Quick and Efficient Gas Business Plan — Sensitivity and Scenario Analysis

What moves Year 5 EBITDA: fills a day, gas margin per kilogram, operating cost and the regulated price, with scenarios.

Sensitivity and Scenario Analysis

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  • 10.1 What moves Year 5 EBITDA
  • 10.2 Scenarios

10.1 What moves Year 5 EBITDA

EBITDA sensitivity at maturity. Reported on EBITDA rather than net profit, because assessed-loss carry-forward from Year 1 distorts the tax charge
Figure 20. EBITDA sensitivity at maturity. Reported on EBITDA rather than net profit, because assessed-loss carry-forward from Year 1 distorts the tax charge.

Driver

Downside (R)

Upside (R)

Swing (R)

Bulk gas buying price ±8%

756 129

2 317 399

1 561 270

Volume ±15%

940 730

2 132 799

1 192 069

Regulated price ±4%

1 018 077

2 055 452

1 037 375

Accessory margin ±25%

1 218 299

1 855 229

636 930

Operating costs ±10%

1 242 188

1 831 340

589 152

Fill loss ±1.5 points

1 385 400

1 683 574

298 174

Base case Year 5 EBITDA

1 536 764

The ranking is the finding, and it is unusual. In most retail businesses volume dominates. Here the buying price ranks first at a R1 561 270 swing, ahead of both volume at R1 192 069 and the regulated price itself at R1 037 375, because an 8 per cent move in what the shop pays translates directly into margin with no ability to pass it on.

10.2 Scenarios

EBITDA by scenario
Figure 21. EBITDA by scenario.

Downside

Base

Upside

Volume assumption

-22%

As modelled

+14%

Buying price assumption

+6%

As modelled

-3%

Operating cost assumption

+4%

As modelled

As modelled

Year 1 EBITDA

(930 854)

(199 655)

224 246

Year 3 EBITDA

(169 886)

1 031 151

1 762 886

Year 5 EBITDA

87 831

1 536 764

2 426 934

Year 5 EBITDA margin

0.5%

9.2%

14.5%

Cumulative EBITDA, Years 1 to 5

(1 519 255)

4 188 214

7 646 517

The downside combination — volume 22 per cent below plan, the buying price 6 per cent higher and operating costs 4 per cent higher — produces cumulative EBITDA of negative R1 519 255 across five years. The business does not merely underperform in that case; it consumes its equity and requires restructuring.

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