In regards to the current weather conditions and extraordinary snowfall in Britain, I had to find some time to write few words about the challenging week that my team at Ampower and I experienced.
Energy Suppliers in the UK
The experience that I gain from unprecedented climate we have endured this week is a classic example of how your chosen business and career, influence’s your day to day life
I have loved the snow all my life; I remember every year my family, and I desperately waited for it, so that we could have fun playing with snowballs, sledging and making snowmen, like other families. Snow days come with a few rituals them being: flicking through news channels looking at the disruptions, travel chaos, weather warnings, feeling lucky that you are safe. The absolute sense of relaxation, after all, there’s no early slog to the office, no chaotic school runs, and you are sitting on a cosy sofa in a warm house; feeling entirely at home.
That all changed this week, I realised the pressure and stress especially when you are running an Energy Supply Company. Our obligation to make sure our customers get uninterrupted energy at an affordable price is enormous responsibility, and this is always at the heart of our business, and I am sure every other suppliers’ too.
Our office remained closed because the safety of our staff is paramount. However, everyone worked from home and worked hard in handling emergency calls and making sure we answer the queries from our customers to their satisfaction.
We regularly tracked the wholesale energy prices, which were continuously hovering at ten times above the standard rate. This was topped off with the worrying announcement from National Grid about the shortfall of the gas and possibilities of cutting down the gas supply to businesses. At one point the gas price shot up to 400% of the average price, highest in the last decade. The nation’s energy demand rose to an unprecedented level sending shockwaves to energy traders and suppliers. Despite all this discord, it seems that the rollercoaster ride of this past week may be finally coming to an end. Thankfully, none of our customers up and down the country faced any disruptions or any problems.
While the role of the energy supplier is important it does not compare to what National Grid does; balancing the network every minute; making sure that demand and supply are managed properly, in addition ensuring enough gas and electricity is available to everyone. I cannot praise their work enough and have a profound amount of respect for everyone at National Grid as well as other network operators who operate and manage the whole network in such challenging times like this week. Despite the numerous new small and medium suppliers that have entered the market in the last decade, I think what the big six have done before them is exceptional.
Of course, massive hats off to all the brave heroes from emergency services, rail companies, water companies, buses, police, airport staff and everyone who was out and about on the front line, who made sure the essential services stayed up and running.
It was a very challenging week for us at Ampower, and I think we all learned a lot. We are pleased to learn that our systems and processes are robust, and economics is strong to cope with any such situations in the future.
While this may have been my least favourite snowfall and perhaps even stained the so-called “magical” snow day, one question I wanted to ask is it a day to be afraid of? Of course not.