New Suppler on the Block. (Merged)

matt_stockdale

Hi Premier, you seem to be taking the launch of At Cost Energy very personally. Perhaps you're involved in the industry already?

Have you read ALL of my comments, as you appear to be shooting from the hip.

You believe I failed in taking product successfully to market? Yet managed to sell my business in a multi million pound deal???? Business doesn't work like that I'm afraid. PLC's don't by dreams. FYI - Oven Pride is the market leader, grossing more revenue for retailers than Mr Muscle, in fact more than any other brand in the category. Its interesting how you measure success, in which case I can't wait to fail in energy! LOL

On a serious note, yes we have submitted our license application to OFGEM, a public record. Please check yourself. Rest assured I have some of the best energy brains working with me, spanning in excess of 100 years in the game. In terms of rates, until we know roughly how many homes want At Cost Energy, we can't confirm our rates. When we do, we will simply email the detail of our 'at cost' rates to those who have requested more information, leaving them to decide how much we can save them. Simple.

No fuss, No pressure, No waffle... just the same gas and electricity, supplied in an open, honest and transparent way. Our management accounts will be published online for all to see!

To answer your question what have I been doing since I formed the company back last summer, well, firstly selling Homepride, selling a company is not an overnight process. Secondly the ground work for At Cost Energy. I have been working closely with Max Clifford Associates in order to raise the profile of those struggling to pay their energy bills.

Tell you what, if At Cost Energy can't save you money on your energy bills, stay as you are! As a non profit business, market share is of little interest.

Life's too short to look at everything so negatively. Give me and the team a chance to prove ourselves... we all deserve that, don't we? Keep your "I told you so on ice.." Thanks P

tripled

Matt, I wish you all the best but I can't see you bringing anything new or revolutionary to the market place so I doubt you'll succeed. If you do, the company that has the most to lose is Ebico, the existing not-for-profit. People who are savvy about switching already find the best deals, which you will find hard to undercut, and those that don't aren't likely to suddenly start just because you have entered the market.

kippen_noedel

matt_stockdale wrote: »

Give me and the team a chance to prove ourselves... we all deserve that, don't we?

If you are actually Matt Stockdale, I do wish you the best, it's a complicated market and will be even more complicated by a second company claiming the not for profit status.

I worked in Holland for a couple of years at a large company that gained the Stichting status from the tax office "Institution for General Benefit". It was ruined by the board taking huge expenses and awarding themselves ridiculous salaries.

You'll be walking a tightrope between making enough to cover costs, & protecting yourself against sudden price movements. Then you'll have to satisfy your customers that the surplus (you won't survive without one) you make is put to appropiate use, I think that will be the hardest part.

Premier_2

matt_stockdale wrote: »

...Yet managed to sell my business in a multi million pound deal???? ...

I've just taken a look at the accounts of that company.

It appears in 2008 it had a NAV of just £250k funded mainly from investors who had pumped in over £800k. It doesn't take a genius to work out that after 8 years of trading (your claim, despite the company only being incorporated in 2002) it had an accumulated loss of over £0.5million

I see the share premium account was cancelled late 2008 and in 2009 the company reported a NAV of £500k, i.e. an increase of £250k over the previous year.

Hmmm...now I accept NAV obviously doesn't include any goodwill often included in a sale of a company, but £0.5million accumulated loss after 8 years? A NAV of just £0.5million at time of sale? And what happened to that £800k of investors money ... or did that go the same way as the share premium account?

Sounds like you may already have some good previous experience of running a non-profit making company! :eek:

The company also appeared to have an inordinate number of changes in it's officers (i.e directors) over 6 years before it's sale. What was going on there?

You may not be interested in market share, but you must surely be interested in the highest customer numbers you can attract otherwise each customer will be required to pay proportionately more of your fixed costs? And the higher the prices they are expected to pay, the lower your customer base will be. It's a vicious circle, I'm afraid.

But as your company can't save me money, not least because you (a) can't currently supply and (b) can't currently tell me the price even if you could supply, I'll take your advice and stay with my existing supplier! :cool:
At least I fully support you on that piece of advice.

Premier_2

matt_stockdale wrote: »

... In terms of rates, until we know roughly how many homes want At Cost Energy, we can't confirm our rates. When we do, we will simply email the detail of our 'at cost' rates to those who have requested more information, leaving them to decide how much we can save them. Simple.

No fuss, No pressure, No waffle... just the same gas and electricity, supplied in an open, honest and transparent way. ...

In terms of it being "the same gas and electricity", that is just waffle. It's what all energy suppliers say in their advertising ... along usually with some (convoluted) claims they are the cheapest.

What would be more open, honest and transparent that giving everyone your prices here and now rather than only posting them in private to those that have registered?

If you'd have done your homework, you would know what your customer size & growth is going to be in each of the first 3 years.

Even if you haven't, give us some idea of your tariffs based on say 5000 customers in year 1, 10,000 in year 2 and 15,000 in year 3. Even if you acheive those figures you'd be doing well based on the customer figures the existing non-profit making supplier who already have a 10 year head start on you achieved and didn't have a direct, non-profit making competitor when they launched.

As you say you've applied for your own supply licence, presumably you are hoping to run the company as a single entity (i.e. not in partnership with an existing supplier). How much do you think it'll cost to set up and run customer service & billing operations for example for that small quantity of customers? Will the customer services be available 24/7 or during what hours? Will they be based in the UK or overseas such as India?

Cardew

matt_stockdale wrote: »

In terms of rates, until we know roughly how many homes want At Cost Energy, we can't confirm our rates. When we do, we will simply email the detail of our 'at cost' rates to those who have requested more information, leaving them to decide how much we can save them. Simple.

Is that a serious statement?

Which comes first - the chicken or the egg?

I note your previous posts have all been deleted(you or the moderator?)

It is very easy to define the obvious - energy prices are too high and the public don't like paying those prices. However you have given no indication what you intend to do about the situation; and frankly stating how rich and public spirited you are doesn't cut the mustard.

Vote for me at the election and I will stamp out poverty, war, crime, famine at a stroke( and get Spurs to win the league). Not telling you how until I know how many are going to vote for me!:cool:

matt_stockdale

Hi all, I see no benefit of having a debate if my posts are being deleted. Quite why, I have no idea?

At the end of the day we're all entitled to an opinion, I respect yours and any cynicism that comes my way. I'll just have to show you.

Once I find a site that permits free speech, I'll let you know where I am so we can continue. Assuring you of my genuine intentions.

All the best

M

matt_stockdale

PS - Premier, as I said... you seem to be taking this very personally. But, hey, you're entitled to your opinion. Take care.

M

Cardew

matt_stockdale wrote: »

Hi all, I see no benefit of having a debate if my posts are being deleted. Quite why, I have no idea?

At the end of the day we're all entitled to an opinion, I respect yours and any cynicism that comes my way. I'll just have to show you.

Once I find a site that permits free speech, I'll let you know where I am so we can continue. Assuring you of my genuine intentions.

All the best

M

I assume your posts were deleted by the moderator as it is against the website's rules. It is not a question of 'free speech' but you using this website(presumably without permission) to advertise your business venture.

If you can supply cheap gas and electricity - and importantly sustain those cheap prices - your venture will succeed; and you won't need to advertise either as the message will spread like wildfire.

However if you simply gather the personal details and email addresses of thousands of potential clients

---

!!!!

The Pipeline cheap petrol scheme has not been forgotten.

Gerrard_8_lfc

What Id like to know is how would it be sustainable if prices were to hike dramatically like in 2008 when we seen BG hike prices 35% and say that was not the full extent of the price of natural gas. It was presented as BG took a small hit on profits and did not pass the full price hike to its customers.

How will you protect your customers from the volatile market that is energy ?

I fail to see how you will differ from Ebico IMO and then you will have a hard fight as I have heard there customer service is great.