesses are increasingly looking for energy providers that not only offer competitive rates, but also provide high levels of customer support and renewable solutions.

Click Energy, headquartered along Derry’s quayside, has positioned itself as a key player in this landscape, delivering tailored energy tariffs designed to meet the diverse needs of its commercial clients. With a focus on flexible, consumer-centric contracts and renewable options, Click Energy is helping businesses smarten their operations while reducing their environmental impact.

Nestled in the scenic surroundings of the Culmore area, Brook Hall Estate & Gardens has first-hand experience of this service. Brook Hall has long been a pioneer in sustainability, farming coppice willow to produce biomass fuel used in renewable heating. It's a process that demands significant energy, meaning the choice of provider and tariff is a critical one.

David Gilliland, Managing Partner at Brook Hall, explains: “We use quite a lot of electricity in the drying process of the wood chips. Because we use forced air and ventilated drying floors, you have to increase the airflow velocity. It's essentially like a big hair dryer.”

Explaining the decision to go with a fully green electricity tariff, David added: “A lot of what we do on the estate here is research on sustainable agriculture and trying to work towards net zero. For us, one of the vital parts of that is making sure that our electricity is generated by renewables, which Click Energy were able to guarantee.

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“Because of that, we are measurably beyond carbon neutral today and a large part of that is due to being reassured that our electricity comes from renewable sources. We wouldn't be carbon-neutral if it weren't for Click Energy.”

Click Energy sources its electricity from the likes of hydro plants, wind turbines, solar farms and anaerobic digesters. The company keeps a large portfolio such resources and can provide commercial clients with a certificate of origin guaranteeing that their electricity comes from a renewable source.

Whether for small enterprises or large-scale operations, Click Energy has made itself available to work with any business to help them make informed decisions about their energy use, with bespoke and flexible contracts also being a pertinent feature.

“Whilst we do a lot of business with the farming and rural communities, we of course welcome all customers whether they're getting their energy from a brown source or a green source,” says Richard Thompson, Commercial Manager at Click Energy.

“We are also fully flexible at Click. If customers want to start off on a brown energy contract because it suits their bottom line better, they can absolutely do so, and we are happy to review it at any time should they wish to jump onto green energy mid-contract. Our bespoke contract offerings with competitive rates and dedicated customer service are very much our bread and butter.”

Customer service is core pillar of Click Energy’s operations, underpinned by its first-place ranking for Consumer Satisfaction in the Consumer Council NI’s Annual Report. The company’s personable approach is certainly something Brook Hall can attest to. Having grown tired with the lack of communication with their previous supplier, the level of engagement from Click Energy has been greatly valued by David.

“We were with one of the big energy suppliers for nearly 20 years,” says David. “When they're unavailable on the phone, don't respond to emails, and fail to provide your renewal when you need it, leaving you without anyone to discuss it with, it was clear that it was time for us to make a change.

“That's when we came to Click Energy, a local company who are at the end of the phone whenever you need them, responding to your emails in good time, and they've offered really competitive packages even against the big companies.”

Click Energy say that an upfront and transparent approach is integral to the way they work, with key data being communicated timely and efficiently to ensure businesses like Brook Hall have all the information they need to make appropriate decisions.

Richard explains: “Because David is on a half-hourly meter connection, a lot of data comes into our systems every 30 minutes. For many of our clients, I analyse that data and give them information so they can make positive business decisions based on that data.

“That information, such as what their maximum kVA is per half hour, can be compared to what they're paying NIE Networks as part of their connection. There could possibly be savings made if the customer had the correct information to allow them to make that decision.”

David adds: “Click also share all of that data with us if we request it, too. We use it a lot for some of our research projects. We are working with the local universities looking at designing power generation systems and things like that. We've done a few projects using Click Energy's data to help them do real-life projects rather than just theoretical ones. It's great to have that and to be able to monitor in-house, as well as getting Click’s external support.”

As Brook Hall expands into new ventures like tourism, sustainability remains a focal point. Visitors can now walk paths lined with coppice willow, learning about renewable energy whilst also exploring the estate’s serene beauty and 18th century arboretum overlooking the River Foyle. For David, the collaboration with Click Energy continues to tick every box.

“We’re starting out in the new tourism sector and there's heavy scrutiny about sustainability credentials in particular,” says David.

“It all comes back to the offer that Click Energy has. It's ticking boxes across multiple areas of our business, not just on the bank balance. It's a great product to have, and we have a few different contracts with Click. Each one is flexible enough to suit the exact needs of each individual section of the business.

“Click Energy has been great to work with throughout.”