New awards launched for energy consultants

Today ELN has launched a brand new awards for the energy consultancy sector. We hope they will become the benchmark for consultancy market and set the gold standard for best […]

Today ELN has launched a brand new awards for the energy consultancy sector. We hope they will become the benchmark for consultancy market and set the gold standard for best practice and transparency.

ELN has made its name by being independent and speaking to all sectors of the energy industry. Over the years we have done many stories on the consultancy sector and the vast majority have been positive, however there have been examples of poor practice and even downright fraud. That is why we are launching the TELCAs.

We know there is fantastic work done in the consultancy business both at the SME and I&C level which needs to be recognised but at present there is no universal code of conduct, mandatory association or legislative structure that lets a customer know who to trust. These awards will start to change that. The winners will have to have passed a tough entry criteria, then a two stage independent judging panel to succeed, proving they really are the best in the business.

The awards are open to all consultancies irrespective of size, working in either I&C or the SME space, all they need to do is pass three criteria to enter: The consultancy carries out energy procurement; it can demonstrate it has a fees transparency policy and/or it does not give false information to customers when communicating fees to them and in the last 12 months the consultancy has not had a complaint upheld by an industry body or featured in the media for unprofessional conduct.

There will be a two stage judging process led by former M&S Energy Manager and Chair of Judges, Mervyn Bowden. Firstly all the entries will be shortlisted by a panel of ten highly respected energy managers. This shortlisting process will be blind so consultancies will be judged on their entry alone and not on personal connection with any of the panel. The second stage will see the five finalists for each of the 12 awards judged by an independent panel from both within and beyond the energy sector.

Upon the importance of these awards Chair of Judges Mervyn Bowden said: ”I think it’s really important for energy consultants to be able to sing and shout about their reputation in the wider industry, these awards will do that. This is a nice, holistic, well judged award ceremony that actually picks out some different qualities than the norm.

“I think the amount of time and thought that’s gone into the judging process is very important. It’s two tier, the people involved are very knowledgeable not only of energy itself but also the consultancy space so that will come through in the way that the judging is carried out.”

There are 12 categories in the awards including Most Trusted, Most Innovative, Best Advice and Best Customer service. The overall I&C and SME Consultancy of the Year awards will be voted for directly by the public so there will be plenty of scope to for entrants to lobby their customers to vote for them.

Headline sponsor npower is fully behind the aim of the TELCAs in raising the bar for the consultancy sector. Chris Billing, Head of Indirect Sales at npower said: “We are very proud to be the first energy supplier to champion this group through an awards scheme that highlights innovation and transparency of working.

“Energy consultants and brokers form a significant part of our customer base and we work on an ongoing basis to ensure we are meeting their needs through services, products and solutions that meet their specific needs.”

The Energy Live Consultancy Awards or TELCA for short, will take place on June 27th at the stunning London Film Museum inside the iconic County Hall building. Following our track record of doing things differently, we will be staging an OSCARS style awards ceremony followed by a cruise onboard the Silver Sturgeon the most luxurious passenger cruiser on the Thames.

For full details visit the website for the TELCAs.

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