Guide / Contracts & costs
Charges across your contract term: the November check
Turn current policy and network developments into a short charge register. Establish the contractual position before changing a comparison or budget.
Start with two separate developments
The 3 November government response on the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme concerns a funding offset through electricity supplier obligations. It does not establish a general school discount. Its effect on a school needs to be traced through the actual agreement.
Separately, NESO published five-year transmission-charge forecasts on 30 October, covering 2027/28 to 2031/32. These are network forecasts, not final supplier prices. Keep policy and network components separate when asking what an offer includes.
Make a record for each material component
| Record | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Supply and charge | Meter or portfolio, component and applicable period |
| Contract position | Fixed, variable or reconciled; clause and any exception |
| Change mechanism | Trigger, calculation, notice and treatment of reductions |
| Evidence | Dated source, supplier explanation and forecast version |
| Accountability | School owner, adviser task, response date and escalation |
Put the right amount into the right period
Keep the confirmed contractual position in the base comparison. Show an unresolved adjustment as a labelled scenario, with its dates and assumptions. For an academy alternative, retain the required approved-route comparison; maintained schools must check the LA position and authority.
Check whether an allowance is already included before adding another adjustment. Do not apply a forecast percentage to the whole bill or count a policy change as an adviser-negotiated saving. Record unknown consequences as unresolved, rather than zero.
Close the loop with the invoice
Ask the supplier for a written explanation and assign the follow-up. Where the school appoints an adviser, put monitoring, invoice checks and correction work into the agreed service, with fees and responsibilities clear.
Keep the original assumption, subsequent explanation and any corrected bill together. Mark each amount as a forecast, agreed adjustment or received credit. Return to the contract guide below with any unanswered questions before committing.