The business
HRQ Brothers Ltd operates a Nisa Local convenience store on Ystrad Road in Pentre, Mid Glamorgan. Owner Qais Aziz acquired the store in January 2021 — his first venture into independent retail.
Like many first-time convenience retailers, Qais inherited the previous owner's energy supplier and tariff. He renovated the store, upgraded the electricity meter, and got on with the business of running it. Energy felt like a fixed cost — same money out every month, nothing to think about.
The problem
Except it wasn't fixed. Qais was on a fixed tariff, not a fixed-bill contract. Two very different things — and the difference can run into thousands.
A fixed tariff means your unit rate is locked. It doesn't mean your monthly bill is locked. If your actual usage is higher than the supplier's monthly direct debit estimate, you build up arrears. Most operators don't realise this is happening because nothing changes on their statement — until the supplier reconciles and presents the bill.
In Qais's case, the meter upgrade and the busy convenience store created fluctuating usage that didn't match the supplier's flat-rate direct debit. Months passed. The same money came out of his account. The arrears quietly grew.
"Perhaps I took my eye off the ball a bit, in terms of what I was using, because the same money was coming out of my account each month — I was on a fixed tariff. I didn't realise I was in arrears. My usage was fluctuating over the months. I owed them a significant sum of money." — Qais Aziz, HRQ Brothers Ltd
The solution
Nisa is the partner network's preferred energy partner — meaning Nisa retailers can ring up and get help directly. Qais's Nisa representative referred him in.
The consultant on the case, Mark Ludford, did three things:
- Explained the situation in plain English. Most operators don't understand the difference between a fixed tariff and a capped bill. Step one was making sure Qais knew exactly what he was looking at.
- Built an action plan with the supplier. Rather than fighting the arrears directly, the team negotiated an extended contract with the cost spread over a longer period — turning a one-shot bill shock into a manageable monthly figure.
- Set Qais up for the next renewal. He's now on a renewal-monitored contract, meaning he gets contacted before the contract ends rather than auto-rolling into out-of-contract rates.
"Mark explained, in the simplest of ways, and helped me to understand my situation. He went above and beyond to put this plan into place and put me first, not the needs of his business. What more could I have asked for? I'm already talking to the team about my next contract." — Qais Aziz, HRQ Brothers Ltd
What this means for your restaurant or shop
If you run a restaurant, takeaway, café, convenience store, or any small retail unit — the most common trap is exactly what happened here. Fixed tariff ≠ fixed bill. Stable direct debits ≠ accurate billing. The only way to know whether you're quietly accumulating arrears or overpaying for kWh you don't use is to have someone look at the actual numbers.
A Switchgrid free audit takes 24-48 hours, no obligation. You upload your most recent bill, we tell you what's actually happening.