Guest Blog: Wayne Mitchell – Matching demand with supply for the construction industry

Matching demand with supply for the construction industry For many in business, 2014 is proving a positive year for growth, as the economic recovery gathers pace. The construction industry in […]

Matching demand with supply for the construction industry

For many in business, 2014 is proving a positive year for growth, as the economic recovery gathers pace. The construction industry in particular is experiencing an increase in output, with the latest Construction Trade Survey reporting a rise in activity across all areas, including building contractors, specialist contractors, civil engineers and product manufacturers. The largest construction sector, private commercial, saw 37% of contractors reporting a rise in commercial output in Q2 compared with a year ago.

At npower, we’ve been aware of this expanding activity for a while, as demand for our New Connections has been steadily increasing. This is the team that hooks up new sites and buildings with electricity and/or gas, so they are connected to the grid and ready for action. However, while installing a new energy supply may sound like a straightforward process, it’s often fraught with problems.

One in four experience delays

Our research reveals that nearly one in four businesses (24%) that recently moved into new-build commercial premises faced unnecessary delays due to the simple fact that they, or their construction company, had not planned the power supply connection early enough. In some cases this delayed businesses from becoming operational by up to an additional five working days, which clearly impacts the bottom line.

So, as we often do, we asked ourselves, how can we tailor our service to offer greater support to those who clearly need it? The answer is connect+.

A time (and money) saving solution

This is a new end-to-end connections service that manages everything from connecting to the grid to installing meters and supplying the site. Connect+ provides one dedicated point of contact per project, and uses our expertise and robust supply chain to save contractors, developers – and ultimately the business end-user – time, effort and money when setting up new gas and power connections.

The connect+ solution is carefully designed to work together with construction companies from the design stage to provide cost-effective connections, negotiating with networks and sourcing a variety of quotes to ensure value for money. A faster connection also means the use of diesel generators on-site can be minimised, helping companies to honour their carbon responsibilities.

Already, we are offering this service to two leading UK construction firms. With business booming in this sector, there is clearly a growing need for time-saving expertise and support in this vital area. Our aim is to meet this growing demand with hassle-free supply. You can find our more by visiting npower.com/connectplus or emailing the team direct at [email protected]

This is a sponsored article.

Latest Podcast