This work only functions under specific conditions.
If those conditions do not exist, we are not the right solution — and we will say so.
This page exists to make that boundary explicit.
The three conditions required
We engage only when all three of the following are present:
1. Discomfort
There is a clear trigger event or unease, such as:
- Energy costs that no longer reconcile cleanly
- A correction that “should have happened by now”
- A bill, contract, or audit question no one wants to own
- A supplier issue that will not resolve itself
- Board-level or lender scrutiny
If the situation is purely academic or exploratory, we do not engage.
2. Authority
The decision owner must be directly involved.
This typically means:
- CFO / Finance Director
- Board-level sponsor
- Authorised advisor acting with explicit mandate
If authority is delegated too far down, correction becomes political — and fails.
3. Urgency
There must be a reason the issue needs resolving now, for example:
- A renewal window approaching
- An audit, refinancing, or transaction in progress
- Escalating supplier disputes
- Reputational or disclosure risk
- Material financial leakage
If timing does not matter, outcomes drift.
Typical engagement triggers
We are most often engaged when one or more of the following occurs:
- A renewal is approaching and the last one went wrong
- A PE, lender, or acquirer starts asking uncomfortable questions
- A sustainability or ESG claim is challenged internally or externally
- A supplier credit, refund, or rebill appears unexpectedly
- Energy spend no longer matches assumptions
- A broker or advisor wants the problem removed, not managed
These are correction events — not optimisation exercises.
What we explicitly do not engage in
To protect outcomes and accountability, we do not engage in:
- Benchmarking exercises
- Price comparisons
- Competitive tenders
- Free analysis or “health checks”
- Ongoing energy management
- Advisory retainers
- Situations where no one owns the decision
If the objective is curiosity, education, or optional improvement, we are not the right party.
Situations that do not work
We will decline engagement where:
- The issue is hypothetical
- The decision owner is not involved
- The client wants advice without execution
- Responsibility cannot be clearly assigned
- The organisation wants to “see what comes up”
Correction requires ownership.
A note for introducers
Introducers engage us to remove awkward conversations — not to create new ones.
Before making an introduction, ask one question:
“What situation would you not introduce them into?”
If the answer is unclear, the introduction is premature.
If these conditions are met
If there is:
- A defined problem
- A decision owner
- A reason it matters now
Then a mandate discussion is appropriate.
If not, it isn’t — and that clarity protects everyone involved.
Next step:
Request a Mandate Discussion
(Engagements begin only after authority and conditions are confirmed.)