West Mercia Energy (WME) is a leading Public Buying Organisation, with over 30 years’ experience providing energy services to the public sector. We deliver energy procurement strategies to suit all risk appetites and a unique, "fully managed” service offering.
We support circa 2,000 education settings through our DfE approved energy frameworks.
Specialising solely in energy procurement and associated services for the public sector, WME is jointly owned by four local authorities: Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire councils, respectively.
When set up back in 1989, we were tasked with providing cost effective energy procurement for our four Member Authorities. That core aim remains today; however, now applies to all of our customers, which stretch way beyond our four Members.
In fact, it still sits within our mission statement, which is to "provide a cost effective, trusted and hassle-free energy solution, while supporting our customers’ environmental ambitions”.
The energy industry has a reputation for being complex and unfortunately some use this to their advantage to mislead customers - At WME, trust, transparency and honestyare embedded in our core values.
We see our customer contracts as partnerships and believe that you cannot build a successful partnership without these core values.
Where WME are unique to others in the market is that our core service offering is a fully managed provision, which was originally set up to help us service large, complex, multi-site energy contracts for local authorities – There are many similarities between local authorities and Multi-Academy trusts, and as a result, our service offering is well suited to school trusts – More details can be found below.
More detail on our fully managed service can be found here - Fully Managed Energy Service - West Mercia Energy
First and foremost, WME offers a range of procurement strategies designed to match your appetite for risk. Our customers are generally risk adverse, and opt for our flexible, risk managed energy procurement, led by our team of traders in Shrewsbury.
Beyond procurement, WME provide a unique, fully managed service as our core service offering.
Managing large, multi-site energy portfolio’s is challenging for trusts, who very often have limited energy expertise, but are responsible for a large number of meters which represents a significant spend across the trust.
The common issue
All too often we see trusts contracted with multiple suppliers / brokers, with a variety of contract dates and ranging trading strategies. This means billing arrives all through the month in different formats and makes managing the contracts, suppliers and data, almost impossible.
WME’s solution
WME’s fully managed service solves all of those issues, ensuring that the energy contract across the trust runs smoothly and efficiently, relieving staff time to focus on other areas.
WME contract directly with the trust, putting in place one central school trust contract and providing a payment management service which opens up a range of additional benefits, as detailed below:
One central school trust contract with WME (No direct contracts with individual suppliers) This ensures all schools operate to the same contract terms and contract end dates
Simple process for aligning existing contracts with different suppliers / end dates
All billing is issued by WME. This ensures one file format and billing at the same time of the month. (Option of consolidated billing for efficiency if the trust has more than 20 supplies)
Any sites taken on by the trust can easily be added to this contract and automatically join the same terms and end dates
WME are the central point of contact for any energy related queries for all schools / the central trust – No need to liaise with the supplier directly
Bill validation and payment management service (This service alone saved our customers £2.6m in overcharges last year)
Annual Budget support provided
Central school trust access to MYWME, our energy monitoring platform. Here you can view all energy data emissions reporting for the whole trust in one place. Perfect for reporting and collating information quickly E.g. for funding bids, or seeing the benefits of energy efficiency measures
All schools receive the same risk managed trading strategy
Option of Streamlined Energy Carbon Reporting produced by WME
Option of renewable energy across the trust
In addition to gas and electricity, WME have frameworks for oil, LPG and water.
If this service isn’t for you, please get in touch – We also offer "fixed term, fixed price” contracts and a "procurement only” service offering.
WME are committed to supporting the public sector in achieving their respective environmental goals. In May 2022, we launched our "Use Cleaner, Use Less" campaign, designed to support our customers on their journey to "net-zero" carbon through purchasing cleaner energy, and using less energy.
This includes free resources for schools to help reduce their energy consumptions which can be found here - Use Cleaner, Use Less - West Mercia Energy
WME have an annual social value fund which is supported by our key framework supplier. Each year, schools are encouraged to bid for funding to be used to support environmental activities within their school / trust.
Recent examples of projects supported include;
Setup of a recycling / repair station within a school, encouraging students to reduce waste
Funding towards saplings to support a schools’ ‘’forest school’’ redevelopment.
Funding towards a school ‘’food waste recycling’’ scheme whereby a school had their food waste collected by a company that used it to generate renewable gas.
Contribution to purchase coloured recycling bins to encourage recycling within a school.
Funding to support a schools’ bid for ‘Eco-School’ status
Supported the setting up and marketing of a school ‘’Eco club’’
Schools can also use WME’s energy monitoring platform, MYWME, as a way of engaging and inspiring students about energy and the environment. Many schools "Eco-clubs” use MYWME to monitor consumption and many have used it to shape behaviour change through school ‘’energy saving drives’’. This forms part of our "Use Cleaner, Use Less” campaign, which includes free resources for schools to help reduce energy consumption.
In addition:
WME are a DfE approved energy framework organisation and regularly engage with the DfE on matters relating to energy which help shape funding and strategy decisions.
WME also supports schools with the annual production of their Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR)
Through our framework supplier, we support the UK Better Energy School Awards, which aims to encourage environmental education for children aged 5-11. To date, this has seen environmental projects submitted by 370,000 young people. These awards promote cross-curricular work on the environment and offer opportunities to study energy, linking with the National Curriculum for England and Wales.
Series of topical webinars produced throughout the year
WME profits are retained within the public purse and ringfenced for renewable investment to support the public sector net-zero carbon ambitions
