Guide / Make the agreement work
From an authorised decision to the first checked invoice
The school needs a controlled handover from evaluated offers to a working supply and service. Confirm the final terms, acceptance authority, opening data and first-invoice responsibilities.
Check the agreement that will actually be accepted
Bring together the final offer, principal terms, complete conditions, service schedule, fee disclosure and the school’s approval record. Identify the legal customer, supply points, start and end dates and the time for which the offer is valid. Check the final documents against the version the authorised decision-maker evaluated.
Record material changes and who may approve them. A different standing charge, exclusion, security requirement or service promise can change the decision. An expired quotation needs the appropriate price refresh and review. The person obtaining a new rate should understand the limits of their authority and the evidence required to proceed.
Keep acceptance authority distinct from a letter permitting an adviser to obtain information or negotiate. Review the precise wording of any letter of authority. Business agreements can become binding through channels other than a handwritten signature, so agree who may communicate acceptance and through which process before live offers arrive.
Plan the transfer with the right people
Name the school mobilisation lead, adviser contact, supplier contact and premises contact. Check that the existing contract’s notice and transfer arrangements have been dealt with correctly. Retain the notice, evidence of delivery and relevant supplier responses. Ofgem advises business customers to check current terms, switching windows and any exit consequences.
Confirm each meter identifier and site address with the supplier’s account schedule. Record the expected transfer dates and any unresolved objection or metering issue. If a date is uncertain, establish the temporary charging arrangement and a named person to monitor it. A proposed start date should not be presented to governors as an unconditional guarantee.
For boarding, specialist provision or essential year-round services, include estates and operational leaders in planning. The commercial transfer needs to preserve a clear response route for supply problems. Make sure on-site staff know who handles an account query and who handles an urgent physical supply or safety issue.
Retain the opening evidence
Arrange opening readings or interval data around the transfer, with dates, meter identifiers and the method used. Keep the last bill from the previous supplier and the first bill from the new one. Identify estimates and agree who will obtain corrections. Take photographs where appropriate and permitted by school procedures.
Ensure finance can access the new account, bills and agreed payment arrangements. Use approved school processes for any change of bank details or direct debit. Keep credentials in the school’s authorised system and provide continuity for absences. A personal account owned by a departing member of staff creates an avoidable access problem.
Confirm the tax declarations or other evidence submitted and the supplies they cover. Check these with the school’s finance or tax adviser where needed. Independent-school status, charity registration or charging VAT on fees does not settle the treatment of every supply or the recoverability of every cost.
Make the first invoice a planned control
Set a review date and assign the person who will check the invoice. Reconcile the billed meter, period, readings and consumption with the opening record. Then check unit and standing charges, capacity or other components, adviser remuneration and the agreed tax treatment. Identify anything estimated, unexplained or outside the contract schedule.
Check the previous supplier’s closing account too. A sound first invoice does not establish that all final charges or credits have been reconciled. Keep queries, supplier responses and resulting adjustments together. A query should remain open until the school can see how it was resolved.
| Checkpoint | Record to retain | Accountable person |
|---|---|---|
| Before acceptance | Final terms, live offer, approvals and acceptance limits | Authorised school decision-maker |
| At transfer | Meter schedule, dates and opening evidence | Mobilisation lead with estates support |
| First invoices | Contract-to-bill checks and any query or credit | Finance checker and adviser, as agreed |
| During the term | Notice calendar, service reviews and evidence of outcomes | Named school contract owner |
Start the continuing service
Book the initial usage and service review. Confirm that the adviser has the agreed data and that the site consultation or other outputs are scheduled. Create the issue and action logs while the handover is fresh. Keep the school’s own copy of the contract and the information needed to manage it.
Enter renewal and notice milestones with named owners and cover for staff changes. Record how a proposed estate or operating change will reach the contract owner before it affects demand or liability. The practical outcome is a supply that finance can reconcile, a service the school can monitor and a visible route for resolving problems.