With access to the world’s largest natural gas reserves, Russian state-owned Gazprom services roughly 40% of Europe’s gas needs. In 2006 the energy giant began operations in the UK and Gazprom Energy today supplies commercial gas and electricity to over 20,000 businesses across the UK and Europe, with customers including McDonalds, Siemens and Chelsea Football Club.
About Gazprom Energy
Gazprom Market & Trading (GM&T) first entered the UK energy market with its 2006 buyout of Wiltshire-based Pennine Natural Gas, a relatively small gas distribution business with around 600 customers made up of small industrial customers and retailers, rebranding it as Gazprom Energy.
The commercial energy supplier has experienced significant growth in the UK market in the intervening years and is now the leading supplier of gas to businesses on these shores.
With more than 350 employees based in Manchester, France and the Netherlands, Gazprom Energy provides gas and electricity to companies in a range of different sectors, from industrial manufacturing and retail to education and healthcare services.
Read on for our complete guide to the energy titan’s operations in the UK, from Gazprom Energy reviews to tariff prices, contact details and login help.
Tariffs and Prices
Gazprom supplies both electricity and gas, either on fixed or variable plans. As a commercial energy provider, all contracts are subject to the Climate Change Levy (CCL).
Shield: fixed gas and electricity contracts
Shield is Gazprom Energy’s fixed-price gas and electricity contract, aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to protect them against market fluctuations.
Shield fixed-price contracts can be set between one to three and a half years for electricity and up to five years for gas. As a fixed plan, the cost of energy stays the same for the duration of the contract, allowing your business to budget and pay the same, even if the market price changes.
True: pass-through gas and electricity contracts
True is Gazprom’s energy plan for larger enterprises. As a variable tariff, the cost of energy can change over time as the wholesale market price fluctuates. This is passed on to the customer through bi-annual rate adjustments.
A variable energy plan allows your business to benefit from reductions in wholesale energy costs. However, as this price can also increase, it means keeping a keen eye on the wholesale market, to see if you may benefit from switching if your supplier increases its prices.
Contracts on the True plan are available from between one and three and a half years for electricity and from one to five years for gas.
Auto-rollover contractsOnce your contract comes to an end, Gazprom will put your business on an automatic fixed-term plan for the next twelve months, usually priced at a much higher rate. You can avoid this by letting the supplier know 30 days prior to the end of your contract your intention to renew or switch commercial energy provider
Flexible Purchasing
Aimed at enterprises which use more than 10GwH of gas or at least 100 GWh of electricity per year with their own dedicated energy manager or procurement team, Gazprom Energy’s flexible purchasing contracts allow the customer to choose when and how much energy to purchase.
This enables businesses to potentially average a lower price by watching the markets and completing informed energy purchases multiple times throughout the duration of the contract.
Businesses on Flexible Purchasing contracts can also benefit from Gazprom Energy’s InSight online portal. This tool gives the customer 24/7 access to their energy portfolio, as well as key market reports.
Out of contract rates
Once a Gazprom Energy business contract comes to an end and no new agreement or alternative energy supplier has been put in place, customers are automatically placed on default rates for their gas and electricity. This rate includes a daily standing charge, unit rate and also a capacity charge for half-hourly electricity customers.
Out of contract rates are usually far more costly than on any other flexible or fixed plan, therefore your business should try to set up a new contract with Gazprom Energy or switch supplier as soon as possible if you find yourself in this situation.
Deemed tariff rates
Deemed rates are charged for businesses moving into property already supplied by Gazprom Energy, but without a contract agreement in place yet. These rates apply until either a plan is agreed on or the business switches supplier.
Much like its out of contract rates, Gazprom Energy’s deemed tariff prices are priced much higher than any of its fixed or variable price plans. Therefore it’s wise to commit to a new energy plan to avoid paying far over the odds for gas and electricity supply.
Login
Your Gazprom Energy login allows you to view bills, make payments and submit meter readings if your business does not have a smart meter or automated meter reading (AMR) device installed.
Submitting your own readings, rather than relying on estimated bills, provides a far more accurate account of how much energy you use. This also means your business is able to forecast and budget more accurately, avoiding the possibility of having to play catch-up if a bill has been underestimated.
When your business signs up with Gazprom Energy you’ll receive a welcome pack with your account number and finance references. You can then use these details to sign up for the My Gazprom Energy portal.
I forgot my Gazprom Energy login
We all forget things from time to time. If you’ve misplaced or forgotten your Gazprom Energy login or password, simply click the ‘forgotten password’ text on the My Gazprom Energy login page.
From there, enter your registered email address and you’ll soon receive an email with instructions on how to reset your password.
Other services
In addition to supplying gas and electricity, Gazprom Energy offers a number of different services and products, from smart meter installations to carbon management.
1. Smart meters
Gazprom Energy is promoting and installing smart meters for microbusinesses as part of the government’s rollout, with most UK commercial and domestic customers to be offered one by their supplier by 2024.
Whether you’re already a customer or signing up with Gazprom for the first time, you can request a smart meter to be installed for free for both your commercial gas and electricity supplies.
- Is my company a ‘microbusiness’?
- Gazprom considers an enterprise a microbusiness if it:
- Consumes less than 293,071 kWh of gas annually
- Uses less than 100,000 kWh of electricity annually
- Employs fewer than 10 people
- Has an annual turnover - or annual balance sheet total - of no more than €2 million
Smart meters automatically send meter readings directly to your supplier, eliminating the need to estimate bills based on your previous energy consumption and charging your business for its actual usage.
Smart meters can also help your business reduce its energy usage by displaying near to real-time data that you and your staff can then take action on.
If you prefer not to have a smart meter installed when your business signs up with Gazprom Energy, you can opt-out by contacting Gazprom Energy directly.
2. Automated meter reading devices
Automated meter reading (AMR) devices are available to larger business customers in place of smart meters, which are only being offered for microbusinesses at present. All gas customers and half-hourly electric customers are eligible to receive an AMR when they sign up.
AMR devices offer many of the same benefits as smart meters, with automatic readings based on your actual energy consumption sent directly to Gazprom Energy from an AMR Provider.
Do I need to install anything to enable automated meter readings?
For automated meter readings to be enabled, your business premises will need to install either a data logger for gas or an advanced meter for electricity. Once this is done, as well as being able to automatically submit readings, you’ll have access to meter read data on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
3. Eco Gas
If your business is looking to cut its environmental impact, Gazprom Energy offers biomethane or ‘green gas’ produced from organic materials through its Eco Gas service.
Gazprom Energy uses traceable Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin (RGGO) certificates issued through the Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) to prove that a percentage of this energy has been generated through responsible means, while offsetting the rest.
RGGOs contain a reference number and pin which stores information about where, when and how each kWh of gas was produced.
4. Carbon management
Gazprom Energy’s carbon management scheme gives businesses another way to reduce their footprint through carbon trading and offsetting, in addition to its carbon-neutral gas.
Carbon trading
Gazprom offers carbon credit trading through the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. This allows businesses to buy credits if they need to produce more carbon emissions than allocated under the Kyoto Protocol.
Carbon offsetting
Another way Gazprom enables businesses to balance out their carbon emissions is through offsetting programs. The supplier’s carbon team helps customers work out their carbon footprint and offers carbon offset certificates to this value.
These offsets then contribute to global sustainable development programs under verification standards such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
Fuel Mix
(UK average = coal 5%, natural gas 41%, nuclear 19%, renewables 33%, other fuels 2%.)
Environmental impact
CO2 emissions: 325.43g/kWh (UK average = 208.88g/kWh)
High-level radioactive waste: 0.00127g/kWh (UK average = 0.00131g/kWh)
Under Ofgem regulations, all energy companies are required to submit and make public a full disclosure of where their energy is sourced from, as well as their environmental impact.
As we can see, Gazprom Energy is unsurprisingly heavily reliant on natural gas to generate its electricity. The supplier also burns almost twice as much coal as the UK average, while making a lot less use of renewable sources than other commercial suppliers.
Although Gazprom does offer ‘eco gas’, much of this is offset, rather than produced by truly green means. Therefore, it may be worth looking elsewhere if your business is aiming to boost its green credentials.
Review and verdict
Gazprom Energy reviews on consumer platforms are varied, with much of the praise focused on the speed, friendliness and efficiency of its customer service team and also its additional services, such as automated meter readings.
On the other hand, we found a number of users disappointed by miscalculated bills and unexplained charges. We also saw reports of issues arising when businesses moved property, with much of the criticism focused on accumulated deemed standing charges and difficulty in switching away from Gazprom Energy.
In summary
Experience of providing business energy to enterprises across Europe. | Reports of incorrect invoices and difficulties switching from deemed rates. |
Extensive portfolio of additional services. | Not the greenest choice for businesses and unclear which projects carbon offsets aid. |
Contact Gazprom Energy
Gazprom Energy has recently scored highly when it comes to customer service, winning Frontline Team of the Year at 2019’s North West Contact Centre awards. There are a number of ways to get in touch, whether you’re already a customer, thinking of signing up with the provider or you run a business that has just moved into premises already supplied by Gazprom Energy.
I’m already a customer
If you’re already a paid-up Gazprom Energy customer, you can give its customer service team a call on 0161 837 3395. This number should be your first port of call for everything from changing your direct debit details and submitting meter readings to making complaints and terminating your Gazprom Energy contract.
I’m not a Gazprom customer
If you’re shopping around for the right supplier for your business and would like more information about Gazprom Energy, you can contact its Manchester-based general enquiries team on 0333 443 2569. This is a landline rate number, so shouldn’t cost much more than a local call.
Prefer to compare multiple business energy suppliers with just one phone call? Why not give one of our energy experts a ring on 020 3318 3633 or get a free personalised quote and start saving now!
I am an energy broker
If you’re working on behalf of a business as an energy broker and would like information about billing and payments, energy prices, meter readings or anything else concerning your client’s energy supply, you should call 0161 837 3395 and ask to be directed to the relevant department.
Moving business premises
Whether you’re a customer moving out or a business that has recently acquired premises already supplied by Gazprom Energy, you’ll need to make the provider aware of your plans.
Moving out with Gazprom Energy
If your business is planning to move out of premises where Gazprom has been your energy provider, you’ll need to get in touch with the supplier by filling out a change of tenancy (COT) form and sending it to [email protected].
This form is available from the Gazprom Energy website and can take some time to process, so the supplier recommends submitting it at least 30 days in advance. In addition to the COT form, you will need to send a copy of one of the following:
- Solicitor’s letter confirming details of the change in tenancy
- Certified lease or tenancy agreement
- Final council invoice
- Land Registry title form TR1
Your business will remain responsible for all energy costs to the premises until this process has been completed.
Moving in to premises already supplied by Gazprom Energy
If you are moving a business on to a site where Gazprom is the incumbent energy supplier, you will immediately be placed on a deemed contract. As these are by far the highest rates the provider offers, you have the choice to either negotiate a new plan with the provider or transfer to an alternative supplier.
Should you wish to carry on receiving gas and electricity from Gazprom Energy, you should fill out a COT form and provide a copy of one of the following by email to [email protected] as soon as possible:
- Solicitor’s letter confirming details of the change in tenancy
- Certified lease or tenancy agreement
- Council business rates
- Land Registry title form TR1
Gazprom Energy complaints
Having issues with Gazprom as your business energy supplier? If you’d like to make a formal complaint, you should follow these steps:
- Contact Gazprom Energy directly using one of the following methods:
- Phone: 0161 837 3395
- Email: [email protected]
- Post: Gazprom Energy, 5th Floor, 8 First Street, Manchester, M15 4RP
Suppliers aim to resolve complaints immediately, but in case they can’t, their customer service team issues a reference number that can be used to track and follow up on your issue.
- If a complaint is still unresolved after four weeks, customers will be put in touch with a member of the Gazprom Energy management team, who will continue to try to come to a sufficient outcome for both parties.
- If eight weeks elapse without a satisfactory agreement, Gazprom Energy will issue a ‘deadlock letter’, with its final offer. If you still do not agree with its decision, you can then escalate the complaint. Microbusinesses can write to the Energy Ombudsman, an independent body which will work with both parties to come to a resolution, while larger businesses are free to take their own legal action as they see fit.
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 the Energy Ombudsman by post
If you would rather submit your complaint to the Ombudsman by mail, you can write to:
Ombudsman Services: Energy
PO Box 966
Warrington WA4 9DF
Don’t forget to include evidence supporting your complaint, along with any relevant correspondence between yourself and Gazprom Energy.
Contact Gazprom Energy by mail
Should you wish to contact Gazprom by writing, you can address your letter to:
Gazprom Energy
5th Floor
8 First Street
Manchester, M15 4RP
Social media
As expected of any large supplier in this day and age, Gazprom Energy can be found in all the usual places on social media. The provider is active on both its Facebook and Twitter accounts and also offers handy instructional videos for customers on its YouTube page.
If you’re interested in working for Gazprom Energy, you can keep abreast of its latest job vacancies on the careers section of its LinkedIn page.
All contact information
Department | Phone number(s) | |
---|---|---|
Customer service | 0161 837 3395 | [email protected] |
Site services team (meters and connections) | 0161 837 3371 | [email protected] |
Moving premises | 0161 837 3390 | [email protected] |
General enquiries | 0333 443 2569
0161 814 9896 |
[email protected] |
Gazprom Energy Complaints | 0161 837 3395 | [email protected] |
Media enquiries | 0161 837 3370 | |
Gas emergencies | 0800 111 999 | |
Electrical emergencies and power cuts | 105 |