Basket Approach to Energy Procurement

Unlock Group Buying Power for Smarter, More Strategic Energy Procurement

Inteb’s Basket Approach to Energy Procurement allows SMEs, managing agents, commercial landlords, and multi-site operators to combine their energy demand and access purchasing power normally reserved for large corporates.

This collaborative model:

Mitigates exposure to wholesale market volatility

Improves access to competitive pricing and flexible contract structures

Provides expert contract management and ongoing strategic support

Ensures full protection and confidentiality of participant data

By consolidating demand across multiple participants, the basket strategy spreads risk, enhances market leverage, and improves cost efficiency. It also simplifies energy procurement for individual participants, removing the need to navigate complex market contracts or make isolated trading decisions.

How the Basket Approach Works

A basket is essentially a coordinated procurement vehicle, where energy volumes from multiple businesses are aggregated into a single negotiating pool managed by Inteb.

Each participant maintains their own supply account, metering data, and supplier relationship, while benefiting from the combined market power of the group. Importantly, all customer data is handled with strict confidentiality and in compliance with GDPR and industry standards, ensuring privacy and protection throughout the process.

Illustration of buildings, renewable energy icons, and a central basket symbol, representing the concept of basket energy procurement for businesses.

Basket energy procurement combines demand from multiple organisations, unlocking group buying power for better pricing and reduced risk.

Key stages of the basket process:

1. Group Formation

Participants are grouped by similar risk appetite, contract timing, and procurement objectives to ensure alignment in strategy.

2. Volume Aggregation

Forecasted energy demand is pooled to maximise purchasing leverage, allowing access to better wholesale terms.

3. Market Timing & Analytics

Inteb’s market analysts monitor real-time wholesale electricity and gas prices, applying predictive modelling and scenario analysis to identify optimal purchase windows.

4. Risk Management Strategy

Contracts are structured to balance the basket’s shared tolerance for price volatility, budget certainty, and contract flexibility, incorporating forward-looking market intelligence.

5. Contract Execution & Supplier Negotiation

Agreements are negotiated centrally on behalf of the basket, covering fixed, flexible, or layered procurement structures, ensuring alignment with the group’s strategic and financial objectives.

6. Ongoing Support & Reporting

Inteb manages the full lifecycle of the contract, from monitoring performance and compliance to renewal preparation and market benchmarking. Participants receive tailored reporting, allowing individual insight into consumption, cost, and risk exposure, with full assurance that all data remains secure and confidential.

Hand holding glowing energy lines, symbolising the cost savings, flexibility, and risk management benefits of basket energy procurement.

Basket energy procurement helps organisations secure competitive pricing, reduce market risk, and simplify energy management.

Benefits of the Basket Approach

Cost Efficiency: Access to lower unit rates through combined volume leverage
Risk Mitigation: Shared exposure reduces the impact of market volatility for each participant
Market Expertise: Leverage Inteb’s trading, forecasting, and risk management expertise
Operational Simplicity: Simplifies complex procurement, leaving participants free to focus on core business
Strategic Flexibility: Contracts can be structured to suit varying risk appetites and operational requirements
Data Security: Customer and consumption data is fully protected, with strict adherence to GDPR and industry best practices

By integrating real-time market intelligence, predictive analytics, portfolio-level strategy, and robust data protection, Inteb’s basket approach not only reduces energy procurement costs but also enhances strategic control, commercial competitiveness, and long-term value for participating organisations.

Key Benefits of Basket Procurement

1. Cost Reduction Through Aggregation

By joining a collective purchasing basket, clients gain access to pricing tiers typically reserved for larger consumers. Bulk-buying provides greater negotiation leverage and helps reduce per-unit energy costs, maximising value for participants.

2. Risk Diversification and Price Smoothing

Energy markets are inherently volatile. Basket contracts spread this risk across the group, shielding individual participants from sudden price spikes or timing missteps, and providing greater budget certainty.

3. Streamlined, Fully Managed Procurement

Inteb handles the entire procurement process, from market analysis and supplier negotiations to legal documentation and contract execution. All data collection, reporting, and compliance obligations are managed for you, ensuring a transparent, secure, and professionally delivered service.

4. Improved Flexibility and Scalability

Basket participation is designed to be adaptable. Clients can join new baskets as contracts expire, scale volumes up or down, and adjust strategies to evolving operational requirements or corporate energy policies.

5. Enhanced Buying Strategy Through Market Expertise

Inteb applies advanced market intelligence, trading insight, and predictive modelling to optimise purchase timing and pricing. This ensures baskets achieve strong financial outcomes while limiting unnecessary market exposure.

6. Sustainability Integration

Where appropriate, baskets can include renewable energy options, such as REGO-backed electricity or Green Gas Certificates. This allows your energy procurement to support carbon reduction targets and ESG commitments without compromising financial performance.

7. Data Protection and Confidentiality

All participant data, including energy usage, contract details, and financial information, is fully protected. Inteb complies with GDPR and industry best practices to ensure confidentiality, security, and responsible data handling.

Who Can Benefit from Basket Procurement?

Basket contracts are ideal for:

SMEs with moderate energy demand but limited individual buying power
Multi-site operators seeking simplified, consolidated procurement
Managing agents purchasing on behalf of multiple landlord portfolios
Public sector bodies aiming to control costs within fixed budgets
Tenanted buildings where multiple clients benefit from shared energy sourcing

Whether procuring 500 MWh or 50,000 MWh, joining a basket can deliver significant financial, operational, and strategic benefits, with transparent, secure, and fully managed customer delivery.

Tall modern office buildings against the sky, symbolising the organisations and sectors that can benefit most from basket energy procurement.

Basket energy procurement helps SMEs, landlords, and multi-site operators unlock group buying power and reduce exposure to market volatility.

Person using a digital pen to analyse bar and line graphs, illustrating the performance and cost advantages of basket energy procurement over traditional models.

Basket energy procurement delivers greater cost control and flexibility compared to traditional procurement, helping businesses manage energy more effectively.

Basket vs. Traditional Procurement: A Comparison

Feature	Traditional Procurement	Basket Procurement
Contract Size	Individual	Aggregated across group
Buying Power	Limited	Enhanced via volume
Risk Exposure	Fully individual	Shared across basket
Supplier Leverage	Minimal	Higher
Admin Burden	Managed in-house	Outsourced to Inteb
Market Timing	Buyer-driven	Expert-led
Customisation Options	Limited for small buyers	Aligned to group strategy

Case Study: Basket Success for a National Housing Group

Client: UK-wide housing association with 230 properties

Challenge: High energy prices, disjointed renewal dates, and contract fragmentation

Solution: Inteb created a dedicated procurement basket that brought all sites into a single renewal timeline. We pooled consumption data, aligned risk profiles, and executed trades during market dips.

Outcome:

£124,000 annual cost saving
94% of sites brought under a single flexible contract
Full compliance and audit documentation delivered

Modern residential apartment buildings against a clear blue sky, representing the benefits of basket energy procurement for housing groups and landlords.

Basket energy procurement helps housing groups and landlords secure lower costs, reduce risk, and simplify energy management across portfolios.

White and red blocks with arrows and warning signs, symbolising the risks and controls managed within basket energy procurement.

Basket energy procurement helps businesses manage risks, spread exposure, and gain stability in volatile energy markets.

Risk Management Within Basket Procurement

Each basket operates under a clearly defined risk management strategy, developed collaboratively with participants to align with their financial, operational, and sustainability objectives. Key components typically include:

Acceptable Budget Thresholds: Define maximum spend limits to ensure financial control
Price Movement Triggers: Pre-agreed thresholds that guide purchasing decisions in response to market volatility
Buying Limits and Cost Caps: Structured parameters to limit exposure while optimising opportunities
Renewable Inclusion Preferences: Guidance on incorporating green tariffs or REGO-backed supply

This structured framework protects participants from adverse market conditions while retaining the ability to capitalise on favourable price movements. Inteb provides regular performance reporting, cost forecasts, and benchmark comparisons, ensuring complete transparency throughout the contract lifecycle.

Basket Procurement and Net Zero Goals

Basket energy purchasing can directly support corporate net zero objectives:

Green Tariffs: Integrate certified renewable electricity within the basket mix
PPAs: Aggregate participant demand to access direct corporate Power Purchase Agreements (on-site, sleeved, or synthetic)
REGO Accounting: Allocate Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin to participants, supporting Scope 2 carbon reporting and ESG disclosures
Demand Flexibility: Layer in demand response or energy efficiency measures where usage profiles allow

Inteb works closely with ESG managers, sustainability leads, and estates teams to ensure that basket procurement is aligned with climate commitments, regulatory requirements, and corporate sustainability goals, while maximising financial and operational benefits.

Team reviewing Net Zero data on a laptop screen, showing how basket energy procurement supports carbon reduction, cost savings, and sustainability goals.

Basket energy procurement helps organisations align energy cost savings with Net Zero strategies, driving carbon reduction and resilience.

Close-up of professionals reviewing data charts and reports, symbolising expert guidance and management throughout the basket energy procurement process.

Inteb supports every stage of basket energy procurement, from data analysis to contract management and long-term strategy.

How Inteb Supports Your Basket Journey

When you join an Inteb-managed basket, we take full responsibility for the end-to-end procurement process, ensuring a transparent, secure, and expertly managed experience:

Market Monitoring: Continuous analysis of wholesale electricity and gas markets to identify optimal purchase windows and mitigate volatility risks.
Supplier Engagement: Competitive tendering with major UK suppliers to secure best-in-market pricing and contract terms.
Contract Structuring: Transparent and robust agreements designed to protect participants’ interests while providing flexibility and operational clarity.
Risk Controls: Budget caps, trading limits, and scenario-based strategies enforced to manage financial exposure.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring procurement adheres to OFGEM, BEIS, and industry best practice guidance, including reporting obligations.
Ongoing Reporting: Regular statements, consumption and cost tracking, benchmark comparisons, and forward-looking forecasts, all while ensuring participant data is fully protected.

Next Steps: Is a Basket Right for You?

Consider whether a basket strategy aligns with your organisation:

Do you have relatively stable electricity or gas demand?
Are you dissatisfied with current rates or supplier service?
Do you lack in-house procurement expertise?
Would you benefit from budget predictability and risk mitigation?

If you answered yes to any of the above, an Inteb-managed basket could deliver significant cost savings, reduce exposure to market volatility, and provide a fully transparent, secure, and professionally managed energy procurement solution.

Business professional presenting to colleagues in a meeting, discussing next steps and strategic choices around basket energy procurement.

Is basket energy procurement right for you? Expert advice helps determine if this collaborative approach fits your energy goals.

Speak to Inteb About Joining a Basket

We run multiple baskets throughout the year across electricity, gas and multi-utility needs.
Whether you’re ready to join the next group or want a no-obligation assessment of your options, we’re here to help.

Get in Touch With Our Procurement Team

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