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You’ve moved into a commercial unit, the lights work, the heating’s on, and nobody’s asked you to sign anything. That last part is the problem. If EDF supplies the property and you haven’t arranged a contract, they’ve already started charging you their deemed rates. These aren’t the prices you’d get if you picked up the phone and negotiated. They’re the prices you get when nobody’s negotiated at all.
EDF’s deemed tariff exists because the law says a supplier has to keep energy flowing to a premises even when there’s no formal agreement in place. The Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989 both allow this. It was originally designed so businesses wouldn’t lose power while getting settled in. Sensible in theory. In practice, the rates EDF charges during this period are some of the most expensive in the market.
How You Ended Up on EDF Deemed Rates
Most businesses don’t choose this. It’s almost always one of three situations.
The first and most common is moving into a new premises. The previous tenant closed their account or left, and EDF continued supplying the property. When you started using electricity or gas, EDF treated you as a new customer with no agreement. Deemed rates from the first day you switched a light on.
The second is a change in your business’s legal structure. If your company name changed, or you restructured in a way that made you look like a different entity to EDF, they may have started a new account on deemed terms. Even if you were their customer yesterday.
The third is less common but catches people out. Your old contract expired, and instead of rolling onto a standard out-of-contract rate, something in the process triggered EDF to treat the supply as deemed instead. This can happen when there’s a gap between the old contract ending and a new one starting, or when a renewal falls through the cracks. Our guide to out-of-contract rates explains why this distinction matters for your bill.
What EDF Deemed Rates Actually Cost
We’re not listing exact unit rates here because they change regularly and vary by meter type, region, and consumption profile. Publishing a number that’s out of date by the time you read it wouldn’t be useful.
What we can say is this. EDF’s deemed standing charges and unit rates are substantially higher than their fixed contract prices. The standing charge alone can be more than double what you’d pay on a negotiated deal. And because deemed rates are variable, EDF can adjust them with as little as 30 days’ notice. So even if the rate seems manageable this month, there’s nothing stopping it from climbing next month.
If you want to see exactly what you’re being charged, check your latest EDF bill. Look at the unit rate per kWh and the daily standing charge, then compare those numbers to what’s available on a fixed deal. The gap is usually enough to make the phone call feel urgent.
For a broader picture of how deemed rates work across different suppliers, our deemed contracts guide breaks down the pricing structure and why it’s consistently higher than any other tariff type.
Your Rights on EDF Deemed Rates
Here’s the bit that works in your favour. Because you never signed a contract, EDF can’t hold you to one.
You can switch to another supplier at any time. There’s no minimum term. There’s no exit fee. EDF might ask for 28 days’ notice in their deemed terms, but in practice, most switches complete within a few working days and there’s nothing preventing you from starting the process immediately.
EDF also can’t refuse to let you switch unless there’s an outstanding debt on the account. As long as you’re up to date with payments, Ofgem’s rules are clear: you’re free to move.
One thing worth knowing. EDF’s deemed terms do include the right to ask for a security deposit if they have concerns about credit. This doesn’t happen often, but if your account history is patchy, it’s worth being aware of before you start a conversation about a new fixed deal with them.
How to Get Off EDF Deemed Rates
This takes less effort than most people expect.
Start by finding your meter numbers. For electricity, that’s your MPAN. For gas, it’s your MPRN. Both should be on your EDF bill. If you can’t find them, or the bill isn’t clear, our MPAN and MPRN lookup guide walks you through where to find them and what format they’re in.
Once you’ve got those numbers, you can compare what’s available. You’re looking at fixed-term contracts from EDF or any other supplier. The prices you’ll see will be noticeably lower than what you’re paying on deemed rates, which is partly why those rates exist: they’re priced to encourage you to sign a deal, not to sit on the default tariff.
The switch itself is administrative. Nobody digs up cables or changes pipes. Your supply continues without interruption. EDF sends a final bill based on a closing meter reading, and the new supplier picks up from there. The whole process usually wraps up within five to ten working days.
If you’d rather not ring around individual suppliers, you can compare business energy prices through a broker who’ll pull quotes from multiple suppliers at once. That tends to be the faster route, and it gives you a direct comparison rather than taking EDF’s word for what counts as competitive.
Key Takeaways
✓ EDF deemed rates are the default prices charged when there’s no signed energy contract at your property
✓ You’ll typically end up on them after moving into new premises or following a gap between contracts
✓ The rates are significantly higher than any negotiated fixed deal, with both unit rates and standing charges inflated
✓ You can leave at any time with no exit fees, no lock-in, and no notice period beyond the standard 28 days
✓ Find your MPAN and MPRN, compare what’s available, and the switch itself takes around five to ten working days