As the largest and most recognisable commercial energy supplier on these shores, British Gas Business supplies around half a million enterprises with gas and electricity services. Does big mean better? Dig in for our in-depth look at British Gas Business to see if it’s the right energy supplier for your organisation.

About British Gas Business

Owned by Centrica plc, British Gas is by far the largest of the Big Six energy suppliers in the UK, supplying energy to around 12 million homes. As a commercial energy provider, it creates tailor-made tariffs to suit your organisation, whether that’s a multinational corporation or a small, family-owned local business.

As well as offering energy plans, British Gas Business can also assist with making your company more energy-efficient through smart metering, commercial air conditioning and boiler installation and repairs.

If your company is moving into new premises without an energy supply, British Gas will design and manage the infrastructure you require, promising to arrange to install a meter within 7 days and get your energy connection up and running in 8 weeks.

Tariffs and prices

Business energy prices are not calculated the same way as domestic tariffs, as they are tailored to suit the size of the business and its energy consumption. Business electricity rates are generally cheaper than their domestic equivalent, though most business customers pay a higher rate of VAT - typically 20% instead of 5% for domestic customers. Businesses are also required to pay the Climate Change Levy, which currently stands at 0.847p/kWH for electricity.

What types of tariffs are available for businesses?

There are a range of options for British Gas Business customers, with fixed-price contracts of up to three years to help make budgeting easier and flexible, rolling contracts, giving your business more control over energy purchasing decisions.

Fixed-price energy plans

With a British Gas Business fixed-price energy plan, your unit rate stays the same for the duration of your contract, whether that’s one, two or three years. As prices are fixed for the duration of the contract, you won’t see a rise or fall in the rates you pay.

What’s a ‘unit rate’?The unit rate is the price you pay for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity. With a variable tariff, this will change over time, while with a fixed plan you pay the same throughout the duration of your contract.

When your British Gas Business fixed-price plan is nearly up, the supplier will write to you with a renewal quote around 60 days before the contracted end date. This offer is valid for 30 days. If you do not respond, British Gas Business will automatically place you on one of its variable price plans.

30 Day Rolling Energy Plan

Magnifying glass and energy bill

If you’d rather not be tied down to a long-term contract, you can sign up for British Gas Business’ 30-day rolling energy plan. On this plan, unit rates and standing charges can fluctuate on a monthly basis, so you won’t necessarily pay the same for your energy from one month to another. However, British Gas Business promises to inform customers 30 days in advance of price changes.

The 30-day rolling plan is only open to new British Gas Business customers and not those that are renewing their contract. For existing customers who don’t want a fixed-rate contract, the variable price plan is available.

Deemed rate tariff

The deemed rate is the default rate when you move your business into premises that are already supplied by British Gas Business. These rates are usually a lot more expensive than any other business energy plan and will fluctuate depending on wholesale market changes, so we recommend switching to a new energy plan as soon as possible if you find yourself in this situation.

British Gas business electricity deemed contract rates
Meter profile class Standing charge Unit rate
01 - 04 86.24p per day 24.48p per kWh
05 - 08 and half-hourly whole current meters 119.21p per day 23.99p per kWh

Prices correct as of July 2021. Rates in the table above exclude Climate Change Levy, VAT and any other applicable taxes.

 

British Gas business gas deemed contract rates
Meter type Standing charge Unit rate
Small non-daily meter 153.58p per day 5.48p per kWh
Large non-daily meter 638.73p per day 5.02p per kWh
Daily meter 38,013.82p per day 3.33p per kWh

Prices correct as of July 2021. Rates in the table above exclude Climate Change Levy, VAT and any other applicable taxes.

British Gas Business standard variable rates tariff

Once your British Gas Business contract comes to an end, you will be placed on a variable rate plan until you contact the supplier to either terminate your energy supply or set up a new plan. Again, these are among the most expensive business rates available from British Gas.

British Gas Business Lite

British Gas Lite is the supplier’s fixed-price energy service for single-site small businesses. Prices are kept low by the service being entirely paperless, with all energy consumption monitored online.

Large Business Energy/Industrial & Commercial

If your business spends more than £100,000 per year on energy, you should look into British Gas Industrial & Commercial tariffs. Plans are available on fixed-price contracts of between one and five years and there are also renewable electricity options too.

Login

Laptop

Registering for your British Gas business energy online account is simple and comes with a host of benefits, from setting up paperless bills and statements to submitting meter readings and arranging Direct Debit payments.

The British Gas Business login portal can be accessed through either the desktop version on your computer or laptop, or as a mobile app in the App Store and Google Play.

To activate your British Gas Business login, you’ll need to go to the British Gas Business website and provide the following information, which you’ll be able to find on a recent bill:

  • Email address
  • Account number
  • Site postcode
  • Payment details

Once signed up, you’ll be sent emails whenever your monthly meter reading is due or your bill is ready and you’ll also be able to make safe online payments using WorldPay.

Energy360 login

If your organisation spends more than £100,000 per year on energy, British Gas Business also offers Energy360, an energy management platform to help you understand and manage your company’s gas and electricity consumption.

The Energy360 dashboard gives access to comprehensive 30-minute interval consumption data and reports at meter, building, site or business level. For more information and to get a quote, you can call the Energy360 helpline on 0333 122 9919 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm).

British Gas Business tariffs 2021
Tariff Fixed price for Features
Fixed Price Energy Plan 1, 2 or 3 years • Fixed price, which won’t change throughout the duration of your contract.
• Unit rate not affected by energy market fluctuations.
30-Day Rolling Energy Plan 30 days • Flexibility of not being tied down to long-term contract.
• Energy prices can go up, as well as down from month to month.
• Option to upgrade to fixed-price plan or switch suppliers with 30 days notice.

Extra services and products

1. Smart meters: no more estimated bills

As part of its commitment to smart energy, British Gas Business will install smart meters for your business free of charge, whether you’re signing up for the first time or already a customer.

Your new smart meter sends readings directly to the supplier, rather than billing you for an estimate of how much energy you’ve used. This way you’ll receive accurate bills and be able to keep an eye on your energy consumption.

Appointments to upgrade to a British Gas Business smart meter can be made between Monday and Friday from 8am until 6pm. Once you’ve confirmed your details, you’ll be given a four-hour appointment window for a technician to visit. Installation takes around an hour, during which the power will be down for around 40 minutes, so make sure to prepare for this in advance!

Once your smart meter is installed, the technician will talk you through how the device works and help you to understand its display. You can also link your smart meters to the British Gas Business app, which allows you to view your energy consumption in real-time, no matter where you are.

2. Commercial Energy Insight

Commercial Energy Insight is a wireless energy monitoring system from British Gas Business’ sister company, Centrica Business Solutions, to give a clearer picture of exactly how much energy you use - or waste - and see where you can cut down.

Aimed at large businesses with multiple sites, Energy Insight uses wireless sensors attached to each device on site, sending a real-time energy breakdown to the cloud every 30 seconds, which you can view through the online portal on a computer, smartphone or tablet. For more information and to arrange a quote, call Centrica Business Solutions on 0330 029 9762 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm).

3. Hive Hub

Hive is another Centrica-owned brand, which produces smart products such as light bulbs, thermostats, smart plugs and motion sensors. As a British Gas Business customer, you can benefit from the Hive Hub, which connects all of your Hive products together so you can control your business wherever you are, using the dedicated app on your phone, tablet or laptop.

4. Feed-in Tariffs (FiT)

Government-backed feed-in tariffs allow your business to sell back into the market any extra renewable or low-carbon electricity you generate on-site. Also known as the Clean Energy Feedback scheme, the British Gas Business feed-in tariff compensates the user quarterly for every kWh of electricity generated from renewable or low-carbon sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV).

The Feed-in tariff scheme closed to new applicants on 1st April 2019. Those who had registered by this date should have had their application processed by 31st March 2020 at the latest.

5. Smart Export Guarantee

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a government-backed export tariff for businesses that have renewable or low carbon energy-producing technology and a smart meter (or at least a meter that can record export readings half-hourly) installed. For new British Gas Business customers, the SEG will replace the export part of the feed-in tariff, which closed to new applicants on 1st April 2019.

British Gas Business has an SEG plan called Export and Earn Flex. This is a variable tariff, with no fixed end date or exit fee, but the price of energy can go up as well as down. Once signed up, the supplier will pay you 1.5p for every kWh of electricity exported to the grid. Payments are made by cheque once every six months.

6. Charge points for company EVs

If you have electric-powered company vehicles, British Gas Business can install and service EV charge points on site. Of course, if you’re charging electric vehicles at your business, this will increase your electricity bill, so British Gas Business will tailor an EV tariff to suit your needs.

7. Commercial gas boilers

British Gas Business can install, repair and service your business' boiler, with two years interest-free credit offered if you’re purchasing a new commercial boiler.

New Commercial Boiler installations

British Gas Business installs commercial boilers for companies of all shapes and sizes, from small business premises to larger industrial installations.

The supplier offers monthly payments on finance with two years interest-free credit, even if you’re not a British Gas customer or longer-term finance of between three and five years with 7.9% representative APR.

To arrange a free 90-minute site visit from a Gas Safe registered engineer and get a quote, you can call 0333 220 1362 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.

One-off boiler repairs

British Gas Business will repair and service almost every type of commercial gas boiler, even if you’re not a British Gas Business customer. One-off repairs are charged on a time basis, starting at £125 for the first hour and then £100 for every additional hour it takes to service your company’s boiler. You’ll also have to pay for any parts required.

British Gas Business Care

If you sign up for Business Care Plus, British Gas will charge a fixed price of £99 for boiler repair and unlimited care including parts, along with 12 monthly payments of £38. In addition to this, among other benefits, you also get:

  • Guaranteed response within 24 hours
  • Unlimited future repairs to your gas boiler with all parts and labour included
  • Next annual boiler service included
  • Accidental damage cover
  • 12-month guarantee

British Gas Business will service nearly every type of commercial gas boiler, but does not currently offer repairs for oil boilers, electric boilers or solid fuel boilers.

8. Commercial plumbing and drainage care

British Gas Business also offers plumbing and drainage system cover through its partner company, Dyno Commercial. From £4 a month you can have access to over 1,000 commercial plumbing and drainage engineers across the country.

All Dyno plumbers are CRB-checked and carry spare parts and taps, meaning that any issue is usually dealt with on the spot. Parts and labour costs up to £1,000 (minus VAT) are included in the cover plan.

9. Commercial air conditioning

Finally, if your business is based in Greater Manchester, Merseyside or Lancashire, British Gas Business can install, maintain and service your office air conditioning units.

Commercial air conditioning installation

If your organisation is looking to install new air conditioning units, you can call the British Gas Business air conditioning installation team on 0330 162 3850 (Mon-Fri, 8am - 5pm) to arrange a free site visit and no-obligation quote. The supplier offers the following benefits for customers installing their air conditioning with British Gas Business:

  • Two years interest-free credit
  • Up to seven years warranty
  • Installation by certified F-Gas engineer

Commercial air conditioning maintenance and repairs

If your business already owns air conditioning units, British Gas Business offers a maintenance and repairs package from £15 a month, with all parts, labour and repairs by an F-gas certified engineer included. If you are only interested in a one-off repair, these start at £125. To find out more and to get a quote, call the British Gas Business air conditioning maintenance team on 0330 162 4649 (Mon-Thurs 8.45am-6pm, Fri 8.45am-5pm).

British Gas Business customers are not eligible for British Gas Rewards. You must be a domestic energy customer or have a HomeCare product in order to receive Rewards.

Fuel Mix

(UK average = coal 5%, natural gas 41%, nuclear 19%, renewables 33%, other fuels 2%.)

British Gas Business environmental impact

CO2 emissions: 157g/kWh (UK average = 208g/kWh)
High-level radioactive waste: 0.0006g/kWh (UK average = 0.0013g/kWh)

In comparison to the UK average of 33%, British Gas Business’ fuel mix contains a relatively high percentage of renewable sources, though you can still find smaller business providers that will supply 100% green electricity as standard, such as Good Energy and Pozitive Energy.

British Gas does offer its own renewable electricity tariff for businesses, but this is priced at the higher end and may not be the best value for money if your business is trying to make the transition to green energy. For this reason, we recommend the environmentally-conscious customer shop around.

Review and verdict

In summary

Perhaps surprisingly for one of the larger providers, and in contrast to its domestic arm, British Gas is rated highly by its business customers, with a large proportion of reviews giving it positive write ups on consumer websites such as Which and Trustpilot for its customer service, insurance packages and mobile apps. However, many were also disappointed by long waits for service and repairs, and at how expensive its services are compared to many other providers.

British Gas Business in summary
Extensive insurance and boiler breakdown cover packages available. Often more expensive than other providers, particularly with recent price hikes.
Intuitive and comprehensive apps, covering energy use down to the smallest detail. Reports of long waits for site visits and servicing.
100% renewable electricity tariff available. Cheaper green options to be found elsewhere.

The verdict

One of the main reasons British Gas Business has such a high market share is because it is already the incumbent supplier when a business takes on a property. Although British Gas Business is the largest commercial supplier in the country, we would recommend you shop around with other providers, to see if you can find a better deal elsewhere. Speak to one of our energy experts on 020 3318 3633 or get a free personalised quote and see how much you could save today.

How can I contact British Gas Business?

British Gas Business, through its parent company Centrica, often scores highly at industry awards ceremonies for its customer service. If you’re looking to contact the provider, there are a myriad of phone numbers to take you directly to the right department, which we have outlined in the table below. You can also get in touch by email, social media, or webchat on the British Gas Business website.

If you’re not a British Gas Business customer

If you’re not a British Gas Business customer but would like to see what the provider can offer your business, you can contact its UK based call centre on 0333 060 8374 from Monday to Friday, 8am until 6pm. Calls may be recorded for training purposes.

If you’re an existing British Gas Business customer

The easiest way to manage your account is through the online portal using your British Gas Business login. However, should you need to speak to a real person, you can call the British Gas Business contact number for account enquiries on 0330 1000 222 from Monday to Friday, 9am until 6pm.

British Gas Business emergency contact numbersIf you find yourself in an emergency situation, your first port of call should not be British Gas Business, but rather one of the following emergency lines:
Gas Emergency: 0800 111 999 (freephone, lines open 24/7)
Electrical emergency or power cut: 105 (free to call from most landline and mobile numbers, lines open 24/7)

Telephone

If you’re looking to terminate your current contract with British Gas business, you’ll need to do so in writing at least 30 days before the fixed period ends. Otherwise, you’ll automatically be moved on to a variable price plan.

Such plans are usually a lot more expensive than fixed contracts, so why not give Selectra a call now to see if we can save you money on your business energy? Speak to one of our energy experts throughout the week from 8am until 8pm on 020 3318 3633 or get a free personalised quote any time.

British Gas complaints

If you’re a British Gas Business customer and have been unhappy with the service provided, you can follow the steps below to make a formal complaint.

Call the British Gas Business complaints team on 0333 414 6983 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm) for small and medium-sized enterprises or 0333 130 5715 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm) for industrial and commercial businesses. If your issue can’t be resolved straight away, you’ll be given a reference number for your complaint and will be kept updated on a regular basis. If you’re a microbusiness and have been unable to come to an agreement with British Gas within 8 weeks, the supplier will send you what is known as a ‘deadlock’ letter. Once in receipt of this, you can refer your British Gas complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. If you’re not a microbusiness, you should seek independent legal advice.

If you would prefer to submit your British Gas complaint in writing, you can do so at the following address:

Business Customer Relations Team
British Gas
Winnall Down
Alresford Road
Winchester SO21 1FP

blue telephone

Energy Ombudsman Contact Number
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
Telephone: 0330 440 1624
*Monday to Friday: 8.00am-8.00pm, Saturday: 8.00am-1.00pm
(Closed on bank holidays)

Contact British Gas Business by mail

You can contact British Gas Business by post at the following addresses.

For small and medium-sized enterprises:

Business Customer Services
British Gas
Winnall Down
Alresford Road
Winchester SO21 1FP

For industrial and commercial businesses:

Customer Care Team
British Gas
2600 John Smith Drive
Oxford Business Park
Oxford OX4 2JY

British Gas Business on social media

As well as having a (sporadically available) online chat facility to communicate with the supplier on its website, British Gas Business is also omnipresent on social media, with accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

All British Gas Business contact numbers

 
Department British Gas business contact number Opening hours
Account enquiries for customers 0330 1000 222 Mon-Fri 9am-6pm
General enquiries (non-customers) 0333 060 8374 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
Commercial Meter team 0333 130 6695 Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm
Feed-in tariff team 0333 202 8483 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Smart Export Guarantee team 0333 202 9483 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Commercial plumbing and drainage team 0333 060 3873 Mon-Thurs 8.15am-6pm, Fri 8.15am-5pm
Business Moving team 0333 130 9664 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
Commercial air conditioning repairs team 0330 162 4969 Mon-Thurs 8.45am-6pm, Fri 8.45am-5pm
Commercial air conditioning installation 0330 162 6087 Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm
Commercial boiler repairs (non-British Gas Business customers) 0330 134 1069 24/7
Inclusive Breakdown Care 0333 202 9844 24/7
Commercial boiler installations 0333 220 1362 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
British Gas Business Care 0333 130 7843 Mon-Thurs 8.30am-6pm, Fri 8.30am-5pm
Business Care, Careplan and one-off repair complaints 0330 134 1941 Mon-Sun 8am - 8pm
Boiler and central heating complaints 0333 414 4065 24/7
Commercial plumbing and drain services quote 0333 060 3873 Mon-Thurs 8.15am-6pm, Fri 8.15am-5pm
Dyno plumbing and drainage care 0333 202 9844 24/7
Energy360 0333 122 8105 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm