For many manufacturing businesses, energy procurement is handled alongside a long list of other responsibilities. Finance managers, operations directors and procurement leads are often tasked with sourcing energy contracts without the time, tools or expertise to fully optimise them. As a result, many businesses end up overpaying – not because of poor decision-making, but due to a lack of market visibility and supplier leverage.
At Red Hawk Group, our core mission is simple: help UK manufacturers buy energy smarter. We act as your external energy procurement partner, offering the insight, expertise and supplier access that ensures you never sign a suboptimal contract again.
Why manufacturers are overpaying for energy
There are several reasons why overpayment is common:
- Fixed-price timing mistakes: Many companies commit to fixed contracts without understanding market conditions. If you fix your rate when the wholesale market is high, you’re locked into above-market rates even when prices fall.
- Limited supplier comparison: Some businesses renew with the same supplier out of convenience, missing out on more competitive offers elsewhere. Without a live tendering process, you’re unlikely to secure the best deal.
- Non-optimised contract structures: Many contracts are not tailored to a business’s usage pattern. You might be paying for peak-time access you don’t need or missing out on savings by not using the correct metering or billing structure.
- Poor market insight: Without daily tracking of the energy markets, it’s impossible to know when the right time to buy is. You’re effectively buying blind.
- Lack of negotiation power: Suppliers offer better rates to brokers who can place volume across multiple clients. As a single business, it can be hard to access these benefits alone.
How Red Hawk Group helps you buy smarter
We offer a strategic, data-led procurement service designed to reduce energy costs and give you greater control. Here’s how we do it:
- Full market tendering
We don’t just request one or two quotes – we run a competitive tender across a wide range of suppliers. Our relationships with major and independent suppliers mean we bring you the best rates available in the market.
We manage the process end-to-end:
- Collating your usage and meter data
- Issuing formal requests for quotation
- Comparing like-for-like contract options
- Presenting clear recommendations based on your commercial objectives
- Market timing and flexible strategies
Where appropriate, we help you move to a flexible purchasing model. This means you can buy energy in tranches, based on live market conditions, rather than being stuck fixing all your volume in one go.
We monitor the markets daily and provide timely advice on when to secure your energy, helping you avoid costly peaks and take advantage of dips.
- Tailored contract structuring
We work with you to understand your consumption patterns and design a contract that matches your operational profile. Whether you operate 24/7 or on seasonal cycles, we ensure your energy terms align with your real-world needs.
This may include:
- Selecting the right billing method (pass-through vs all-inclusive)
- Choosing optimal contract durations
- Adjusting load shape tolerance to reduce risk
- Reviewing metering arrangements for efficiency
- Bill validation and cost recovery
Many manufacturers are unknowingly overcharged through estimated billing, incorrect rates or pass-through errors. We offer ongoing bill validation to ensure every charge matches your agreed terms.
We also conduct retrospective audits on past invoices – in some cases, recovering thousands in overcharges from suppliers. This service often delivers savings without changing contracts or suppliers.
- Ongoing support and account management
Energy procurement doesn’t stop once a contract is signed. We stay with you throughout the contract lifecycle, providing performance reports, market updates and renewal planning. You’ll never be caught off-guard at contract end.
Our account management team is proactive and responsive. You’ll always have a direct point of contact who understands your business.
Case study: Engineering firm saves over £60,000
A medium-sized engineering business in the Midlands approached us after experiencing steep increases in their energy renewal offer. By conducting a full tender and shifting part of their volume to flexible purchasing, we secured a blended rate that was 14% lower than their incumbent’s offer.
Additionally, our audit of historical invoices identified over £11,000 in recoverable overcharges due to capacity and non-commodity charges that were incorrectly applied.
A partner you can trust
We’re not just another energy broker. At Red Hawk Group, we pride ourselves on transparency, expertise and long-term partnerships. We don’t take a commission from suppliers that compromises our recommendations. Our goal is always to secure the best outcome for your business.
We work exclusively with high-energy-use businesses, particularly in manufacturing, where we can deliver real impact. Our experience across food processing, plastics, precision engineering and more means we understand the commercial pressures you face.
Whether you’re approaching a contract renewal, want to explore flexible strategies or simply want to benchmark your current rate, we’re here to help.
Ready to stop overpaying?
We offer a no-obligation review of your current contracts and invoices to identify savings opportunities. In many cases, our initial review pays for itself in recovered costs or avoided overcharges.
Contact us today to schedule your free energy health check:
- Website: www.redhawkgroup.co.uk
- Email: billy@redhawkgroup.co.uk
Next up: “Energy management without the headache: Support for finance and operations teams.”
