Business electricity averaged 23.8p/kWh in 2025, has no Ofgem price cap, and is priced per meter rather than off a public tariff, so the number on your bill depends on when you last signed and whether anyone shopped it around. It is bought on fixed-term contracts of one to five years, and the most expensive place to be is the default: the deemed or rolled-over rate you land on by doing nothing. This page explains how business supply actually works, the three ways to buy it, and the traps that keep firms overpaying, without a made-up tariff table, because your real rate only exists once a supplier quotes it.
| Route | Cost to you | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparison broker | Free | Getting the whole market quoted in one go | Commission is baked into your rate |
| Direct from a supplier | Free to quote | Checking a broker quote, or if you like a supplier | You only see that one supplier's price |
| Doing nothing | Highest | Nobody | Deemed or rollover rates are the dearest there are |
Human account managers who handle the switch, across every business utility in one place
Covers electricity, gas, broadband, mobile, insurance. Paid a commission by the supplier when a contract completes, included in the unit rate you pay. Bionic tells you the commission band before you sign and the exact figure on request.
Compare business energy at BionicA large panel of business suppliers compared in one quote, commission disclosed on request
Covers business electricity and gas. You pay nothing directly; commission is a small uplift within the quoted unit rate, typically around 3% of the contract value, with a breakdown available on request.
Compare at Love Energy SavingsThe one that also compares business water, useful if you are reviewing every utility at once
Covers business electricity, gas and water. Commission-funded by suppliers, built into the rate, like the others.
Compare at AquaSwitchA broker quotes the market for you, but you can also go straight to a supplier, and it is worth doing at least one direct quote to sense-check the broker's number, since commission sits inside the rate they return. The main business suppliers are British Gas Business, Octopus Energy for Business, EDF Business, E.ON Next Business, TotalEnergies, Crown Gas & Power. Octopus Energy for Business runs a quick online quote tool, which makes it the easiest direct comparison against whatever a broker sends back. Note that some large-account specialists have stepped back from the very smallest businesses, so a micro-business is usually better served by the mainstream suppliers or a broker panel.
Four differences change how you should buy it. There is no price cap, so nothing stops a supplier quoting a poor rate, and nothing except a new contract moves you off one. Gas and electricity are quoted and contracted separately, so there is no domestic-style dual-fuel single tariff to reach for. There is no cooling-off period once you agree a business contract, even over the phone, so the moment to negotiate is before you say yes, not after. And contracts run for a fixed term of up to five years, which means the decision you make now is locked in for a long time, for better or worse.
The average non-domestic electricity price was about 23.8p per kWh in the second quarter of 2025, or 24.3p including the Climate Change Levy, according to government DESNZ figures. Your own rate is quoted per meter based on usage, location, contract length and credit, so there is no single published price the way there is for homes.
No. The Ofgem energy price cap covers domestic customers only; there is no cap on business energy. Business supply is sold on fixed-term contracts of up to five years at bespoke rates, which is why comparing before you sign, and before your contract rolls over, matters far more than it does at home.
Commission from the supplier, built into the unit rate you pay, so the service is free to you but not free. Since 1 October 2024 suppliers must disclose that broker commission within the contract's main terms, so you can see it. Love Energy Savings puts its commission at typically around 3% of contract value.
A deemed rate is the expensive default you are placed on when you use energy at a new premises before agreeing a contract, or when a fixed deal ends without a new one. Deemed and out-of-contract rates are among the highest a supplier charges, so moving off them quickly is usually the fastest saving available.
You are a micro-business if you meet any one of these: fewer than 10 employees and turnover under £2 million, or you use under 100,000 kWh a year of electricity, or under 293,000 kWh a year of gas. Micro-businesses get extra Ofgem protections, including a cap of 12 months on automatic rollover and access to the Energy Ombudsman.
Figures checked 4 July 2026; confirm details with the provider before applying. We may earn a commission through links on this page.