September 2025
Energy Update Save the date – ESPO’s Energy Event returns! We’re excited to announce that ESPO’s Energy Event is back – and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever! Date: 10 June 2026 Location: Leicester City Football Club (King Power Stadium) After the fantastic success of our last Energy Event, we’re thrilled to invite you to join us once again for a day packed with insights, networking, and everything you need to know about our energy frameworks. Whether you’re already using our Gas, Electricity, MOP (Meter Operator) or Water frameworks, or simply curious about how ESPO can support your organisation’s energy needs – this is an event you won’t want to miss.
Want to join us? Just fill out the form to secure your place!
Flexible purchasing in energy markets Flexible purchasing is a strategy where energy is bought through multiple transactions rather than at a single fixed point. This approach allows energy to be secured in varying volumes and at different times, helping to take advantage of fluctuations in wholesale prices and manage future price risks. This type of purchasing is usually only available to large industrial and commercial energy buyers. However, ESPO can aggregate the volumes of its Energy customers to enable all energy users to access the benefits of this strategy. As a risk-managed flexible trading strategy limits exposure to volatile wholesale energy markets, it is recommended by both the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education. A large amount of the volatility in energy markets has been driven by global geopolitical tensions. Wholesale prices increased in June when the war between Israel and Iran threatened to disrupt the supply of key energy commodities. In addition, the threat of increased sanctions on Russian energy products also added to upward price risk. In July, prices started to ease on increased gas supply from Norway and milder weather later in the month reduced energy demand for cooling. However, with ongoing global tensions and uncertainty around winter temperatures, price volatility is expected to continue. When electricity prices change in October, we are expecting rates to increase by around 5%. This increase is due to the higher non-energy costs that suppliers need to account for as part of the rates. These are regulated charges and cover maintenance of energy infrastructure, grid management, and support for new generation projects. If you have any questions about future energy prices or flexible purchasing, please contact the ESPO Energy team (energy@espo.org) and we will be happy to help.
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energy@espo.org
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