Energy supplier: does your company know how to choose the ideal one?

The energy sector in Brazil is formed by a series of rules and guidelines that keep it organized. The debate on opening the Free Energy Market has become increasingly common, but the freedom to choose your energy supplier is still a reality available only to a few categories of companies – currently, only group A consumers.

In other words, this means you need to have a minimum demand if you want to choose another supplier. It also means that you, at your home, considering current Brazilian rules, cannot yet choose the energy company that will supply your consumption. 

Compared to the European market, for example, this is an outdated practice, since over there even residential consumers choose who to buy their energy from.

Opening this market makes the sector more competitive, which allows both consumers and the environment to gain advantages. With cleaner energy sources, at lower costs and more accessible prices, the goal is to prepare to choose the best supplier.

If you still don't know how to do this — despite already being able to choose your supply company —, don't worry. We will help you make the best decision according to your reality. Continue reading and learn more about the subject!

What is an energy supplier?

The energy supplier is the company that uses different sources, which may be renewable or not, to produce energy in a sufficient amount to distribute to different buildings — residential, commercial, or even industrial.

To distribute energy, the supplier must be regulated, in accordance with the laws of each country. In Brazil, we have the so-called Regulated Contracting Environment (ACR).

This is a compulsory energy supply system, meaning it relies on a set of captive consumers who have access to energy with government-regulated tariffs paid every month for the energy generation and distribution service.

The good news is that we have already started building a Free Contracting Environment (ACL) with competitive and cheaper offers. In this new market, it is the consumers who negotiate the energy contract in the so-called Free Energy Market. Thus, everyone has the opportunity to choose the energy supplier that best meets their needs regarding a series of factors, such as:

• the service price;

• the energy sources used;

• the service delivery deadlines;

• the payment method;

• the advantages offered.

This gives more autonomy to the consumer and, on the other hand, more competitiveness to suppliers — you will see later that this is also very positive.

What is the importance of having a good energy supplier?

Being able to choose your energy supplier brings autonomy to consumers. However, this autonomy needs to be tied to safety and cost predictability.

With the evolution of the electrical system, people and companies began to realize that, just like in the banking and telephony sectors, this one could also modernize and qualify itself more and more. In view of this, some new suppliers emerged as an alternative to the traditional ones, while others stayed where they were.

Continue reading to understand what a good electric energy supplier should offer.

Lower costs

One of the first impacts of having different types of energy suppliers in the market is noticing the difference in your electricity bill. In short, you can choose who to contract from and, consequently, what price to pay for the supply. This only happens due to a determining factor: the need to increase energy efficiency — which, in other words, means generating the same amount of energy using fewer natural resources, or increasing production with the same amount of available energy.

When we talk about a company that has the ability to make business prosper and expand without increasing costs at the same proportion, we are talking about the concept of scalability. In energy supply, energy efficiency means the same thing: managing to supply a larger amount of energy without costs being proportionally higher.

Thus, the commercial consumer ends up paying a considerably lower amount and receives a fairer electricity bill, suited to their consumption profile. A bill that, by the way, becomes cheaper even for the environment.

More security

When we talk about moments of vulnerability, such as a water crisis, a homogeneous energy supply system can become quite risky, especially if it lacks diversification in its energy matrix.

Suppliers in the Free Energy Market are in a scenario that is much fiercer and more competitive. If it is not possible to supply a demand during a crisis, the consumer migrates to another supplier. To prevent this from happening, they need to guarantee delivery.

As a consequence, the energy sources of these suppliers tend to be diverse and can come from absolutely any natural resource, especially non-depletable ones. Thus, it becomes much simpler to adopt emergency measures, such as redirecting efforts and prioritizing one source over another.

The consumer, in this case, has more security and confidence that their energy supplier will be able to overcome challenges and supply their demand, so that the enterprise does not have to stop. This is particularly important for industries, but relevant in any segment.

To have even more security when contracting in the Free Energy Market, the ideal is to choose companies that, in addition to trading, also generate their own clean energy. And thus, they guarantee the delivery of the contracted energy regardless of market supply and demand fluctuations.

Sustainability guarantee

The appreciation of renewable energies is the main path to achieving energy efficiency for an entire country. Many nations have already discovered this new alternative and are benefiting from it, with energy suppliers that have understood this need.

Relying on a company that takes this approach seriously means ensuring a more sustainable system that respects the limitations and needs of the environment. As a result, many companies are turning to regulations that indicate which are the best and most reliable suppliers regarding sustainable practices.

More competitiveness

Good suppliers are in a market that is extremely competitive. They are committed to delivering the best energy efficiency, the best costs, maximum sustainability, and solutions that bring value to their consumers.

The one who benefits from this is your company, which has, in the purchase of electric energy, the same advantage as buying food at the supermarket, for example — you can choose the brand that best satisfies your needs. Thus, it becomes much simpler to switch from one energy supplier to another when the first one is not delivering on what was promised.

This autonomy and the conditions to negotiate what is best for your company are two very important points for your business.

How to choose a good energy supplier?

Many aspects can make a difference regarding how to choose your energy supplier. They can also vary greatly according to consumer needs. Despite this, there are common points that help understand when a company is advantageous.

1. Know which energy sources you want to use

One of the first steps is to understand what your energy demand is. In terms of consumption, this is relatively easy information to find. You can have a baseline from the average of the last quarter of your company's electricity bills, for example.

Then, it is important to understand what type of energy source you would like to use. Many companies make an environmental commitment, with premises that reinforce their responsibility to mitigate the impacts caused by their activity on the ecosystem.

In this scenario, what is your company's case? Do you insist on renewable energy sources or is this not an exclusive condition for supply? Before choosing a supplier, it is interesting to analyze the alternatives they make available, that is, the diversity of sources they use to generate energy.

2. Research market prices

After understanding your needs and making a survey of which suppliers could meet your demand, it is necessary to evaluate the prices being practiced in the market and why.

In some cases, you will find reference tariff values for consultation. In others, you will need to request a personalized quote for your company. Either way, values can vary from supplier to supplier, especially due to the costs they have to generate energy.

An energy supplier with complete infrastructure, varied renewable sources, and a good generation system offers security and cost predictability by owning proprietary renewable energy parks, constant innovation to optimize operational intelligence, and trading clean energy produced mostly by the supplier's own parks.

This is the case of Serena, which for over 15 years has been investing in generation from renewable energy sources, offering clean and accessible energy.

3. Collect different proposals

Service prices can vary greatly from one energy supplier to another, but this is not the only factor that should be taken into account.

Just like any purchase or contracting you make for your company, the best energy supply does not depend solely on the price variable. It is necessary to evaluate the supplier's conditions to offer resources that are advantageous to you.

This includes evaluating the quality of customer service, how they solve your company's needs, whether the trading company is also an energy generator, among several other factors. Before deciding on the cheapest service, thoroughly evaluate the proposals and plans offered.

4. Evaluate the cost-benefit of different suppliers

When evaluating the cost-benefit of an electric supply service, the ideal is to assign a priority order among the features you are looking for — which can be through a grading scale or something similar. If the guarantee of delivery of the contracted energy within the contracting period is much more important than the price, for example, its analytical weight should be higher.

Thus, you can lay out your alternatives side by side in a comparison table, giving a score to each one regarding each criterion. This way, it is easier to visualize which supplier is most advantageous to meet your needs.

5. Seek references on the potential supplier

Before closing the partnership and signing the contract, we have one last suggestion: look for references on the energy supplier you are about to hire. Understand what position they assume in the market, who their best-known clients are, and what their degree of satisfaction is with the service.

If possible, check how they reacted during past energy crisis periods. That way, you will know what to expect if the scenario repeats itself.

When to switch energy suppliers?

It is very common for companies to keep the same supplier for years. Even so, this does not mean they are good or even that there are no better options. It is important to pay attention to opportunities to optimize costs and ensure better quality services.

In general, certain signs occur when it is time to look for other options. Below, you can check the main ones.

• Breach of deadlines: every contract has pre-established deadlines. This is a requirement for a good relationship with the supplier, since you plan your activities based on this variable. When these dates are not met or respected, an alert must be raised regarding the supplier.

• Excessive price increase: another frequent situation in the energy sector is the constant price adjustment to keep up with inflation and the consequent costs of the activity. It is very important to understand if this is not being done abusively and, above all, without prior notice. If you suspect something, check the tariff prices charged by the competition and compare them with this range.

• Outdated product or service: it is your supplier's obligation to keep products and services updated, which guarantees efficiency. This includes everything from infrastructure to the proposal presented to your company. From time to time, reassess whether that service is still meeting your business needs and study the innovations being implemented in the market to know if you have a good offer.

• Competitor analysis with better cost-benefit: there is nothing wrong with taking a good look at what other energy suppliers are offering to understand if you are still getting a good cost-benefit with your company. This is a good way to know if you have access to good quality inputs.

How to switch suppliers without affecting company operations?

If you truly identify the need to switch suppliers, it is important to plan this process without interfering with or harming the company's activities. You will need to follow at least a few basic steps. Check them out!

Plan for the energy supplier switch

Structure a plan with all the steps that must be followed, with dates and deadlines. Ideally, this should be done together with the supplier so they can accept it and mobilize the necessary teams for this transition process. It is important to do this in advance to ensure there is time to resolve any setbacks.

Research, research, research

The next step brings together all the tips we shared before, meaning it is your choice of the new energy supplier — which will require a lot of research and analysis. Do not hesitate to dedicate time to this, after all, it is what will guarantee good results in the future and prevent a contract breach during the partnership.

How can Serena help with this?

For over 15 years, Serena has been offering a fluid experience with digital tools that simplify day-to-day management. With integrated data, investment in cutting-edge technologies, and respect for the environment, the company brings real savings to all customers.

Serena's energy comes from the combination of different complexes in the best climatic regions of the Americas, making it possible to bring clean technology and growth to generate a more sustainable reality for everyone.

This allows customers to choose energy that comes from the source, simply and without bureaucracy, guaranteeing clean and more economical energy.

How do we generate value?

We work from a cycle formed by three business fronts gathered in a single company. Our Development area is responsible for the projection and implementation of new renewable assets, such as solar, wind, and hydro. This work is comprehensive, covering everything from site studies to the operational delivery of the asset.

The Generation area is our investment front in clean energy generation. There, we manage, operate, and maintain all acquired and operating assets.

And finally, the commercial area is our business unit focused on consumers. It develops solutions for each client to advance their business goals through the purchase of energy facilitated by the online sales platform or custom contracts.

In addition, our company is public and listed on B3 under the ticker SRNA3.

What are the main differentials?

Serena's differentials and advantages are clear:

• you control your budget, with cost predictability;

• energy comes directly from the producer, you buy from a fully reliable source;

• you count on more savings and greater predictability at the same time;

• energy contracting is simple and digital;

• our energy is clean and accessible;

• a company trusted by clients such as Bayer, 3M, Grupo Mateus, Heineken, among many others.

Want to join companies that are already saving and have the peace of mind of contracting clean energy from a reliable energy supplier? Then, calculate your savings with Serena.