Welcome to our new Category Manager for Energy, Blair Coull
It was very sad for us to say goodbye to our energy stalwart, Peter Weightman. We wish him all the very best with his new endeavours and thank him for being such a hard-working team member for so many years.
Blair Coull is our new category manager for energy contracts. With more than 15 years experience in this complex and quickly changing industry, consider him your finger on the energy pulse. Blair is a skilled negotiator who understands the core risks, environmental considerations and complicated market conditions of energy.
So you don’t need to worry about the complexity of the energy market. Blair is doing that for you. In this newsletter, he provides a brief market outlook as well as a quick update of our plans moving into 2011.
Energy Contract Update
We are currently looking at the best energy options to make sure we get the best result for our members.
Our biggest considerations are:
- Optimum time to engage
- Critical market conditions such as price and competition between retailers
- Increased green options
- Ability of the retailer to service sites
- Prevalent industry trends
- And, above all else, meeting the needs of our members!
Procurement Australia’s collective presence in the Victorian energy market translates to a better service offering, strong account management and a support team who is focussed on your needs. The bottom line? Being part of Procurement Australia means every one of our members has the opportunity to take advantage of our highly competitive position in the market.
We will be giving you regular updates on our progress and look forward to your feedback.
So what is happening in the Energy market?
While energy prices in the short term look good, all the long term indicators point to much higher prices and a more complex market for 2013 and beyond. The ever important green power market is becoming more competitive than in past years. Specialist green retailers have emerged which is helping to keep the big retailers honest. Also, supply is up, the market is more liquid and while demand is putting pressure on prices, they have returned to more normal levels over the last 6 months. The upshot is that we may see more competitive benefits for our next contract.
Procurement Australia teams up with the EUAA.
Procurement Australia has joined the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) the peak body representing business in the Australian energy market. The organisation’s activities cover national and state issues dealing with electricity and gas, as well as climate change and energy efficiency.
The EUAA is a way that Procurement Australia can keep closer to the frontline of changes in the industry and, most importantly, gauge how we are all affected. Our membership will enhance our range of our member services including information about energy prices, market conditions, green markets, contracting and member advisory.
How the NSW Government Asset Sales can affect the national market.
The NSW government is going through an asset sale; government owned retailers and generators are being sold off to the highest bidders in an attempt to reduce state debt and this will affect the entire market.
For Victoria, it means that organisations in the Victorian market will be bidding, creating a potential influx of 4 million customers for Victorian retailers. Conversely, there will be generators that have a changed market position that will affect the supply in the NSW system and this will have a direct effect on Victorian supply availability. Also, some of the generators will be owned by the same company, affecting their strategy to market.
Several scenarios may play out. Victoria may end up with new retailers to the market or smaller Victorian retailers may be in position to provide better pricing and service to our members. But no matter what, Procurement Australia will be tracking the risks.
Want to know more about Energy? Contact Blair Coull on 0403 935 706 or email bcoull@paltd.com.au.