Make Energy Costs Work Better for Your Business
Energy can be a major running cost for a business. However, business energy contracts can be more complicated than household tariffs.
Prices, contract lengths, standing charges and terms can all vary. In addition, the right option for one business may not suit another.
At Energility, we want to make business energy easier to compare and understand.
Whether you run a small shop, office, café, workshop, community organisation or growing company, comparing your options can help you understand what is available and make a more informed choice.
Coming Soon
Energility Business Energy Comparison
Our business energy comparison service is coming soon.
We are currently building Energility and creating high-quality content before our comparison services go live.
From January 2027, we plan to help businesses explore and compare energy options in one straightforward place.
In the meantime, you are welcome to use our free business energy advice, guidance and resources.
COMING JANUARY 2027
Compare. Understand. Choose.
Why Compare Business Energy?
Energy costs can affect your bottom line.
Therefore, getting the right contract can be an important part of controlling business costs.
However, business energy works differently from household energy in several ways.
For example, businesses are often offered contracts for a fixed period. Prices may also be based on the individual business, its energy use and the type of contract being offered.
As a result, it can be useful to compare your options before agreeing to a new deal.
Most importantly, comparison gives you a chance to look beyond the headline price and consider the whole contract.
What Will Energility Help You Compare?
When our business energy comparison service launches, we aim to make different options easier to understand.
Depending on the products available at the time, you may be able to compare areas such as:
Unit Rates
Your unit rate is the amount you pay for each unit of energy your business uses.
For electricity and gas, this is normally shown in pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
If your business uses a lot of energy, even a relatively small difference in the unit rate could affect your overall costs.
Therefore, it is an important figure to compare.
Standing Charges
The standing charge is normally a daily amount paid regardless of how much energy your business uses.
However, standing charges can vary between contracts.
So, it is important to consider them alongside the unit rate rather than looking at either figure on its own.
Contract Length
Business energy contracts may run for an agreed period.
A longer contract can provide greater certainty over some costs. On the other hand, it may mean committing to the deal for longer.
Therefore, think about how much flexibility your business may need before choosing.
Fixed and Variable Pricing
A fixed-price contract can provide more certainty because agreed rates are set for a period.
By contrast, some variable arrangements can change over time.
Neither option is automatically right for every business.
Instead, the best choice will depend on your needs, your attitude to changing prices and the terms available.
Contract Terms
Price is important, but so are the terms of the agreement.
For example, there may be rules around notice periods, renewals, ending the contract or changing supplier.
As a result, understanding the contract can be just as important as understanding the price.
Business Energy Is Different From Home Energy
It is easy to assume that switching business energy works in much the same way as switching at home.
However, there are some important differences.
Business energy contracts can be more tailored to the customer. In addition, businesses may agree to contracts for longer periods and may have different rules around renewal and cancellation.
VAT and other charges can also affect the final bill.
For these reasons, a business should take particular care before agreeing to a new energy contract.
Compare the price, but read the terms too.
What Information Might You Need?
Having a recent energy bill available can make comparison much easier.
Depending on your business and the type of quote, useful information may include:
- Business name
- Business address and postcode
- Current energy supplier
- Current tariff or contract
- Electricity use
- Gas use, if applicable
- Current unit rates
- Standing charges
- Contract end date
- Meter information
- Payment method
You may also need your MPAN for electricity or MPRN for gas.
These numbers identify the energy supply point for the property.
If you are unsure where to find them, Energility’s guides can help explain what they mean and where to look.
Understand How Much Energy Your Business Uses
Energy needs can vary enormously between businesses.
For example, a small office may mainly use energy for lighting, computers and heating. Meanwhile, a restaurant may also need large amounts of energy for cooking, refrigeration and hot water.
A workshop could have completely different needs again.
Therefore, understanding your actual energy use can make comparison more useful.
Where possible, check your annual electricity and gas consumption rather than relying only on how much you currently pay.
This matters because the amount on your bill can change even when your energy use remains similar.
Know When Your Contract Ends
Your contract end date is particularly important for business energy.
If you are already in a fixed contract, you may not be able to leave whenever you choose.
Therefore, check the terms before arranging another supply contract.
It is also useful to know when you can start exploring your next deal.
Planning ahead can give you more time to understand your options rather than making a rushed decision close to the end of your existing agreement.
Watch Out for Automatic or Default Arrangements
If a business energy contract ends without another agreement being put in place, the supply may move onto different rates or terms.
Depending on the circumstances, these may not provide the value you want.
Therefore, it is sensible to know when your current agreement ends and what will happen afterwards.
The exact rules and terms can vary. So, check the information provided by your supplier rather than making assumptions.
Moving Into Business Premises
Moving into new premises can create additional energy questions.
For example:
Who currently supplies the property?
What meter is installed?
What happens to the previous occupier’s contract?
When can you arrange your own energy contract?
You should normally take meter readings when you become responsible for the property.
If possible, take clear photographs too.
Then, contact the existing supplier and explain that you are the new occupier.
This helps establish when your responsibility for the energy supply began.
Don’t Compare Price Alone
A cheaper unit rate can look attractive.
However, it may not tell the whole story.
For example, a contract could have a lower unit rate but a higher standing charge. Alternatively, another deal may have different terms around contract length or leaving early.
Therefore, when comparing business energy, consider the wider picture.
Look at the unit rate, standing charge, contract length, terms and expected overall cost.
Then consider whether the contract suits the way your business operates.
Can Switching Business Energy Save Money?
Potentially, but there is no guarantee.
The savings available will depend on your existing contract, energy use and the offers available when you compare.
Sometimes changing supplier or contract may provide better value.
At other times, remaining with your current supplier may make more sense.
Therefore, Energility will not be built around the idea that everybody should switch.
Instead, the aim is to help you see your options and make an informed choice.
Reducing Business Energy Costs
Finding a competitive contract is only one way to reduce energy costs.
The amount of energy your business uses matters too.
Fortunately, some energy-saving measures can be simple.
For example, you may be able to improve heating controls, reduce energy use outside working hours or replace inefficient lighting.
Meanwhile, larger improvements could include better insulation, more efficient heating, solar panels or other building upgrades.
The right approach will depend on the property and the way your business operates.
Therefore, it makes sense to consider energy price and energy use together.
Understanding Your Business Energy Bill
Business energy bills can contain a lot of information.
At first, the figures and terms may seem difficult to follow.
However, understanding your bill can help you see where your money is going.
For example, your bill may show:
Energy use · Unit rates · Standing charges · VAT · Other charges · Contract information
Once you understand these areas, comparing another offer becomes much easier.
That is why Energility provides education alongside comparison.
Free Business Energy Guidance
You do not need to switch supplier to benefit from Energility.
Our free guides are designed to help businesses understand energy and make better decisions.
As the website grows, this will include information about:
- Business energy bills
- Electricity and gas contracts
- Unit rates and standing charges
- Business energy meters
- MPAN and MPRN numbers
- Moving business premises
- Switching supplier
- Contract renewals
- Energy efficiency
- Heating and lighting
- Reducing energy waste
- Solar panels and renewable energy
- Energy costs and budgeting
- Support and funding where available
Therefore, Energility can remain useful even when you are not currently looking for a new energy contract.
Why Energility?
Energility is a small, independent business with a straightforward aim.
We want to make energy and other everyday services easier to compare and understand.
That is why our comparison services will sit alongside useful online education.
Rather than simply showing businesses a price, we want to help explain what they are comparing and why the differences matter.
This approach also allows us to support smaller businesses and community organisations that may not have their own energy specialists.
Business Energy Comparison Is Coming
Energility’s business energy comparison service is planned to launch in January 2027.
Until then, we are concentrating on building the website and creating useful, easy-to-understand information.
So, while you cannot compare business energy through Energility just yet, you can still use our growing library of free guidance.
Coming January 2027
Compare business energy with Energility.
Compare your options. Understand the differences. Make a better choice.
Energility
Understand More. Spend Less. Live Better.