Glossary
Business Energy & Water Glossary
Energy contracts come with a lot of jargon — kVA, deemed rates, calorific value, half-hourly settlement. Suppliers rarely stop to explain any of it. This glossary does. Each entry gives you a plain-English definition, a worked example where numbers help, and answers to the questions businesses actually ask. No sales pitch, just the explanation.
Every term links to a full entry. We add new entries regularly — if something on your bill isn’t covered here, our business energy bill guide walks through a typical bill line by line, and our guides library covers the bigger topics in depth.
A
The estimated amount of gas your site uses in a year, and the figure suppliers price your contract on.
B
Checking each line of an energy bill against your contract and meter data to catch overcharges.
C
How much energy your gas contains — used to convert meter units into the kWh you are billed for.
What happens to the energy account when a business moves in or out of premises.
The government tax on business energy use, who pays it, and the exemptions available.
D
Gas supplies where consumption is read every day, typically for larger sites.
The default prices you pay when you use energy at premises without a signed contract.
E
A tariff with cheaper overnight electricity, and when it actually suits a business.
A billed figure based on predicted use rather than an actual meter reading.
F
The closing bill when you switch supplier or leave premises, and how to check it.
G
The calculation that turns gas meter units into the kWh on your bill.
H
Meters that record consumption every 30 minutes, mandatory for larger supplies.
K
Your site’s agreed electrical capacity, and why exceeding it costs money.
The basic unit of energy billing — what one kilowatt-hour actually represents.
L
The regional gas network your site sits in, which affects your unit rate.
M
The company that installs and maintains your electricity meter under a MOP contract.
O
The default rates charged after a fixed term ends with nothing new agreed.
R
Certificates that prove a unit of electricity came from renewable generation.
S
What happens to your supply and credit balance when an energy supplier fails.
T
The older imperial unit of gas energy, still used in wholesale pricing.
V
When you pay 20%, when the reduced 5% rate applies, and how to claim it back.
X
The central data service behind the GB gas market, and why it matters when switching.
These entries cover the terminology. For how contracts, pricing, and switching actually work, see our business electricity, business gas, and business water pages.