Compare business energy prices

Your company’s credit score can influence the process of comparing business energy quotes in various ways. It may affect eligibility for suppliers, pricing, deposit requirements, contract terms, and negotiation power. A higher credit score can make your company more attractive to suppliers, potentially leading to access to a broader range of options and better pricing when you compare business energy. Conversely, a lower credit score might result in higher costs, additional financial requirements, or less favourable contract terms. Understanding how your credit score impacts your options is crucial for securing the best deals, and working on improving it if necessary, can help optimise your choices.

Signing an LOA (Letter of Authority) when comparing and switching business energy is important as it grants permission to third-party brokers or comparison services to act on your behalf in accessing energy data and negotiating with suppliers. This authorisation facilitates efficient access to sensitive information about your energy usage and current contracts, enabling tailored quotes and expert negotiation for potentially cost-saving deals.

A deemed business energy contract, also referred to as an out-of-contract or default contract in business energy contracts, is an agreement that becomes effective when a business or premises begins using energy without a formal contract in place with a business energy supplier. This scenario commonly arises when a business moves into new premises and starts consuming electricity before arranging a specific contract with an business energy provider. Under a deemed electricity contract, the business is billed at the supplier’s default rates, which often tend to be higher than negotiated contract rates.

An MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number) is a unique identifier assigned to electricity metering points in the UK. It is an important number to have when comparing business energy suppliers as it denotes the exact meter number.

An MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) is a unique identifier assigned to gas metering points in the UK. When you switch business energy suppliers you need to have this number as it denotes the exact meter number.

You can find your MPAN or MPRN on your energy bill, typically labelled as “Supply Number” or “Meter Point Reference Number,” or directly on your meter, where it is displayed as a series of digits. You will need this when comparing business energy quotes.

Determining which business energy supplier has the best prices can vary depending on factors such as your location, energy consumption patterns, contract terms, and current market conditions. It’s essential to compare quotes from multiple suppliers to find the best deal tailored to your specific business needs. Additionally, consider factors beyond price, such as customer service, contract flexibility, and green energy options, to make a well-rounded decision. You can use our online comparison tool to easily compare business energy suppliers and their offerings, helping you find the most competitive deals available.

A fixed-rate contract locks your unit rate and standing charge for the full term, typically one to three years. Your rate doesn’t move regardless of what wholesale prices do. A variable-rate contract tracks the market and shifts quarterly with wholesale prices. Fixed is easier to budget around. Variable can be cheaper in a falling market but carries more risk.

Your price is built from four parts: the unit rate you pay per kWh of energy used, a daily standing charge, Climate Change Levy (0.801p per kWh of gas and 0.775p per kWh of electricity in April 2026), and VAT at 20% (or 5% if you qualify as a very low user or a registered charity). The unit rate itself depends on your consumption, location, credit profile, contract length, and the wholesale market on the day you ask.

For a full breakdown of how each component moves, see our guide on how business gas prices are calculated, or our walkthrough of what every line on a business energy bill means.

Most business energy contracts run one to three years. Some suppliers offer four or five-year terms for larger sites. Longer terms usually come with lower unit rates because suppliers can hedge the wholesale market further out.

Three to six months before your end date is a reasonable window. Most contracts have a notice period you need to respect, and starting early gives you time to compare quotes without the pressure of a deadline. Leaving it until the final weeks often means landing on out-of-contract rates while paperwork catches up. See our guide on when to renew a business energy contract for the full detail.

Usually not without paying an exit fee. Most business energy contracts are binding for the full term. There are a few exceptions, like when a supplier makes a material change to the terms, but they’re rare. The practical answer for most businesses is to note the end date and plan a switch around the renewal window.

The Climate Change Levy is a government tax on commercial energy use, designed to encourage businesses to reduce carbon. Households are exempt. Businesses aren’t. The current rates are 0.801p per kWh on gas and 0.775p per kWh on electricity (April 2026). Some businesses can claim a reduced rate through a Climate Change Agreement if they’re in a qualifying sector, but the default position for most UK businesses is to pay it as a separate line on every bill.

Switching is more straightforward than most people expect, but it follows a different path to changing providers at home. We pull live quotes from across the UK market so you can see what’s available for your site. You pick the contract that suits your business. We handle the rest, working with the new supplier and the old one to move your account across without any break in supply.

Most businesses find the process takes two to six weeks depending on notice periods and contract terms. Starting three to six months before your contract ends gives you time to compare options without landing on out-of-contract rates.

No. Your gas and electricity keep flowing through the same pipes and wires. Meters stay in place. The physical infrastructure doesn’t change at all. What changes is who sends the bill. You won’t notice the switch happening at the premises. The first real sign is a welcome email or letter from the new supplier and then a final bill from the old one.

Most switches complete in two to six weeks. The exact timing depends on your current contract’s notice period, when your supplier releases the meter data, and how quickly you return any paperwork. Starting early is the biggest thing that keeps a switch on schedule. Leaving it to the final weeks of a contract is the main reason businesses land on out-of-contract rates while paperwork catches up.

A letter of authority is a short document that gives us permission to approach suppliers on your behalf, request live quotes for your site, and manage the switch. It doesn’t commit you to anything. You still choose the contract yourself. Without an LOA, suppliers won’t share tailored pricing because they can’t verify we’re authorised to act for your business. See our guide on the business energy letter of authority for the full detail.

Electricity, gas, water and waste, plus for many businesses card payments. The first four are contracts with end dates that need managing. The difference from domestic is that each one is negotiated per site rather than picked from a published price list.

Because renewal offers to loyal customers routinely sit above what the same supplier quotes new business. Switching, or credibly being able to, is what keeps your rates near the market. The switch itself is paperwork. The saving is decided by when and how you compare.

It depends entirely on where you’re starting from. A business sitting on out-of-contract or long-rolled-over rates can save materially; one that compared last year may find its current deal still stands up. We quote the saving we can evidence against your actual renewal offer, not a headline percentage.

Same pipes and same wholesaler regardless of who bills you. Since the market opened, the retail layer is competitive and negotiable, and it behaves differently from energy, so we’ve covered it properly on our business water page.

On annual cost, not unit rate. Take your consumption from the last twelve months and run it against each quote’s unit rate and standing charge, then add the Climate Change Levy and VAT. Check the contract length, the notice period and whether the price is fixed or passes wholesale movements through. A quote that looks sharp on pence per kWh can lose on the standing charge over a year.

No. Switching electricity, gas or water is an administrative transfer between suppliers. The cables, pipes and meters stay exactly where they are and nobody needs to visit. The only thing that changes is who sends the bill. If a switch is rejected, usually because notice wasn’t served correctly, you simply stay with your current supplier until it’s resolved.

Keep one list of every meter with its supplier, contract end date and notice window. Validate bills against the contract each month, because errors are common and refundable. Start the renewal tender well ahead of the termination window rather than in the last fortnight. If you’d rather not run that yourself, it’s exactly what our managed service does, and for a group of premises our multi-site business energy page explains the portfolio approach.