"Every business wants to be lean and to keep costs down as much as possible. For small to medium-sized businesses, this can put thousands on to your bottom-line. If you've not switched your business energy tariff, then you are literally wasting money that could be better invested elsewhere."
- Scott Byrom, Head of energy
To cut the cost of your energy bills is the simple answer to this question - if you've never switched business energy supplier before or you've let your last gas and business electricity deals expire without arranging a new one, you'll be paying too much for your energy.
This is because business energy suppliers make money off your reluctance to switch by rolling you onto a more expensive rate.
Even if your a regular switcher, you could still find yourself on a more expensive rate if you move into a new business premises without arranging an energy deal. This is because suppliers always put businesses on what is known as deemed rates when they move into a new property, which can be as much as twice the price of the rates we can negotiate for you.
In short, if you don't compare business energy prices, you won't know whether you're on the best deal or if you're overspending on energy.
It's not all about saving money though - many businesses switch energy supplier because they're fed up with the poor customer service offered by their current provider, or they've experienced billing issues that have forced them to look for an alternative provider.
Whatever your reason for switching, save yourself time and hassle by letting The Energy Shop handle the whole switch for you. To find out how much you could save, fill in the contact form above or speak to one of our experts on 0800 351 837.
All business energy quotes need to be generated based upon your specific requirements.
This means, unlike with domestic energy, you can't simply choose the best one from a range of ready-made tariffs and the only way to make sure you're on the very best deal is to ring around each and every supplier to get a business energy quote based upon your specific needs.
Alternatively, you could save yourself a lot of time and hassle by filling in the form above and one of our business energy experts will call you to walk you through the process. We'll do all the hard work and compare prices from business energy suppliers across the board, all you need to do is choose the deal you like best and we'll handle the rest of the switch for you.
To ensure we can give you the most accurate quotes possible, try to have the following information to hand when speaking to one of our business energy team:
You should be able to find all of the above information on your latest energy bill.
Once you choose a deal and agree to switch, we'll let your new supplier know you're joining them, and inform your current supplier of the switch, so you can get on with running your business.
And because we compare prices from all business energy suppliers, you can be sure you're getting the very best-priced deal.
Although they come from the same place and, in many cases, the same supplier, there are big differences between the way domestic energy contracts and business energy deals work.
The biggest difference between the two is the option to leave your deal early. While most domestic energy contracts allow for early termination, usually on the condition that an early exit fee is paid, business energy users can't opt-out of their contract early, and must wait until their switching window opens. This is usually between one and six months before the contract's end date.
Similarly, unlike domestic deals, business energy contracts don't offer any cooling off period - once you've signed up, you can't back out - so it's vital to make sure any commercial energy deal you sign is exactly right for the needs of your business.
You'll also find that the rates offered on business energy deals are often cheaper than those offered to domestic customers. But, on the flipside, business energy users pay a higher rate of VAT on business energy. Even so, if you operate from a business premises, a business energy deal should work out more cost-effective.
Even if you run your business from home, you might still be able to take advantage of business energy rates if 50% or more of the energy you use is for business purposes. And if you're classed as a microbusiness, you'll have the option to you can tell your energy supplier you want to switch at any point during your agreement.
Although all business gas and electricity deals are tailored to meet the needs of each individual business, there are five main types of commercial energy contracts that are used by suppliers. They are:
VAT on business energy bills is usually charged at a rate of 20%, but if your business uses less than 33 kilowatt hours of electricity and less than 145kw hours of gas per day - known as the 'de minimis' level - it might be eligible to pay a reduced rate of 5% VAT.
Your business may also be eligible for a reduced VAT rate if at least 60% of the energy is being used within:
When comparing business energy prices, there are two rates you need to look out for, as they have the greatest impact on the cost of your energy bills:
Your final bill will also include the following costs:
To make the greatest savings, you'll need to choose a deal that offers the lowest unit rates and standing charges.
But remember, the cheapest deal may not necessarily be the best for your business, so always take into account the reputation of the supplier and the level of customer service it offers.
When you compare business energy prices with The Energy Shop, we'll always take into account other factors, including customer service levels and satisfaction scores, so you can be sure of both great rates and a quality supplier.
To compare business energy suppliers the simple way, contact the team at The Energy Shop today.
