Energy prices can have a big impact on charity budgets, so planning ahead is important. CFG's partner Utility Aid recently ran a webinar on the current market and what to consider when choosing your next contract.
For many charities, energy is a cost that is hard to predict and easy to put off thinking about. This session is a practical look at where the market is now and what that means for your decisions.
What the webinar covers
Utility Aid start with how prices have moved. By their figures, wholesale power prices for winter 2026 rose from around £108 per MWh in June to £157 per MWh in early September. For a building using about 30,000 kWh a year, such as a village hall or small office, that is roughly £1,470 more in three months. They point to conflict in the Middle East and low gas storage levels in Europe as the main drivers.
They then explain why short contracts may not be the safest choice at the moment. Near-term prices are currently higher than prices for future years, a situation known as backwardation. This means it can be worth securing a price early, even if your new contract doesn’t start for a year or more. The speakers also discuss how long a contract should run depending on how much price risk your organisation is comfortable with, and what “fully fixed” really means, as some products allow suppliers to pass on extra charges during the contract.
The session also looks at collective purchasing through Utility Aid’s National Charity Tender, which brings hundreds of organisations together to improve their buying power. It also covers the Utility Aid Foundation, which funds community projects, and ends with a Q&A that includes questions on VAT for village halls and community buildings.
Key takeaways
- Start looking at your options well before your current contract ends.
- Consider future price movements and the potential benefits of securing prices in advance.
- Collective purchasing can help community organisations reduce energy costs.
- Look beyond the headline tariff and check exactly what is fixed.
- Think about the level of energy price risk your committee is comfortable with.
Watch the full webinar
If you’d like to find out more or discuss your organisation’s energy needs further, please click here to contact our friendly Utility Aid team, who will be happy to help