Sunderland city centre businesses enter partnership to reduce costs

A partnership aimed at helping Sunderland city centre businesses reduce their costs across essential services is likely to be even more valuable as the cost of living crisis continues to grip.

Sunderland BID has a long-standing partnership with Great Annual Savings Group (GAS), which has used its expertise to save business customers money on everything from insurance to utilities. GAS saves millions of pounds for customers every year and businesses across Sunderland city centre can get free support and advice from their own dedicated account manager.

Phil Andrew, partnership director at GAS said: “The cost of living crisis in the country has partially been fed by the cost of commodities increasing, which has a major impact on businesses via energy, fuel, utilities and raw materials.

“But businesses do not get the same levels of protection as consumer and households. There is no energy price cap for businesses, for example, and it’s essential they make the right decisions with their procurement. Energy suppliers have periodically stopped offering contracts to businesses since the start of the crisis.

“This could leave a business which isn’t organised exposed to out-of-contract rates, which have been more than six hundred per cent higher than the start of 2021. It is a minefield.”

Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BID, commented: “Businesses have had to deal with the fallout from the pandemic and are now facing the huge challenges caused by the massive increase in the cost of utilities.

“Our partnership with Great Annual Savings Group is one that can really help with expert advice across a whole range of areas and there really has never been a more important time to take advantage of this.”

Great Annual Savings Group (GAS) has more than 11,000 business customers across the UK and Ireland and can offer procurement and efficiency consultancy for free to any business in Sunderland.