Business gas for charity and not-for-profit

Charities and not-for-profits run on tight margins. Every pound spent on gas is a pound that can’t fund the cause, so getting the contract right matters more here than in most sectors. We compare suppliers across the open UK market for community centres, charity shops, faith buildings, hospices, food banks, and head offices, then handle the switch end-to-end so trustees aren’t dealing with paperwork.

The mechanics are the same as for any organisation. We explain them in our guide to switching business gas. But charity-specific levers matter: the 5% VAT rate, full CCL relief on charitable supply, trustee sign-off processes, and how to avoid suppliers who demand personal guarantees from individual trustees.

Our wider business gas service covers the open UK market for organisations of every size. For charities we also look at sector-specific tariffs, charity discounts, and biomethane options where green commitments align with your mission.

VAT relief and CCL exemption

Charities qualify for the reduced 5% VAT rate (instead of 20%) on gas used for non-business charitable activity. They also get full Climate Change Levy (CCL) relief on the same proportion. Suppliers won’t apply either automatically. You submit a VAT declaration form. We submit the form alongside the contract so both reliefs apply from day one, and re-check the proportion at every renewal if your usage mix has changed.

Trustee approval and avoiding personal guarantees

Charity gas contracts usually need trustee or board sign-off rather than a single staff signature. We schedule the switch so the contract lands when it can be reviewed at a meeting, and we provide a one-page summary trustees can approve without wading through 30 pages of T&Cs. A small number of suppliers ask for personal guarantees from individual trustees on contracts above certain values. We avoid those, so trustees are never personally on the hook.

Multi-site charities and consolidated billing

If you run multiple sites. Charity shops, a network of hospices, several community hubs. Consolidating onto a single gas supplier usually unlocks better unit rates and simpler reporting for trustees. We model the consolidated quote against keeping sites on separate contracts so you can see the volume discount before committing.

How a charity gas switch works with us