Business Energy

Switching your business energy supplier can help you save money on your energy bills by securing better rates and contract terms.

Additionally, switching to a green energy supplier can help you reduce your business’s carbon footprint and improve your sustainability efforts.

It is recommended that you start thinking about switching your business energy supplier at least 6 months before your current energy contract ends. This will give you enough time to compare energy plans and select the best one for you.

Many factors impact the commercial electricity and gas tariffs you can secure for your business. The main variables that affect the price you pay for your supply are:

• Wholesale prices
• Annual consumption
• Location and size of premises
• Business sector
• Credit rating

Some businesses may associate these obstacles as a reason not to switch business suppliers.

Unfortunately, this means many companies are on the wrong type of tariff. We’re here to help you navigate the energy market and secure the best deal available from our panel of trusted suppliers.

If you run a business with high energy usage or multiple locations, you may choose to install a multi-site meter.

This allows businesses with multiple premises or high usage to manage their energy with one contract. Your multi-site business energy contract covers the billing for more than one meter, whether at a single premise or multiple locations.

Some of the benefits of a multi-site meter are:

• Greater management over multiple sites – Whether your business has 2 or 10 locations, a multi-site meter could help you manage your energy more effectively. This makes matters such as renewals easier to deal with.
• Better management for single large sites – Instead of having several meters on one site, you could get a multi-meter that will cover your whole premises.
• Further discounts may be available – You can leverage your buying power and get larger discounts when choosing a multi-site meter.

Half-hourly meters are for business premises recording a large amount of electricity consumption.

By law, your business must have a half-hourly meter if you have a maximum demand of 100kWh or greater in any 30-minute period during the day. These meters are great for managing business electricity to ensure that energy suppliers are not overcharging you based on estimated billing.

Dual fuel tariffs are for domestic customers only. Businesses must switch their gas and electricity separately.

Businesses can have the same supplier for both fuels, but they must be switched separately. You may be able to negotiate a better energy deal with the supplier if you decide to have a contract for both gas and electricity.

Switching your business electricity or gas supplier to start a new energy contract will not result in your premises connection being interrupted.

When you switch, your electricity and gas are supplied through the existing pipes and cables, it’s just the supplier that changes. This means there’ll be no disruption to your supply and no need for any extra digging or drilling at your premises.

If you don’t renew or renegotiate your energy deal during the renewal period – at the end of your business energy contract – you will be rolled over. Energy suppliers impose these contracts automatically. This means your company will be locked into an expensive renewal tariff for at least a year.

A minimum of two months before your current contract ends, your energy provider will contact you to let you know that a rollover contract will start if you take no action.

If you haven’t negotiated your tariff, you will likely be placed on a monthly rolling contract or a deemed rates contract. These rates are often much more expensive than negotiated rates.

The good news is that you can switch at any time with no exit fees. So, if you find that your energy contract has rolled over, you can compare the latest prices and start your switch today.

Your business will qualify for the reduced rate of 5% VAT on energy if any of the following apply:

• You use less than 1,000kWh of electricity per month. 
• You use less than 4,397kWh of gas per month.
• You are a charitable or non-profit organisation.
• At least 60% of your business energy is used for residential accommodation.

The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is an environmental tax on commercial energy use in the UK. It is an additional tax, alongside VAT, that certain businesses will pay on their energy.

It is designed to make UK businesses more sustainable. The more energy-efficient your business is, and the less carbon-creating energy you use, the less CCL you pay.

Your business may be exempt from CCL if any of the following apply:

• You use less than 1,000kWh of electricity per month.
• You use less than 4,397kWh of gas per month.
• You are a charitable or non-profit organisation.
• At least 60% of your business energy is used for residential accommodation.