There are plenty of reasons a business might be planning to relocate. Regardless of the motives, the key to a successful move is planning. Without a clear strategy, the process can go horribly wrong and end up costing much more than it should.

Why, where and when?

Getting the answers to some fairly basic questions will help with your plans. You may know why the business is moving, but your staff might not. Make sure everyone knows what is happening and start thinking about how you are going to communicate this to all your suppliers, clients and anyone else involved in the business. Where do you want to move? This is a great chance to relocate to a better and perhaps cheaper or more convenient site. The Bristol removals company, for example, will be able to help here. Have a clear deadline so that the move can be achieved on time and on budget.

The moving team

It is always a good idea to appoint a good project manager. A good removals company can provide the right expertise for you and lead your team, too. The leader of the team will need to possess a whole range of essential skills. An ability to communicate effectively will be fundamental, but the role will also require management, a good understanding of processes, and an ability to set up and manage a realistic and affordable budget.

Know how

Depending on the size and complexity of the move, it is always a good idea to consider bringing in a professional Bristol removals company to help. Relocation and the actual physical removal process should not be undertaken lightly, unless you have had considerable previous experience. An organisation such as the Bristol Removals Company can step in and make the process seamless.

Introducing change

Relocating your company can be a real opportunity, so be sure to take advantage of it! All of your old systems can be revisited, and new processes can be introduced. Old files can be scanned and all your dusty paperwork discarded, and this is also a chance to get on top of GDPR. It may be the right moment to update old hardware, so work this into your budget calculation as well. When the move is complete, don’t forget to enjoy a well-earned party.

“The Energy Secretary should be sacked”, said consumer champion Martin Lewis in May 2017[1]. This wasn’t about smart meters though. Greg Clark had told breakfast TV viewers that switching energy suppliers is “quite a hassle to do”. It isn’t, even for your gran, as explained on Lewis’s MoneySavingExpert site [4].

Will anyone be sacked over the decision to roll out smart meters?

We’ve all done it haven’t we, become convinced that the expensive new gizmo will make our lives better. After a few hours of the kids shouting “Hey Google”, we start to wonder. It’s expensive for sure. Householders will be paying £11bn for the rollout of smart meters and even this is set to rise [2].

Well before UK government took the plunge with smart meters, the Germans had already decided that they were too expensive, compared to the savings [3]. So why did the UK go ahead?

The main reason cited for smart meters was that householders would be able to see their energy usage, and cost, in real time. That’s fair enough, but which householders were they targeting?

– The money saving experts who had already switched suppliers? They were already clued up about not leaving the TV on standby and buying A+ rated white goods.
– The ones who hadn’t bothered to switch? Would they take any notice of a box that you can’t shout “Hey Google” at?

What’s worse is that the SMETS 1 boxes will “go dumb” when switching supplier! Householders will still be able to see usage (if they are interested) but not the cost. Penalising the people who actually care. The final straw is that, according to the BBC, smart meters will cut annual energy bills by just £11 – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44903471.

So, what are the benefits? Energy companies won’t have to read meters. Great. Householders won’t either. Yay. A side benefit might be that they can replace that broken gas meterbox and make the outside of the house look more presentable, see here https://www.meterbox.co.uk/.

Love ‘em or loathe ‘em smart meters are here to stay. We’ll see whether the SMETS 1 boxes can be upgraded. Greg Clark is still the Secretary of State for Energy, and you can bet no one will be sacked for the decision to roll out smart meters.

[1] https://inews.co.uk/news/martin-lewis-calls-energy-switch-minister-sacked/
[2] https://utilityweek.co.uk/smart-meter-rollout-costs-1bn-higher-expected-2016/
[3] http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/germany-rejects-eu-smart-meter-plan-too-expensive-no-payback-in-savings/
[4] https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cheap-energy-offline/