Business Energy Suppliers



















The easiest way to save money on your business energy bills is to compare quotes and switch to a better offer. Read on to discover how to start cutting business energy costs today!
We understand that comparing business energy prices can be rather time-consuming. Electricity and gas tariffs for businesses work differently to those for domestic energy. Different types of meters, higher consumption and more complex pricing mean that it can sometimes be confusing just to know where to start when looking for a personalised business energy quote.
Does this sound like too much of a hassle? Don’t turn away just yet. The amount of money that your business can save by switching to a better deal far outweighs the time and effort involved in a comparison.
Small businesses can easily save hundreds and sometimes even thousands of pounds a year on business energy bills just by switching to cheaper gas and electricity plans.
Between utilities, rent and taxes, you’ve already got enough expenses. Why not cut your business energy costs so that you can have more money to go towards the things that really matter?
Read on to learn about comparing business energy prices in your area. You can also give us a call here at Selectra on 020 3318 3633 or get an online comparison. That way, you’ll only need to make one phone call instead of having to contact numerous business energy suppliers to compare.
No matter whether you own a salon, a restaurant or a shop, we can help you find the best deal for your business, regardless of its energy demands.
Before you start, it’s important you understand that business energy plans are much more complex than with domestic properties. Business energy suppliers don’t offer dual fuel tariffs, so business gas and electricity must be compared separately. Pricing can also significantly vary depending on the following factors:
We can start a business energy quote with just your business' name and address. However, to get the most acurate business energy comparison you should try and gather the following information, which can all be easily found on your bill:
To compare business energy prices, you should use your own consumption levels in order to get an accurate quote. You can find this information on any bill or renewal letter from your current supplier.
To give you an idea of how much electricity and gas your business consumes, refer to the table below.
Type of business | Number of employees | Turnover | Average annual electricity usage | Average annual gas usage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Microbusiness | Less than 10 | Less than £1,400,000 | 5,000 - 15,000 kWh | 5,000 - 15,000 kWh |
Small business | 11 to 50 | Between £1,400,000 and £7,000,000 | 15,000 - 25,000 kWh | 15,000 - 30,000 kWh |
Medium business | 51 to 250 | Between £7,000,000 and £31,000,000 | 25,000 - 50,000 kWh | 30,000 - 65,000 kWh |
If you are currently in a contract, you will not be able to switch to a new deal until your current one comes to an end. However, it is possible to sign contracts in advance in order to take advantage of the current offers - you just won’t be able to switch quite yet.
Contracts usually have a renewal period during the last one to six months. During this time, you are able to compare business energy tariffs and switch to a better deal, even if the contract has not expired completely.
If you have never compared business energy deals before, you may not even have a contract and could be on what’s called a deemed tariff by default. According to Ofgem, deemed tariff rates could cost you up to 80% more than those on a contract.
The only way to avoid these expensive rates is to sign up for a new deal. The easiest way to get a new contract at the best price is to contact us here at Selectra on 020 3318 3633 or get an online quote. We can help you find the best offer to meet the unique demands of your business.
You’ll want to compare quotes against your current business energy rates to see just how much you’ll save by switching.
Your rates are broken down into two separate costs: unit rates and standing charges. You’ll have different rates for your business gas and electric. The unit rate is what you pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy that you consume, while the standing charge is the price you pay per day just to remain connected to the supply.
On top of this, most businesses will also have to pay 20% VAT. However, if you run a microbusiness, a charity or a non-profit organisation, you may qualify to pay just 5% VAT. To see if you could benefit, you should ask your provider for a VAT declaration form.
Can I get a dual fuel business energy tariff? Keep in mind that business energy suppliers do not offer single plans that cover both gas and electricity. Even if you register both fuels with the same supplier, they will still come under two separate contracts.
The table below breaks down the average electricity rates for businesses. Generally speaking, the more energy your business consumes, the lower the cost per unit.
Type of business | Average electricity unit rate | Average electricity standing charge | Average electricity annual spend |
---|---|---|---|
Micro business | 16.6p - 18p per kWh | 25p - 32.5p per day | £1,834 |
Small business | 16.2p - 17.7p per kWh | 25p - 34.5p per day | £3,468 |
Medium business | 16p - 17p per kWh | 25p - 33.8p per day | £6,705 |
To give you a clearer idea of how much you could save by comparing business energy quotes, take a look at the following table to see the average electricity rates paid by other businesses in your sector.
Business type | Unit rate (per kWh) | Standing charge (daily) | Cost per year |
---|---|---|---|
Coffee Shop | 13.42p | 26.70p | £2,109 |
Dental Surgery | 13.84p | 27.61p | £2,176 |
Hair Salon | 13.88p | 27.23p | £2,182 |
Newsagent | 14.51p | 24.28p | £1,830 |
Restaurant | 14.87p | 25.46p | £3,067 |
Small Farm | 14.19p | 24.21p | £2,218 |
In the following table, you will find the average gas prices for businesses, which tend to be around 3-4 times cheaper than business electricity rates. Gas meters record how much gas has been used in cubic feet (ft3) or cubic meters (m3), despite the fact that customers are billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh). For the most accurate business energy comparison, find out how to convert gas units to kWh.
Type of business | Average gas unit rate | Average gas standing charge | Average gas annual spend |
---|---|---|---|
Micro business | 3.9p - 4.5p per kWh | 25p - 37p per day | £530 |
Small business | 3.8p - 4.5p per kWh | 25p - 45p per day | £1,150 |
Medium business | 3.4p - 4.2p per kWh | 25p - 61p per day | £1,860 |
To help you compare business energy suppliers, check out our business supplier guide, or have a look at the following individual pages on popular providers and learn more about what they have to offer.
Now that you’ve gathered the details about your contract and your business gas and electricity consumption, it’s time to get some quotes and start comparing! You can either contact suppliers directly or use a business energy comparison service, like us here at Selectra.
Even if you’d like to stay with your current business energy supplier, we can still help you switch to a more cost-effective plan with the same company. Give us a call at Selectra on 020 3318 3633 or get an online quote for free today!
Try and have the following details to hand when you call:
Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the above details about your business. We can still get a quote started with just your postcode.
It’s important to remember that once you agree to a business energy contract, you will not be able to switch to a different offer until the contract comes to an end. This is why it’s so critical to get it right the first time around.
Getting it right doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing to the cheapest offer either. You want to make sure that your business energy supplier is reliable and provides high-quality customer support as well.
We advise doing some research and checking out customer reviews to make sure you choose the best option for your business. If a problem arises, you’ll want to know that you’ve got a supplier you can trust to answer the phone and offer support.
With so much at stake, it may be best to seek professional assistance when looking for a new business energy contract. Why not give us a call today on 020 3318 3633 or get a free online quote now. You could just end up saving hundreds - or even thousands - on your business costs!
Are there more ways to cut my energy costs? Besides just switching to a cheaper energy plan, you can also decrease your business energy costs by reducing your consumption. Learn how to save even more with our guide on the best ways to cut back on your energy use at the office.
The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.