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Last updated October 2026.
My business gas contract is ending soon, what should I do?
Find the end date and the notice terms on your latest bill or contract, then get like-for-like quotes before the renewal letter arrives rather than after. Suppliers will price a new contract to start the day the current one ends, usually up to twelve months ahead, so the decision can be made on your timetable. If nothing is agreed by the end date you move to the supplier’s published out-of-contract rate, which is the most expensive way to buy gas and entirely within your control to avoid.
The timeline that works for most businesses: six months out, pull twelve months of consumption and note the end date; four months out, get quotes; three months out, decide and serve any notice the contract requires; one month out, confirm the new supplier has the registration in hand.
Do I need to give notice to end my business gas contract?
Only if the contract says so, and the rules depend on your size. A microbusiness (fewer than ten employees and turnover under €2 million, or up to 293,000 kWh of gas a year) cannot be asked for more than 30 days’ written notice, and since October 2022 most microbusiness fixed-term contracts need no notice at all to stop a rollover. Larger businesses can be asked for anything from 30 to 180 days, and missing the window can mean a rollover of up to twelve months on the supplier’s renewal price.
Deemed and out-of-contract arrangements need no notice: you can leave as soon as a new supplier is ready to take the meter. Check which applies to you before you assume you are stuck.
Want this priced for your meters?
Send us a recent bill and we will compare the suppliers on our panel on the same start date and term, and show you the annual cost of each option. No obligation.
What is the renewal letter and how should I read it?
Suppliers must send microbusinesses a renewal notice around 60 days before the end date showing the current rates, the proposed new rates, your annual consumption and what happens if you do nothing. Read it as a quote, not an instruction. The proposed rate is the supplier’s opening offer for a customer it expects to retain; it is often improved when the same supplier is asked to compete, and it is always worth setting against other suppliers on the same start date and term.
Check three things on the letter: that the annual quantity matches your real usage, that the end date matches your records, and whether the new standing charge has moved, because standing charges have carried most of the recent network cost increases.
How do I compare renewal offers for business gas?
- Same start date, same term. A quote for a contract starting in March is not comparable with one starting today, because the wholesale curve is different.
- Annual cost, not unit rate. Multiply the unit rate by your annual kWh and add the standing charge for the year. A lower unit rate with a higher standing charge can cost more on a low-usage meter.
- Check what is in the rate. Whether transportation charges are fixed in the price or passed through, and whether the CCL is shown separately.
- Check the terms. Notice period, AQ tolerance, deposit, early termination.
- Decide on certainty as well as price. A shorter term re-prices sooner; a longer one spreads this winter’s price across later seasons.
We run this across the suppliers on our panel from a single recent bill and show the annual cost of each option. How to compare business energy quotes explains the method in full.
What happens if my business gas contract expires without a renewal?
You stay connected and nothing changes at the meter, but the supplier moves you to its out-of-contract rate from the day after the end date. These rates are published by each supplier, are typically well above contracted prices, and can change with 30 days’ notice. You can leave at any time with no exit fee, so the fix is simply to agree a new contract, which takes four to eight weeks to register. Out-of-contract gas rates explains the mechanics and deemed contracts covers premises you have just moved into.
Should I renew my business gas contract early?
You can agree the next contract up to around twelve months ahead of the end date, and the new price starts only when the old contract finishes, so there is no overlap. Renewing early buys certainty and gives up flexibility; nobody can predict the market, and because gas is seasonal, a quote taken in spring for an autumn start is priced on a different curve from one taken in October. When to renew a business gas contract works through the timing with the market in view.
If the end date has already passed, the only wrong move is waiting: every month on out-of-contract rates costs more than the difference between any two fixed quotes.
Gas contract ending: your questions
How far in advance can I renew my business gas contract?
Most suppliers will price a new contract up to around twelve months before the current one ends, with the new rates starting the day after the existing contract finishes. There is no overlap and no double charging.
Do I need to give notice to leave my business gas supplier?
Only if your contract requires it. Microbusinesses cannot be asked for more than 30 days and many microbusiness contracts need no notice; larger customers can be asked for 30 to 180 days. Deemed and out-of-contract supplies need no notice at all.
What is a renewal letter for business gas?
A notice suppliers must send microbusinesses around 60 days before the end date showing current and proposed rates and your consumption. Treat it as an opening offer to compare, not as the only option.
What happens if I do nothing when my gas contract ends?
You move to the supplier’s published out-of-contract rate, which is considerably higher than contracted prices, until you agree a new contract. You can leave that arrangement at any time without a fee.
Can I switch business gas supplier while still in contract?
You cannot leave early without a termination fee, but you can agree the next contract now to start when the current one ends, and serve notice within the termination window if one applies.
How long does a business gas switch take?
Typically four to eight weeks from signing to the new supplier taking over the meter. Nothing physical happens at the site and supply is not interrupted.
Can someone compare gas renewal quotes for me?
Yes. Send us a recent bill and we price the meter across the suppliers on our panel on the same start date and term, show you the annual cost of each option, and handle the switch and the notice if you go ahead.
Want this priced for your meters?
Send us a recent bill and we will compare the suppliers on our panel on the same start date and term, and show you the annual cost of each option. No obligation.