Independent Cost Review Services for UK SMEs
CheckMyRates provides independent reviews of essential business costs to help UK SMEs understand whether what they are paying is accurate, appropriate, and justified.
Each service follows the same principle:
We review what exists, validate what we find, and only pursue action where there is clear evidence that something is wrong or inefficient.
Savings can occur where errors or inefficiencies are corrected, but they are never assumed or guaranteed.
What We Review
Business Rates / Non-Domestic Rates - VOA Agent Number: 41030
Business rates are one of the most significant and least questioned costs many UK SMEs face. Assessments are often accepted as fixed, even though they are based on data that can be outdated, misclassified, or incorrect.
Our business rates review follows the Rating Consultancy Code Of Practice and the Check, Challenge, Appeal framework. We begin by checking whether the assessment applied to your property is accurate and appropriate. This includes reviewing property size, layout, usage classification, valuation methodology, and the application of reliefs.
Where issues are identified and validated, we progress to the challenge stage to formally question the assessment. If required and justified, matters can proceed to appeal, following the correct statutory process.
The aim is to ensure the rateable value applied is fair and defensible. Where errors or overvaluation are upheld, savings may arise through reduced liabilities or refunds. Where no issues exist, the review concludes with confirmation and clarity.
Energy & Water
Energy and water costs are shaped by a combination of contract terms, tariff structures, billing practices, and usage assumptions. Over time, these elements can drift out of alignment with how a business actually operates.
Our review assesses whether current arrangements remain appropriate. This includes reviewing contract terms, unit rates, billing accuracy, and areas of risk or inefficiency. Where commissions exist within contracts, these are reviewed for visibility and understanding.
Where corrective action is required, this may involve changes to contracts or suppliers, but only where supported by evidence and appropriate to the business. In some cases, the value lies in improved control or reduced risk rather than immediate cost reduction.
Telecoms Cost Review
Telecoms costs often grow quietly over time. As businesses add services, move to cloud-based systems, or adopt hybrid working, telecoms environments become more complex and harder to oversee.
Our telecoms review covers traditional services such as landlines and mobile contracts, as well as VoIP and cloud-based phone systems, broadband, data services, and associated platforms. We assess whether services remain necessary, appropriately structured, and correctly priced for how the business actually operates.
The review focuses on identifying legacy arrangements, unused or underutilised services, out-of-contract pricing, and contractual risk. In VoIP environments, this can include reviewing user licences, call bundles, feature utilisation, and contract terms that no longer reflect real usage.
The aim is to bring telecoms costs back into line with business needs. Savings may occur where unnecessary services or inappropriate pricing are corrected, but in many cases the value lies in improved visibility, simpler structures, and reduced future cost exposure.
Merchant Services Review
Payment processing costs are often complex and difficult to interpret. Fee structures can include multiple layers of charges that are not always clearly explained.
Our merchant services review focuses on understanding how fees are applied, whether charges are appropriate for your transaction profile, and whether contract terms expose the business to unnecessary long-term cost.
The aim is to improve clarity and control. Where excessive or unjustified charges are identified, savings may be achieved through correction or restructuring. In other cases, the benefit is preventing future overpayment rather than recovering historic cost.
The Review
Where possible, every review includes every service. Not every review will find issues or potential savings.
Each review is scoped based on what is relevant to the business and supported by the information provided. We focus on areas where errors, inefficiencies, or risk are most likely to exist, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
This ensures reviews remain evidence-led and proportionate.