With The Big Telecoms Switch Off looming and the rollout of full fibre broadband already well underway, you’ll need to act if you want your business to stay connected.

By 2025, the traditional copper networks that currently enable our communication services will be switched off and the whole network replaced with new “full fibre” technology, also known as Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).

Now, while it may seem a way off, you should consider 2025 as the absolute final deadline to switch. Modern businesses wishing to reap the many benefits of the new technology are acting right now, and there are very good reasons why.

Here are the top five reasons why upgrading to full fibre right now could be of major benefit to your business:

1. Speed and reliability

The headline benefits of FTTP are the boost it offers in terms of speed and reliability.

If your business uses digital services like video conferencing, social media or any cloud-based software such as those commonly used for accounting, payroll, stock management or file storage, then the last thing you need is a slow or patchy internet connection slowing you and your team down.

And then there are devices such as point of sale equipment and card payment terminals which usually rely on a Wi-Fi connection, so when your broadband connection is slow or if it fails, it’s impacting how quickly you can serve customers, and causing you potential embarrassment and loss of business.

Full fibre broadband is designed for the demands of modern businesses that need to stay connected no matter how many devices connect and can handle large files and bandwidth-hungry applications without breaking a sweat.

Fibre cables are also 70-80% more reliable than copper and, because the connection is direct to your premises, you have your own uncontested bandwidth that is not affected by peak usage periods in your neighbourhood. This means that when the café next door is busy, and patrons are having a coffee whilst browsing the internet on the guest Wi-Fi, it doesn’t have a knock-on effect to your internet connection!

Full fibre delivers the fastest connection on the market, with download speeds of up to 1000Mbps and upload speeds of 150Mbps, though most businesses don’t need these speeds. But even a basic FTTP connection offers speeds of 115Mbps, which is faster than even the fastest standard Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) connection, with room to upgrade your connection if your needs change.

Fibre has clear business benefits, and you can get this competitive advantage before you’re forced to switch in the next few years.

2. Beat the queue

Many businesses have already switched to FTTP and are enjoying the benefits.

The technology is now becoming mainstream with 6.5 million UK homes and businesses already able to get full fibre, with the aim of reaching 25 million homes and businesses in 2026. ISPreview reviewed Openreach’s progress and their current installation rate is c.47,000 premises per week, while the expected peak rate is c.75,000 per week.

Even at peak rate, which hasn’t been reached, there will be around 21 million premises connected by early 2025 leaving more than 9 million of the UK’s 30.4 million premises to be connected in a rush before the switch off deadline for copper networks!

Importantly, installation requires a visit from an engineer to get your connected, and there are limited number of engineer appointments each day. This means that the longer you wait to upgrade, the more likely you are to end up in a queue for an engineer appointment.

But you can take control of the situation and minimise disruption by speaking to your service provider now about switching to FTTP and request an engineer appointment at a time that’s more convenient to you.

We recommend taking the opportunity to upgrade now so you can request an appointment at a time which is least disruptive to your business, whilst demand for engineer appointments is steady.

3. Productivity

There’s nothing worse for your business than wasted hours and low productivity, and it’s even more annoying if you’re paying employees to wait for pages to load, emails with large attachments to send, or software updates to install because of a slow or low bandwidth connection.

Imagine if you could reduce or remove that wasted time, and the boost your business would get, in terms of time back, over the next three years and beyond.

If you employ a team of people in your business, their time is your money, so it makes no sense to waste it. Even when you’re running multiple applications across multiple devices, FTTP can take the strain with no loss of performance.

If your business is slowed down by broadband that can’t cope, there’s no point waiting until 2025 to upgrade to fibre, when you can reap the productivity benefits now.

 4. Upgrade your phone line and get your landline calls from anywhere

When the copper phone lines are switched off, your phoneline will run via your internet connection using a system called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Cloud Voice. You have to make this switch, either now or at some point in the next three years.

The great news is that you will use Cloud Voice via a device that sits within your premises and looks very similar to your current home phone. Plus, you can also make and take calls from your landline number via a simple app that works across a range of other devices – like your mobile phone, laptop or tablet. This means you’ll always be connected to your customers via your business phone number, wherever you are, and you’ll never again lose out on trade because you missed an important call when you were out and about.

Of course, if you don’t want to hear from customers during your downtime you can always mute calls from the application!

Cloud Voice also offers a host of other benefits over traditional phone lines that you can read about here. And of course, we’ll make sure that you keep your business phone number when you transfer over.

 5. Futureproof your business

We’re all using more and more digital services, both in our personal lives and in our businesses. The pandemic only accelerated this trend, with a huge uplift in use of video conferencing, cloud apps, and ecommerce services, predominantly driven by more remote and flexible working.

The beauty of FTTP is that whatever tools or applications you might want to use within your business, connectivity and bandwidth will never be an issue. As our digital world develops, the applications created today are being built with the new high-bandwidth infrastructure in mind, so you might find that the tools you want to use next year or the year after struggle to run efficiently on an older connection.

Prepare your business for tomorrow, today! Get access to the cutting-edge connectivity your business deserves and ensure you’re ready for whatever the future holds.

 The UK Government wants energy suppliers to install smart meters in all businesses and homes by the end of June 2025. This is part of its effort to reduce the amount of energy used in the country and to help Britain reach net zero by 2050.

With the rise in the number of smart meters being installed, there has also been an increase in the number of myths about them.

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a smart meter, you’re in the right place!

So, let’s separate fact from fiction as we debunk some common myths about smart meters in this blog post.

Myth: I’ll need to pay to have a smart meter installed

The installation of smart meters is free.

You won’t have to pay a penny for an engineer to visit your business to replace your old meter with a smart meter, and the process is straightforward. Installation takes less than an hour, so you’ll be up and running in no time, though you should note your power may be off for around 20-30 minutes during the installation process.

Myth: My personal data is not secure

Your data is secure. Smart meters have a security system developed by leading experts in the industry and the government, including GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre.

Smart meters only measure your electricity or gas use, and the data smart meters capture is protected by law. Smart meters do not record, collect or store any personal data, such as your name, address and bank account details.  

We protect any customer data we collect and only use it for limited purposes.

 

Myth: Smart meters don’t save money

According to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, it is estimated that smart meters will take £300 million off consumers’ bills in 2020, rising to more than £1.2 billion per year by 2030.

Smart meters mean you won’t have to worry about estimated bills.

By knowing how much energy is being used each month, you can make informed decisions about how to and your overall carbon emissions.

Myth: Smart meters can damage your health

Smart meters are safe.

The UK has strict product safety laws, and the energy industry has committed to ensuring smart meters meet the highest health and safety standards during the smart meter rollout. This means, regardless of your energy supplier, there are systems in place to make sure any issues with smart meters are identified and dealt with swiftly.

 

Myth:  Smart meters need the internet to work

No, smart meters do not rely on the internet for them to work.

Smart meters send readings to your energy supplier via a secure, dedicated network. This network is separate from your Wi-Fi. The information sent to your supplier is encrypted, in the same way that your mobile phone sends and receives information.

 

Myth: I still need to submit meter readings  

With a smart meter you no longer need to submit meter readings. Smart meters send automatic meter readings to us monthly via a secure data network.

This removes the hassle of a manual meter reading process and ensures you receive bills that reflect your usage first time, allowing you to spend more time on your business.

(There can sometimes be a short delay before we get automated readings and we might occasionally ask for meter readings to check that your meter is working correctly or so we can arrange for an engineer to conduct maintenance work.)

 

Myth: Smart meters are not good for the environment  

A smart meter can help businesses track how much energy they’re consuming and learn how to conserve the amount of energy they use. The more efficiently businesses use their energy, the more it benefits the environment.

According to Smart Energy GB, if everyone has a smart meter, we could reduce carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the savings made by around 70 million trees. That’s a lot of trees! 

Businesses can use their smart meters to reduce electricity usage during peak periods when electricity is most expensive; doing so will help reduce our reliance on additional power stations and ultimately help the UK achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

 

Myth: I rent a property, so I won’t be able to get a smart meter

If you’re the energy account holder and you pay the energy bills, not your landlord, then you can get a smart meter.

The energy regulator, Ofgem, has said that if your tenancy agreement says you need your landlord’s permission to alter the electricity meter at your property, they should not stop you without a good reason.

Just to make sure, we recommend you check this with your landlord. Your tenancy agreement may have details about how electricity and gas are supplied to the property.

 

Should I get a smart meter?

We’ve busted some of the most common myths about smart meters.  Switching to a smart meter can help you save time, money, and carbon emissions. If you don’t have one already, there’s never been a better time to book an installation.

The UK’s smart meter rollout is already well underway, with 28.8 million meters installed in small businesses and homes. There are many benefits you can experience from having a smart meter installed in your business:

At Clear Business, we’re constantly looking for new ways to make life easier for our customers.

During the pandemic we’ve seen a clear increase in customers wanting to self-serve and manage services online, without having to speak to someone on the phone.

That’s why we’ve bent over backwards to improve our Customer Zone portal, so you can now do more online, more easily, at a time that suits you.

What can you do in Customer Zone?

We’ve created a series of videos to explain the five key things you can do in Customer Zone and show you how to make the most of the portal. We’ve also detailed what you can do in Customer Zone below in writing.

Set up or make changes to your Direct Debit

Paying by Direct Debit is the easiest way to pay your bills. You can change your bank details or set up a new Direct Debit mandate any time in Customer Zone.

If you need to reset your Direct Debit, simply log on to clearbusiness.co.uk/customerzone, hover over ‘My Account’ and select Direct Debit from the dropdown menu.

If you’re not already paying doing it, you can save £10 a month off your bill by signing up to pay by Direct Debit.

View your latest bills

You can view your latest bill, get detailed breakdowns over the last 12 months and download printable versions all online.

Submit meter reads

If you take one of our utility products, we recommend you send us a meter read monthly to ensure your bills are as accurate as possible. Submitting your meter read using Customer Zone is easy to do and only takes a minute.

While we’re on the subject of meter reads, we’re in the process of contacting all Clear Business Energy customers to offer them a smart meter. Click here to let us know if you’d like a smart meter.

Make online payments

You can use Customer Zone to make online payments. Click on ‘Make a Payment’ and your invoice balance will automatically be entered. Then simply enter your payment details. You can only use this method if you’re paying your full invoice amount. If you want to pay a lesser amount, you’ll still need to call one of our team on 0333 014 3131 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

How do you sign up to Customer Zone?

Signing up to use Customer Zone is quick and easy to do. You’ll just need your email address and Clear Business account ID. Once your account is activated, you’re ready to go.

SIGN UP TO CUSTOMER ZONE