One location can have multiple delivery points.
Outlet, branch office, and delivery point are not the same thing. A building can have multiple electricity and gas contracts; the contracts for several locations can also be held by different companies within your corporate group. Therefore, for joint purchasing, it must first be clear which delivery point belongs to which business site and company. A clear location list is only reliable if the assignments are correct.
For each delivery point, record the contracting partner, the market location ID (as the identification number of the consumption point), the energy source, the billing address, and the responsible person. You will usually find the necessary information on the invoice; clarify any missing information with the respective supplier. Mark any open responsibilities with a follow-up question and a responsible person. This will transform the location list into a working basis for purchasing.
Contracts do not have to end on the same day.
Different contract durations and notice periods are normal in established site networks. A joint tender therefore requires a schedule with confirmed contract dates. Check which delivery points can be requested jointly and for which a delivery start date is only possible at a later date. An existing contractual relationship is not dissolved by the organizational consolidation.
Furthermore, describe how new openings, closures, or acquisitions will be handled. A framework agreement can standardize processes; which locations, quantities, and changes it actually covers will depend on its terms and conditions. The term alone does not guarantee a specific price or the inclusion of every subsequent delivery location.
This turns three locations into one clear procurement task.
The head office can submit a joint request, although not all delivery points can switch simultaneously. The crucial factor is what is already determined at each location and what still needs to be clarified before a quote can be provided.
Fictional work example, no customer data. "Confirmed" refers exclusively to the assumed processing status in the example.
| Information | A · Production | B · Sales branch | C · New location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract partner | Operating company | Sales company | Still to be clarified |
| Delivery point / MaLo allocation | Electricity A, assigned | Electricity B, assigned | Gas C, assignment open |
| Energy / Measurement methods | Electricity / RLM | Electricity / SLP | Gas / Measurement method open |
| Consumption / Reference period | 820,000 kWh 01/01–31/12/2025 | 65,000 kWh 01/01–31/12/2025 | No history of its own; demand assumption still unresolved. |
| End of contract | 31.12.2026, confirmed | June 30, 2027, confirmed | Existing contractual commitment still unclear |
| Next delivery start | 01.01.2027 | 01.07.2027 | Planned for July 1, 2027; not yet confirmed |
| Operational change | Additional shift planned; additional requirements still to be quantified. | No changes reported | Opening date and plant data are missing |
| Who will clarify the next point? | Technical team: Supplement shift schedule and expected additional requirements | Purchasing: Verify data and approval before requesting a quote. | Project management: Clarify operator, deadlines and gas requirements |
| Processing status | Confirmed: History and Date Open: Future Quantity | Confirmed: History and Date Open: Internal Approval | Open: Allocation, need and binding date |
The practical decision: A and B can be prepared together with separate supply start dates. For A, the additional shift remains a separate volume assumption. C is tracked as an unresolved case; the planned date is not yet a confirmed supply option. Missing volumes are not included as zero in the total.
In your to-do list, also note which document confirms each piece of information. For a new opening or takeover, previous figures do not replace a review of the future use and the contractual partner. This allows Hasan Sahin and his energy team to selectively supplement the existing documentation instead of starting the same inquiries for each location.
The individual profiles remain economically relevant
A bakery branch, an office, and a warehouse have different energy consumption patterns. An office consumes most of its energy during the day, while refrigeration units in the warehouse can also run at night. These temporal consumption patterns are called load profiles. Therefore, for comparison, the total amount of energy consumed and the consumption data available for each delivery point are needed. A high combined annual amount of energy consumed is not proof that all locations should be procured in the same way.
Different grid areas and billing methods can result in different price components. The Federal Network Agency explains the components of energy prices. A clearly structured overview of offers therefore separates procurement, grid and metering costs, as well as other items shown in the specific offer.
Related to this: Bring electricity bills onto a comparable basis →.
| Comparison level | What is recorded separately |
|---|---|
| Contract | Legal contracting partner, delivery point, term and notice period. |
| consumption | Quantity, measurement method and time profile per delivery point. |
| Offer | Same delivery period and same price components; deviations are visible. |
| Decision | Total costs and location-related effects, approvals and change rules. |
Summarize the documents for the inquiry, but preserve the consumption data for each individual location. The supplier can then create an overall profile while taking different contract and billing conditions into account. This allows a central purchasing manager to explain why a particular offer fits into the portfolio.
Agree on a comparison logic for all locations
Determine whether the decision will be based on the overall budget, location-specific costs, or other requirements. An advantage at one delivery location may be offset by different conditions at another. Also, review quantity assumptions, fixed prices, additional services, and deviation policies. This will ensure that the overall suitability of an offer remains transparent.
Joint procurement requires authorisations. Who may request offers, sign contracts and report changes? Clarify powers of attorney and internal responsibilities in time. For managed properties, our article on changing supply points explains the specific organisational steps; a business portfolio does not automatically follow the same allocation of responsibilities.
Compare together, keep differences visible
| Coordinate together | Preserve for each delivery point |
|---|---|
| Comparison period | Existing term and earliest delivery start |
| Price and model criteria | Consumption quantity and time course |
| Internal responsibilities | Identifier, address and contract assignment |
Keep the data up to date after completion.
A portfolio quickly loses its value if contract changes remain scattered across individual mailboxes. Establish a central repository and a standardized process for new meters, relocations, and changes in contact persons. Monthly or quarterly monitoring can be integrated with energy monitoring. A location list, current contracts, and available consumption history are helpful for comparing business electricity offers with OPTUM.
If several contracts are moving to the next procurement round, you can use the location list to prepare a portfolio request to OPTUM. Include the delivery points for which data or deadlines are still open. The initial consultation can clarify which requests can already be made and what information needs to be added.
