The manufacturing industry service launched today, NFU Energy Tailored Contracts is an alternative energy service specifically designed to help industrial manufacturers manage volatile energy markets with smart, dependable, transparent and flexible solutions at competitive rates.  Now manufacturers can lock in favourable energy rates, adapt to changing conditions, and budget with confidence, all backed with clear and honest support from a dedicated team to help cut through the complexity.

Lisa Howkins, Sales and Marketing Director with NFU Energy comments; “With increasing pressures to reduce cost while reaching ever more ambitious ESG targets, we have seen the need for robust energy management grow, in sectors way beyond agriculture. Manufacturers face many of the same challenges, to optimise energy usage and control cost, to navigate this impact and remain competitive in the market.

 “Tailored contracts are about opportunity, they require active management but can result in greater cost savings and adaptability. For manufacturers looking to stay agile with their energy costs, and make informed decisions on energy spend, tailored contracts can present many opportunities for savings but can be difficult to navigate without guidance. This is the role NFU Energy plays, as a trusted and transparent advisor to support informed decision making, enabling businesses to buy energy smarter and for the long term, not just cheaper.”

NFU Energy Tailored Contracts offers:

●        Predictable cost control: 

Secure fixed or partially flexible commodity costs and third-party charges, ensuring stable budgets throughout the contract term. The ability to fix costs means manufacturers can avoid market surges, enabling accurate forecasting and financial planning for up to 36 months.

●        Tailored hedging strategies: 

A range of intuitive options to lock in rates at optimal times, balancing security with market opportunities.

●        Adaptive flexibility: 

Adjust to price fluctuations or business growth without being trapped in high-rate, long-term contracts allowing manufacturers to capitalise on price dips or adjust volumes as needs evolve.

●        Market volatility protection: 

Shields business from unpredictable price spikes with proactive risk management, saving up to 15% on energy costs (based on industry hedging benchmarks).

●        Sustainability and compliance: 

Align with net-zero goals and UK regulations (SECR) through energy-efficient strategies that optimise energy use to reduce carbon footprints, improve EPC ratings and showcase ESG commitments.

●        Scalability for any business: 

For medium to large-scale manufacturing operations, the contracts are adaptable to accommodate any size facility, growth trajectory and with modular plans for diverse operations.

NFU Energy experts are on hand to analyse energy usage, business goals and market exposure to tailor a strategy to meet priorities. Manufacturers can choose between fixed, flexible, or hybrid hedging options, locking in favourable rates and helping to manage risk tolerance. NFU Energy will then track markets on an ongoing basis to alert customers to opportunities for rate adjustments or volume changes, maximising savings.

The service for manufacturers also offers stepped hedging to secure price certainty while staying open to market drops. The stepped hedging approach gradually locks in portions of electricity costs over time. By spreading out price fixes, market fluctuations are captured achieving a lower average cost per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh), balancing stability with savings.

Manufacturers can also tailor energy pricing to fit any operational rhythm, whether that be a seasonal variation or to cover specific production periods, the tailored contracts allow the setting of set electricity prices at the times that matter most. This ensures energy costs sync perfectly with business planning and pricing.