With over 50 business energy suppliers in the UK and growing, it is difficult to decide which is best for your business. Many just choose one of the ‘Big Six’. The truth is that better deals could be available with some of the newer independent suppliers.
Whilst it is difficult to rate business energy suppliers, we have collated both consumer and business reviews for a better understanding.
Best Energy Supplier for SMEs
Bulb Business Energy is hands down one of the best for smaller businesses. Unlike every other business energy contract, there are no exits fees or long contract terms. They offer one simple transparent tariff with 100% renewable energy.
This supplier directly targets smaller businesses. If your business uses larger amounts of energy, you may find cheaper gas and electricity elsewhere.
Trustpilot rating: 4.6/5
Full Profile: Bulb Tariffs & Reviews
Best Energy Supplier for Large Businesses
British Gas has been around for a long time and it is a brand we are all comfortable with. They offer in-depth energy insight and flexible tailored business energy plans. They have designed their business energy tariffs to manage large businesses and their usage.
Trustpilot rating: 3.3/5
Full Profile: British Gas Tariffs & Reviews
Best Rated Business Energy Supplier
Octopus Energy has topped the table for energy suppliers offering business energy. According to the Which? 2021 customer satisfaction survey, they scored 80% with excellent bill accuracy and customer service.
They are known for their straight-forward 100% renewable energy. Currently Octopus Energy offer their Green Octopus tariff at a fixed rate for either 12, 24 or 36 months.
Best for: SME businesses. Although they do offer custom half-hourly meters with custom tariffs for larger customers.
Trustpilot rating: 4.8/5
Full Profile: Octopus Energy Tariffs & Reviews
Here’s a breakdown of both the Big Six and Independent energy suppliers:
Jump to one of the following types of business energy suppliers:
Please note: Company reviews are based on both business and domestic customers and are simply an average from Trustpilot, Which? and Citizens Advice. Scores and average reviews accurate as of 28 April 2021.
Big 6 Business Energy Suppliers
| Supplier | Trustpilot | Which? | Citizen's Advice | Average Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4.3/5 | 60% | 4.25/5 | 77% |
 | 3.6/5 | 60% | 3.95/5 | 70% |
 | 3.7/5 | 61% | 3.7/5 | 70% |
 | 3.0/5 | 61% | 4.05/5 | 67% |
 | 1.2/5 | 57% | 3.55/5 | 51% |
 | 1.1/5 | 51% | 3.25/5 | 46% |
Big Six Business Energy Supplier Profiles
Below is a brief profile of each of the big six energy companies. If you’d like to learn more about each of them just click on the link to read the full profile.
1. British Gas
Business Benefits:
- UK’s largest business energy supplier serving nearly 1 million businesses
- Fixed price 1, 2 & 3 year business electricity & gas plans
- Offer a range of business gas boiler service, repair & maintenance contracts
- Help with solar PV and other renewable energy needs
- Save up to £900 on gas by switching online
Full Profile: British Gas Tariffs & Reviews
2. EDF Energy
Business Benefits:
- Tailored electricity and gas plans for SMEs to large businesses
- Fixed price contracts for up to 4 years
- Short term plans designed for Start-Ups
- UK based call centre staff
- Save up 7% on your bill when you pay by direct debit
Full Profile: EDF Energy Tariffs & Reviews
3. E.ON
Business Benefits:
- Used by nearly 500,000 businesses across the UK
- New connections provided free of charge
- Fixed price 1, 2 & 3 year plans
- Free advice to help improve your energy efficiency
- Save 4% if you pay by direct debit monthly
Full Profile: E.ON Business Tariffs & Reviews
4. Npower
Business Benefits:
- Fixed price contracts
- Easy to switch at the end of your contract with no auto-rollover
- Help you save energy through energy efficiency schemes
- Offer plans tailored to micro-businesses, SMEs and large energy users
- Use of Smart Automated Meter Read (AMR) meters
Full Profile: npower Business Tariffs & Reviews
5. ScottishPower
Business Benefits:
- Up to 3 year year fixed price plans for electricity and up to 2 year fixed priced plans for gas
- YourEnergy App helps you manage your energy use no matter where you are
- Offer energy efficiency tips and advice
- Many bespoke products for large energy users
- Many payment options including BACS, direct debit and even cash
Full Profile: ScottishPower Tariffs & Reviews
6. SSE
Business Benefits:
- Offers energy to roughly 500,000 UK businesses
- Offer fixed price 12, 24 & 36 month contracts for both electricity and gas
- Also offers flexible contracts for larger users
- Can help your business become more energy efficient
- The largest renewable energy generator in the UK
Full Profile: SSE Business & Enterprise Tariffs & Reviews
Renewable Business Energy Suppliers
If you’re interested in using green energy to power and heat your business, the following green energy suppliers might be right for you.
- 100% renewable electricity + 10% renewable gas
- No contract
- No exit fees
Full Profile: Bulb Tariffs & Reviews
- A range of flexible and fixed price contracts for electricity and gas
- Leader in offshore wind
- Can choose from UK or European energy sources
Full Profile: Dong Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- 100% green tariff for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs)
- Supplies energy to 10,000 businesses
- Solutions for on-site wind generation
Full Profile: Ecotricity Tariffs & Reviews
- Serves customers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
- Generates 25% of wind power in Ireland
- Supplies 22% of Northern Irish businesses with power.
Full Profile: Energia Tariffs & Reviews
- Supplies electricity and gas
- Offers no-carbon energy plans
- Offers a range of flexible products to help save you money
Full Profile: Engie Tariffs & Reviews
- 100% green, clean energy backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates (REGOs)
- Has solutions for business profile 03-08 and Half Hourly meters
- Also solutions for commercial green energy power generation
Full Profile Good Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Supply Green power at great rates
- Help with power purchasing and new connections
- Dedicated account manager who is your sole point of contact
Full Profile: F & S Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Offers both electricity and dual fuel plans
- Offers free shares to customers
- Majority of power comes from Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
Full Profile: Green Energy UK Tariffs & Reviews
- 99% renewable electricity (50% hydro, 40% wind)
- Division of Just Energy Group from North America
- Electricity and gas supplier
Full Profile: Hudson Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Fair, transparent pricing
- 100% renewable supply on their green tariff
- Offer electricity and gas tariffs
Full Profile: Octopus Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Offers 100% renewable energy tariffs
- Includes bespoke tariffs for a particular type of renewable energy (e.g. just wind or just solar)
- Offer Carbon Trust certification
Full Profile: SmartestEnergy Tariffs & Reviews
- Dual fuel supplier
- Offers 100% renewable electricity electricity plans
- Offers fixed term contracts for up to 5 years
Full Profile: Total Gas & Power Tariffs & Reviews
- 100% owned by the Swedish state
- Major wind generator
- 6.3 million customers across Europe
Full Profile: Vattenfall Tariffs & Reviews
- Supplies gas in the UK and gas and electricity in Ireland
- Offer an electricity tracker product
- 100% of electricity comes from renewable sources
Full Profile: Vayu Energy Tariffs & Reviews
Independent & Smaller Energy Suppliers
The following companies all also offer business electricity and/or gas, often at prices that beat the big six. You can read profiles and reviews of each one or if you don’t want to both comparing all of them, you can use our quote form to get quotes for leading energy companies near you.
- Supply small to medium sized businesses
- Can offer electricity and/or gas
- Aim to make buying energy simple and painless
Full Profile: Affect Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Specialise in Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)
- Solutions for different types of businesses from agriculture to restaurants
- Gas only supplier
Full Profile: AvantiGas Tariffs & Reviews
- Supplies both electricity and gas
- Fixed term, fixed price contracts
- UK based call-centre
Full Profile: Axis Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Based and operating solely in the United Kingdom.
- Supplies Electricity and Gas
- Free Smart Meters
Full Profile: BES Utilities Tariffs & Reviews
- Supply gas and electricity to Micro and SME businesses
- Can also supply those with Half Hourly meter (up to 3 GWh per site)
- Make energy for businesses easy to manage
Full Profile: Bristol Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Fix prices today to lock in savings before switching
- Also provides water, telecom and insurance products
- Claims to have 140,000 business customers
Full Profile: Clear Business Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Business only gas supplier
- Established in 1994
- Offer a full range of gas services
Full Profile: Contract Natural Gas Tariffs & Reviews
- Business only gas and electricity supplier
- 11,000 industrial and commercial gas customers
- Offers plans for public and third sector customers as well
Full Profile: Corona Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Commercial gas supplier for business
- Energy division of Crown Oil Ltd
- Solutions for single site and multi-site customers
Full Profile: Crown Gas and Power Tariffs & Reviews
- Award winning business-only supplier of electricity and gas
- Dedicated rebates team for charities
- Also help with renewable energy with a focus on biomass
Full Profile: D-ENERGi Tariffs & Reviews
- Gas supplier to both home and business customers
- Just two tariffs: one fixed and one variable
- No exit fees with either contract
Full Profile: daligas Tariffs & Reviews
- Leading LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) supplier with more than 30 years’ experience
- Supplies Bulk LPG, LPG cylinders, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and/or Mains Gas to businesses
- Offer a free meter for businesses signing 24 or 36 month contracts
Full Profile: Flogas Tariffs & Reviews
- UK subsidiary of the Russian Gazprom
- 2015 Supplier of the Year at the Energy Awards
- Offers business electricity and gas
Full Profile: Gazprom Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Cost Effective Tariffs
- Flexible Approach to tariffs and payments
- Accurate Bills
Full Profile: GnERGY Tariffs & Reviews
- Easy to read bills
- Offer one tariff and one payment method to keep things simple
- Automatically put you on their cheapest (and only) tariff
Full Profile: Go Effortless Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Business electricity supplier
- Dedicated customer service advisor for all issues
- Member of Drax Group
Full Profile: Haven Power Tariffs & Reviews
- Electricity only supplier
- Offer bespoke pricing
- Over half their customers are HH Meter customers
Full Profile: MA Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Supplier of business electricity and gas
- Buyer of renewable energy
- Free smart metering for all businesses
Full Profile: Opus Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Electricity only for businesses
- Serves business and home customers
- Business plan is 33% renewable (as of 1st April 2015)
Full profile: Ovo Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Competitive tariffs for gas and electricity supply
- Optional independent, outsourced bill validation service
- Committed to delivering base tariffs that are within the top 10 cheapest tariffs nationally
Full Profile: PFP Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier.
- Supplies 49% of the commercial market in NI.
- Tariffs for small, medium and large energy users.
Full Profile: Power NI Tariffs & Reviews
- Been in business since 1995
- Only supplies gas
- Offers 4 different tariff options
Full Profile: Regent Gas Tariffs & Reviews
- Not for profit, launched by Nottingham City Council
- Low tariff prices with no exit fees
- Offer gas and electricity
Full Profile: Robin Hood Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- An SSE brand
- Northern Ireland based supplier
- Fixed term, fixed price gas contracts
Full Profile: SSE Airtricity Tariffs & Reviews
- Gas only supplier
- Single unit price
- No standing charge
Full Profile: Simple Gas Tariffs & Reviews
- Offers some contracts with no standing charge
- Dual fuel discounts
- Dedicated account manager
Full Profile: United Gas & Power Tariffs & Reviews
- Offers ‘Pay As You Go’ business energy
- One Price Fits All Tariff
- Free Smart Meters and Smart Energy Monitor
Full Profile: Utilita Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Dual fuel supplier
- Get up to £200 to switch
- Also offer phone and broadband deals
Full Profile: Utility Warehouse Business Tariffs & Reviews
- Business gas-only supplier
- Fixed term contracts up to 5 years
- Same parent company as 1Gas Connections.
Full Profile: Xcel Energy Tariffs & Reviews
- Commercial gas and electricity supplier
- Offer common contract end dates
- Guarantee to beat your renewal prices or give you £100.
Full Profile: Yorkshire Gas and Power Tariffs & Reviews
- Fixed 12 month business electricity and gas contracts
- Personal dedicated account managers
- Company founded in 2014
Full Profile: Yü Energy Tariffs & Reviews
Former business energy suppliers:
- First Utility
- GB Energy
- Extra Energy
- Better Energy
- Solarplicity (Formerly LoCO2 Energy)
- Dual Energy
To compare many of these supplies quickly and easily please just use the form at the top of this page.
Who is the cheapest business electricity supplier?
Unfortunately, there is no single “cheapest” business electricity supplier. To understand why have a look at our business electricity prices page. There you’ll see that rates and tariffs often vary from one region to another. Moreover, some suppliers work with small businesses whereas others focus on large ones. This means no one supplier will be able to offer the best rate to all businesses.
Finally, you should also be aware that the cheapest business electricity supplier for your business might not offer the best rates on gas, so when making a comparison you should ideally compare both. A broker can help with this process if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Who is the best business energy supplier?
Again there is no one “best” supplier. Broadly speaking you have two choices either go with one of the Big 6 suppliers (see above) or go with a smaller independent supplier. Both have their pros and cons.
The advantage of the Big 6 is that they are stable and are likely to remain in business for the long term. The downside is that they are often (but not always) more expensive than smaller suppliers. Top rated Big 6 energy suppliers based on customer reviews from a variety of sources include EDF, British Gas and EON.
Smaller suppliers usually try to compete with the Big 6 in one of two ways. Either they offer lower tariff prices and/or claim to offer better customer service. You can find most of the smaller suppliers in the list above.
How do I switch business energy suppliers?
We’ve actually written a guide to How To Switch Business Energy Suppliers For Cheap Electricity & Gas, but in summary you’ll need to make sure your contract is in the renewal window period, get quotes from other suppliers (either yourself and/or using a broker) and then inform your current supplier you’d like to switch.
Most suppliers can help you make the switch as they want to make the process as smooth as possible for you. However, be aware that if you’re contract is not in the renewal window or you’re in debt to your current supplier your request to switch can be denied.
What happens if an energy supplier goes out of business?
There have been quite a few high-profile energy companies going bust in recent years. Therefore, you might be worried about what happens to your supply if that happens to you.
Fortunately, Ofgem have created a safety net which you can read here. Here are a few of the highlights:
What will happen to my supply as a business (non-domestic) customer?
Your energy supply is secure. Ofgem’s safety net protects all customers’ energy supplies, and all customers will be transferred to a new supplier.
Ofgem will now appoint a new supplier for you, who will contact you soon.
In the meantime, sit tight, take a meter reading and wait until the supplier we appoint gets in touch.
Should I switch business energy?
Our advice is to sit tight, take a meter reading and wait until the new supplier we appoint contacts you. This will make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Once the process is complete, you will be free to switch to another tariff or supplier.
What happens to my credit balance as a business customer?
Business customers’ credit balances are not protected under the Safety Net. We will try and appoint a supplier to cover all or some of the outstanding credit – but, this isn’t guaranteed.
You should contact your old supplier’s administrator about any credit balances you may have.
What happens to business customers’ debt?
This will depend on the arrangements the administrator puts in place to recover any monies still owed to the failed supplier, including those owed by former customers.
Will business customers be appointed the same supplier as domestic customers?
Yes. You will be appointed the same supplier as domestic customers.
How long does it take for business customers to be switched to an appointed new supplier?
The process can take up to 14 days. Our aim is to do this as quickly as possible for you.