FOI release

Freedom of information: Utilities procurement

Published 2 July 2026

0.1 Freedom of Information: Utilities procurement

Thank you for your email of 25th March 2026 to the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) in which you requested the following information:

0.2 General Information:

How many sites are part of this organisation? Are utilities (gas,electricity, water) procured collectively on behalf of all schools, or by individual academies? Who is responsible for procurement decisions relating to utilities? (Please state job title) How does the organisation ensure compliance with DfE / ESFA and public procurement regulations when procuring energy? Does the organisation use a DfE-approved framework for energy procurement? If yes, which one? Does the organisation have any sustainability or Net Zero objectives that influence procurement decisions? If yes, please summarise.

0.3 Energy Procurement & Pricing

How are your electricity and gas contracts procured? (e.g. direct with supplier, via broker/TPI, via framework) Which framework, DPS, or third-party broker/TPI is or was used? Please state the name. When was your current electricity contract signed or agreed? When was your current gas contract signed or agreed? What is the current contract end date for your electricity supply? What is the current contract end date for your gas supply? Who is your current electricity supplier? Who is your current gas supplier? If your electricity contract is fixed price, what is the current unit rate (p/kWh)? If your contract is flexible, half-hourly traded, or index-linked, please just confirm the contract type and we will not ask for a specific rate. If your gas contract is fixed price, what is the current unit rate (p/kWh)? If your contract is flexible, half-hourly traded, or index-linked, please just confirm the contract type and we will not ask for a specific rate. What is the current standing charge (p/day) for electricity and gas? Was a broker or Third Party Intermediary (TPI) involved in arranging your current contracts? If yes, please state their name. What commission, broker fee, or TPI payment was paid in connection with your current gas and/or electricity contracts? Please state the amount per meter, per contract, or as a p/kWh uplift. If the organisation does not hold this information, please confirm whether it has been requested from the broker or supplier. How many suppliers submitted quotations for your most recent electricity and gas procurement?

0.4 Metering, MOP, DA & DC Arrangements

(MOP = Meter Operator I DA = Data Aggregator I DC = Data Collector- these are contracted services that determine how your energy data is captured and settled) Are any of your electricity meters Half-Hourly (HH) settled (Profile Class 00)? If yes, how many HH meters does the organisation have, and across which sites? Who is the current Meter Operator (MOP) for your electricity meters? When was the current MOP contract signed, and what is its end date? Who is the current Data Collector (DC) and Data Aggregator (DA) for your electricity meters? What charges are applied for MOP, DA, and DC services? Are these shown as a separate line item on bills, or embedded within the unit rate? Were MOP, DA, and DC contracts competitively tendered, or were they assigned by the supplier or framework?

0.5 Energy Monitoring & Management

Does the organisation currently have any form of energy monitoring in place? (e.g. AMR, smart meter portal, half-hourly data access, real-time dashboards) If yes, which sites have monitoring, and what type is in place at each? Please distinguish between: real-time I live data I half-hourly/ Day+1 data I monthly smart read only I manual reads only Which platform, portal or software is used to view or analyse energy consumption data? Is gas consumption monitored separately to electricity? If yes, how? Does the organisation receive automated alerts for unusual or excessive energy consumption (e.g. overnight or weekend usage)? Does the organisation receive any bill validation or bill checking service, from a broker, consultant, or software platform? Has the organisation undertaken any energy audits, Display Energy Certificate (DEC) assessments, or ESOS compliance reporting in the last three years? Has the organisation ever used energy data to identify and evidence savings? If yes, please give a brief summary.

0.6 Water Procurement & Monitoring

How are your water and wastewater contracts procured? Which framework, DPS, or third-party was used? Please state the name. When was your current water contract signed or agreed? What is the current contract end date for your water supply? Who is your current water supplier? What unit rate (p/m3) are you currently paying for water and wastewater, if known? How many suppliers submitted quotations for your most recent water procurement? Was a broker or TPI used in procuring your water contract? If yes, please state their name and any fee or commission paid. Are there any additional services included such as leak detection, water efficiency, or bill validation? If yes, please describe. Does the organisation have any water monitoring or sub-metering in place to detect leaks or track consumption at site level?”

0.7 Our Response

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the Act’), you have the right to: • know whether we hold the information you require • be provided with that information (subject to any exemptions under the Act which may apply). By way of background, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is a non‑departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade. We are not an educational or academic institution. I can confirm that the TRA occupies one floor within a multi‑tenanted building, for which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is responsible for the procurement and oversight of utilities. Accordingly, I can confirm that the TRA does not hold the information requested. You may wish to redirect your enquiry to the DHSC at: dhsc.publicenquiries@dhsc.gov.uk.

0.8 Appeals procedure

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to Knowledge and Information Management:

Knowledge and Information Management Trade Remedies Authority Premier House 60 Caversham Road Reading RG1 7EB

Email: InformationRights@traderemedies.gov.uk

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications. If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely, Information Rights Trade Remedies Authority

E: InformationRights@trade.remedies.gov.uk