UK Business Directory

Opus Fixed
Opus Fixed is a low-cost fixed energy product, ideal for organisations of any size. Business customers enjoy cheap electricity under attractive and flexible terms. Standard contract lengths of 12, 24 or 36 months are available, but we can also tailor them to suit your needs. Our aim is to develop long-term relationships with our customers by being open and honest in our communications. Every customer under the Opus Fixed product is allocated a dedicated Key Account Manager to ensure the smooth running of their contract and continuity when dealing with issues that may arise

Opus Extra
Opus Extra offers the smaller corporate customer using between 1/2 GWh and 5 GWh, for the first time, access to flexible purchasing products normally only available to the larger consuming corporates. Unlike a fixed price contract, the energy buyer can increase the amount of times they can purchase electricity within a contract term, in order to make up the total required amount.

Opus Evolution
Opus Evolution has been developed exclusively for the commercial market by Opus Energy. This unique and pioneering solution allows customers to fix and purchase their electricity demand, directly with the wholesale market. Since its launch in 2007, Opus Evolution has transformed the way Opus Energy’s corporate customers purchase their electricity. Opus Evolution is unique to the non Half Hourly metered market and places more information at the fingertips of the customer than ever before. This online product enables customers to dictate how much and when to purchase their business electricity. Customers are also able to manage their portfolio of sites, see real-time data and historic information through one online interface.

Opus Energy signs wind power agreement with Danish energy company Nordjysk Elhandel
Opus Energy has entered cooperation with Danish energy company, Nordjysk Elhandel (NEAS), specialising in renewables for the balancing and trading of wind power production from wind turbine generators in the UK. "Wind power generation is expanding rapidly in the UK and we at Opus Energy want to secure the best possible set-up in production management for wind power generators. The cooperation with NEAS gives us access to state-of-the-art services in scheduling and balancing of wind power, and competencies in trading of wind power. This will provide UK wind power generators with the best service and maximum value for their production and associated certificates. We believe this cooperation will give us a competitive edge to enable us to expand our market for wind power generation”, explains Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director, of Opus Energy. Today there is approximately 5,970 MW installed capacity of wind power in the UK. However, this number is expected to rise dramatically to more than 10,000 MW in 2015 and well over 20,000 MW in 2020, based on the figures for wind turbines presently under construction, approved and planned. “At NEAS we have invested many resources in building up the strongest possible set-up in production management and trading of wind power. For example, we have our own meteorologists and analysts forecasting production volumes, and we have developed specialized IT systems for balancing and scheduling of wind power generation. Also, we have years of experience in trading of wind power in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The cooperation with Opus Energy provides us with a highly competent partner to market our services for wind power generators in the UK”, says Bo Lynge Rydahl, CEO at NEAS. Opus Energy and NEAS expect to sign the first wind power production purchase agreements (PPAs) in the UK within the first quarter of 2012. They will market their services to wind power generators on the basis of competitive and dynamic pricing structures and outstanding balance responsible party services.

Congratulations to Daniel Keatings, Opus Energy sponsored gymnast, and Team GB for qualifying for the London Olympics
Opus Energy, proud sponsors of Daniel Keatings, wish to congratulate Daniel and Team GB for their success at January’s London Prepares event, in which Team GB qualified for London 2012. Opus Energy is pleased to release a video featuring the champion gymnast powering through his pommel horse routines in front of a wind turbine. The video was filmed at Beech Tree Farm, near Melton Mowbray. Opus Energy helped complete the installation and connection process of the turbine to enable the farm’s owner, Craig Birch, to generate energy for his green waste composting business. You can view the video on You Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEhUFMq1WtM

Opus Energy employees raise £20,034 for Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Opus Energy, the Northampton and Oxford-based energy supplier, has raised a grand total of £20,034 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust which its employees will present to the Trust in Opus’ Northampton office (Royal Pavilion, 2 Summerhouse Road) at 11am on Monday. Presenting a cheque to the Trust will be Cara Kelly, Luke Spencer and Jamie Cooper, Opus Energy employees who each undertook fundraising activities, contributing to the total sum raised of £20,034. Credit Co-ordinator Cara Kelly completed a 10-day trek in the Peruvian Andes this November, raising £1,713; ten members of the Opus Sales team, including Luke Spencer, donned their running gear and took part in The Run Northamptonshire this October, raising £1,270 which Opus Energy then doubled; and August saw the first annual Opus Energy Charity Golf Tournament, at which Jamie Cooper was on the winning team, raising £220. Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director, Opus Energy, comments: “We chose to support the Cystic Fibrosis Trust because the charity is one that is close to our hearts – one of our colleagues has a son who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, so we wanted to do what we could to show our support for them and help others with the funds raised. We’re delighted with the amount we’ve raised for the Trust. It’s an extraordinary achievement, pulled off by a collection of some of our most adventurous and game employees. He added, “This is a great way to end the year, and a real benchmark for our collective fundraising efforts in 2012 which will see us continue our support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. We’re pledging that our employees will raise another £10,000 for the Trust which Opus will match – that’s another £20,000 for this great cause.” Sue Piper, Senior Corporate Fundraising Manager, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, "On behalf of all at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust we want to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for the support of Opus Energy. It has been hugely inspiring to witness how the staff have embraced numerous challenges and opportunities, and each has demonstrated huge commitment and given their time and energy in different ways. She continued, “By extending the original 12-month partnership the target has far exceeded our original expectations so we are delighted with the results. We are truly grateful for such a significant contribution and wish to extend our thanks to all at Opus Energy for helping to make a big difference to the lives of all those with Cystic Fibrosis. We’re thrilled that Opus have decided to support the Trust again in 2012."

SME owners switched on to renewable energy but simply can’t afford it or find it too confusing
A poll of UK SMEs by business-to-business energy supplier, Opus Energy, points to the sector being switched on to buying energy from renewable sources but put off by cost and perceived complexity. Nearly three quarters of small businesses that are not currently on a specific renewable energy tariff (72%) said they would consider it in the future, with the rest ruling it out as a result of cost (47%) and complexity (18%). One third (29%) claimed to be not interested. Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director, Opus Energy, believes the findings provide a useful insight into the real impact of current renewable policy on UK small businesses: "We estimate that around 10% of every customer’s bill is made up of green subsidies and that the proportion of renewable subsidies that all UK businesses pay will rise by around 25% over the next 12 months. SMEs are paying for renewable energy whether it’s clear of the energy it supplies to its customers from cleaner, low-carbon sources. to them or not. “There needs to be more transparency for small businesses around the contribution they are already making to renewables – and perhaps then there’ll be greater take up by SMEs.” Over the last few years Opus Energy, a major supplier of electricity and gas to businesses in the UK, has sourced a large proportion of the energy it supplies to its customers from cleaner, low-carbon sources.

Opus Energy appoints new Head of HR to support accelerated growth
Independent energy supplier to UK businesses, Northampton and Oxford-based Opus Energy, has announced the appointment of Annamarie Petsis Jones as its new Head of HR, Learning & Development. Annamarie took up her position on 10th October. Having recently secured a placement in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 league table, Opus Energy experienced an unprecedented 31% growth on 2010 sales figures in 2011, and has continued to see a rapid rate of growth for the first six months of this financial year, leading to the creation of 100 new jobs. Annamarie’s appointment coincides with an enhanced commitment to learning and development that is planned to include the introduction of an NVQ apprenticeship scheme to the business, and a bespoke management development programme. Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director, Opus Energy, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Annamarie to the business and look forward to refining our recruitment strategy so that we continue to attract high calibre candidates to support our business as we enter another exciting year of planned growth.” Annamarie Petsis Jones commented on her appointment, “I’m thrilled to be joining Opus at such a critical time for the business. We recently announced the creation of 100 new jobs by the end of 2012, Opus Energy’s 10th anniversary year, so I’m looking forward to a busy year in particular in implementing a recruitment strategy to support the business growth.” Annamarie joins Opus Energy from Denticare Ltd in Bedford where she was Head of HR for the last three and a half years. Prior to joining Denticare Ltd, Annamarie worked in employment law for five years, having completed her legal training with More Fisher Brown Solicitors, London in 2002.

Opus Energy marks The Sunday Times Top Track listing with creation of 100 new jobs
Independent energy supplier announces jobs creation to meet accelerated growth Independent energy supplier to UK businesses, Northampton and Oxford-based Opus Energy, has today announced the creation of 100 new jobs as it celebrates making The Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 league table of Britain’s leading mid-market private companies. Published on Sunday 16th October, the Top Track 250 league table ranks Britain's private companies with the biggest sales. Opus Energy’s success in achieving a placement in the Top Track 250 was based on sales figures to March 2011 which show 31% growth on the previous year to £198 million. A typical Top Track 250 company is owned and run by established families and entrepreneurs, and has between 100 and 13,000 staff. Currently employing 360 staff at both its Northampton and Oxford sites, Opus Energy has continued to see a rapid rate of growth for the first six months of this financial year and expects to create 100 new jobs by the end of 2012 to meet the demand. Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director, Opus Energy, comments: “‘We are extremely pleased with this recognition of our performance over the last year but are now very much focused on the future. We are creating these new jobs to meet our continued level of growth.” He continues: “We’re proud of our workforce in both Northampton and Oxford and expect that most of the new jobs will be filled by local people.” Opus Energy is working with local recruitment agencies and is also encouraging people with relevant industry experience and a customer focus to visit the company website at www.opusenergy.com.

Opus Energy signs Virgin Media as impressive growth continues
Independent energy supplier to UK businesses, Opus Energy, has today announced the signature of its 100,000th business site, Virgin Media. The business joins a portfolio of market-leading brands which includes Paperchase, Allied Irish Bank (GB), University of Cambridge, Halfords and KPMG, amongst others. Opus’ success comes at a time when the energy regulator, Ofgem, is looking for ways to decrease the dominance of the ‘Big Six’ energy providers and demonstrates that independent suppliers can thrive. The company’s Corporate division, experienced 28% growth from this time last year and continues to expand rapidly. The stellar performance is due to Opus’ market-leading solution for larger corporates, Opus Evolution, which has seen a 122% increase in customers. Opus’ corporate customers are making the switch away from traditional fixed price contracts, displaying a growing appetite for flexible purchasing solutions which enable them to take advantage of fluctuating electricity prices. Opus expects the growth to continue into 2012, as demand for Opus Extra, which gives the smaller corporate customer access to flexible purchasing on the wholesale market, grows. Steve James, Commercial Director, responsible for the Corporate division commented: “We are delighted to have hit the 100,000 mark, and welcome Virgin Media to our roster of customers, the latest in a long line of flagship brands to join us. Our growth demonstrates that there is an alternative to the Big Six suppliers and is a result of our commitment to developing innovative and flexible products driven by our customers’ needs.” “We work with our customers to provide individual billing solutions, contract types and reporting functions tailored to their requirements, rather than by trying to squeeze them into a ‘one-size fits all’ approach.” Opus Energy’s growth has also been driven by the rapid expansion of its gas supply business. Launched in October 2009 the service now has over 8,000 live sites, an uptake or more than 75% over the business’ initial target. Designed to offer customers an affordable and reliable alternative to existing suppliers, the service allows them to access competitively priced, fixed-term contracts, shielding them from price fluctuations. Charlie Crossley Cooke, Opus Energy’s Managing Director comments; “The last 12 months have been very exciting for Opus Energy. Our continued growth and investment in our customers is reflected in not only the successful introduction of new products, services and partners but also in the increased employment of customer facing staff to help deliver the services we provide our business customers. We now look forward to continuing to expand over the next twelve months.”

Opus Energy raises Cystic Fibrosis pledge to £15,000
Opus Energy, the UK’s leading business energy supplier, has increased its pledge to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. After setting out last June to raise £10,000 for the charity, fundraising has been so successful that the company has chosen to increase their 2010/11 pledge to £15,000. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK’s most common, life-threatening inherited diseases and claims two lives a week in the UK. Money raised by Opus Energy will help to fund research into treating and curing CF. It will also help provide support, advice and appropriate clinical care to the 8,500 babies, children and adults with cystic fibrosis in the UK. So far Opus Energy’s staff have been getting involved in team and individual challenges, fun days in the office, and making personal donations to raise the money. Highlights have included Adam Kelly’s 7 marathons in 7 days, and the recent London to Paris bike ride. Opus Energy’s Managing Director, Charlie Crossley Cooke said: “The Cystic Fibrosis Trust has proved to be a very popular charity with our employees, and we’ve had no trouble persuading them to throw themselves into all manner of events and challenges for the cause. “Opus Energy is serious about giving back to the community, and after the great success we’ve had reaching our original pledge total, it was an easy decision to keep on raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.” Sue Piper, Senior Corporate and Trust Fundraising Manager for Cystic Fibrosis said: "We are delighted that Opus Energy have chosen to extend their partnership with us. The staff have clearly committed to supporting us and appear to be enjoying their fundraising and will certainly smash their original target at this rate. It is a pleasure to work with Opus Energy and their much valued support will go a long way to helping us continue our care, support and research. “

Opus Energy shoot raises £55,000 for motor neurone disease charity
A clay-pigeon shoot sponsored by leading energy supplier Opus Energy has raised over £55,000 for the Heaton-Ellis Trust, a Berkshire charity funding research into motor-neurone disease. The Opus Energy Shooting Challenge saw over 100 patrons, from across Europe, together with Opus Energy staff taking part in the team-based competition at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School in Pangbourne. A charity auction on the day accounted for £25,000 of the final total, with 11 lots including helicopter lessons, a skiing holiday, and Saracens rugby tickets. Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive disease that attacks the upper and lower motor neurones; the cells that control voluntary muscle movements such as breathing, walking, swallowing and speaking. MND leads to weakness and wasting of these muscles and can affect any adult at any age. The money raised by Opus Energy will contribute towards medical research into a cure for this life-changing disease, and improve technology to identify the defective genes that cause it. Romilla Arber, from The Heaton-Ellis Trust fundraising committee, said: “The day was a huge success for the Trust. A lot more money was raised this year than last and the event was well attended. There was a warm atmosphere despite the chilly conditions and everyone had a good time, whilst raising money for a very worthwhile cause.” Opus Energy’s Managing Director, Charlie Crossley Cooke, said: “This was the latest event in Opus Energy’s community outreach work, something which we continue to take very seriously. We are therefore very pleased to have raised such a large total for the Heaton-Ellis Trust. “Thanks to all that showed their support at the event and to the Royal Berkshire Shooting School for helping us organise the day.”

Opus Energy fundraiser to run 7 marathons in 7 days for Cystic Fibrosis Trust
20 year old Adam Kelly from Kidlington near Oxford will embark on the ultimate challenge later this month, when he runs 7 marathons in 7 days, from Cardiff to Silverstone. Setting off on Monday 28 February, Adam is raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, contributing to a £10,000 pledge by his employer and main sponsor, Opus Energy, who chose the CF Trust as their charity of the year in June last year. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK’s most common, life-threatening inherited disease and claims two lives a week in the UK. Money raised by Opus Energy will help to fund research into treating and curing CF. It will also help provide support, advice and appropriate clinical care to the 8,500 babies, children and adults with Cystic Fibrosis in the UK. Adam’s first marathon will be from Cardiff to Chepstow, from there he heads eastwards until he arrives back in Oxford on day five. On day six he runs from Oxford to Silverstone, and on his final day he will run a half marathon in the morning before lining up to start the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon with fellow CF Trust runners at 12 noon. Adam will start each marathon at 9am and aims to finish each one within 4½ - 5 ½ hours. Full Itinerary Day 1: Cardiff - Chepstow Day 2: Chepstow - Bristol Day 3: Bristol - Chippenham Day 4: Chippenham - Swindon (1 mile away) Day 5: Swindon - Oxford (Kidlington) Day 6: Oxford - Silverstone Day 7: Silverstone & Silverstone Half Marathon Adam said: “I’ve run several marathons over the last two years but I felt like I wanted to take on something even more challenging, and something not many people have done before. “Although it’s a daunting proposition I’m very excited to be taking on this huge challenge for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I’m not sure what doing seven marathons will do to me physically or mentally, but I am lucky to have support from my friends all the way along. They will be running, cycling and driving support vehicles with me throughout.” “I’m actually running 180 miles overall, so some days I will have to run a few extra miles on top of the marathon. “The training is going well, I’m up to doing four 15 mile runs a week but it’s so difficult to know how my body is going to react when I’m on the road, especially in the latter stages of the challenge, but that is all part of the excitement I suppose! In the meantime my appetite has gone through the roof so I’m trying to take in 4000 calories a day which means eating anything and everything! “I’d like to thank my main sponsors Opus Energy for providing the money to cover the costs of my run. Having their support means I can really focus on the challenge; I won’t have to worry about things like where I’ll sleep or what I’ll eat on the run, which is a huge help. Their support also means that 100% of the money I raise will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.” Sue Piper, Senior Corporate and Trust Fundraising Manager for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust: “We were amazed to hear that Adam was taking on the huge challenge for us and we wish him the very best of luck. The support of Opus Energy and their employees like Adam will make a real difference to people living with Cystic Fibrosis, allowing them to look forward to a brighter future.” Opus Energy’s Managing Director, Charlie Crossley Cooke, said: “Opus Energy takes its role within the community very seriously and therefore we are pleased that Adam has embraced such a challenge in support of the company’s chosen charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. “Opus Energy has a tradition of supporting athletes, having sponsored European Champion gymnast and Northamptonshire local boy Daniel Keatings for a number of years, so to now be able to support one of our own employees in a similar vein is fantastic. We wish him the best of luck as he nears the end of his training and look forward to congratulating him on a terrific achievement.” To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/adam-kelly. You can also get constant updates on Adam’s twitter - @7MarathonMan.