Save on Your Business Energy Contracts

If you’d like to save on your business energy contracts but aren’t sure where to start, this page is for you.

With the current cost of living crisis and the rising price of inflation, many business owners are looking to cut costs. Energy costs have risen rapidly over the last year within the UK, affecting people across the nation.

Whilst the cost of domestic energy usage is limited somewhat by Ofgem’s price cap, commercial enterprises are not covered by the price cap. Because of this, businesses tend to have much higher energy consumption costs than domestic users.

If you feel like you’ve been mis-sold energy, you may also be able to save money by making a claim against the company that originally sold it to you. At the Business Energy Claimline, we’re an organisation set on helping our clients get the justice they deserve when they’ve been mis-sold a business energy contract.

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you, contact us to get a free assessment today.

What types of business energy contracts are available?

When exploring your options, finding out more about the different business energy contract types available to you is a must. You may not be able to get out of your contract immediately. Nevertheless, looking for a new contract could be a step in the right direction when you’re wanting to reduce your business energy costs.

The way in which non-domestic customers use their gas and electricity will be different to business users, so the options available will also differ. If you do decide to change your contract, you should always keep yourself informed and read through the terms and conditions before making a commitment.

The size of your business may also affect the contracts available, particularly if you’re classed as a microbusiness (a business that typically has less than ten employees).

The main business energy contracts types typically available include:

• Fixed contracts – With a fixed energy contract, you’ll usually be charged a set energy rate per unit of energy used for a fixed term.
• Variable contracts – This is when your rate changes throughout the term, depending on the current status of the market. It could change throughout your contract, making your energy costs unpredictable.
• Rollover contracts – Rollover contracts are when your current contract ends and rolls over, usually if you haven’t chosen a new contract.
• Deemed contracts – A deemed contract (otherwise known as being out-of-contract) is something that usually occurs when your business moves into a new premises and doesn’t take out a new contract. You could also enter a deemed contract if your current contract ends but you continue to receive energy from your supplier. Sometimes you’ll move onto a rollover contract instead, so it’s important to check what happens at the end of your contract before you commit to it.

As you can see, there are several different contract options available, so it’s crucial that you thoroughly research your options first. You may be able to save money on your business energy contracts by comparing the contract options on offer.

What steps can you take to reduce the cost of your business energy contracts?

If you’d like to find out more about how to reduce your business energy costs, there are several steps you can take.

We’ve listed some of the most popular cost-saving opportunities here to help you. However, this is another area in which you should still do your own research, as some of these solutions won’t be suitable for every company within the business sector.

Most business energy contracts aren’t covered by a cooling-off period (unlike domestic energy customers), so you will usually have to stay committed once you’ve agreed to the contract.

If you feel like you’ve been mis-sold when applying for a business energy contract, you can also contact the Business Energy Claimline to make a claim. Find out more about the eligibility criteria here – if you think you’re eligible, contact us on 01524 231 350 to start your claim.

Switch to a different tariff or contract once your existing contract has ended

When your existing contract ends, you will usually be automatically moved across to an out-of-contract rate (or a deemed contract). In some cases you’ll move onto a rollover contract – however, this will depend on your energy supplier and the terms and conditions of the plan.

You should check your contract length when taking it out initially, so that you can make the necessary preparations when your contract comes to an end. Speaking to your current supplier should be the first place to start – you may be able to work out a new deal, particularly as they’ll want to retain your business.

You’ll usually be reminded by your supplier that your renewal date is coming up, but you should start enquiring a few months before your contract ends. Finding a new business energy contract can be difficult, so this will give you more time to start the process.

If you decide to leave your contract early, there will usually be exit fees, so these extra charges also need to be taken into account.

If you’re not happy with the deal offered by your current supplier or you’d like to see if you can get a better price for your commercial energy elsewhere, you should shop around. Comparison websites such as Money SuperMarket can be very useful, showing you the best tariffs for your individual needs.

Gas and electricity prices are usually calculated separately, so you might be able to get different deals from different suppliers – this is also something you can compare.

Some of the other things to look out for when switching to a new energy contract are:

• The type of tariff
• The length of the contract you’re taking out
• Whether there is an exit fee and if there is, how much this fee is
• If there is any difference in rate for using energy at different times of the day or week
• Whether green energy will be used for your business – this is particularly important if you’re a B Corp or you want to decrease your carbon footprint
• Which way you’ll pay – sometimes you’ll get a discount if you decide to pay via direct debit

If you have any issues with your current supplier or broker or you believe they might be using unfair practices when dealing with your energy supply, you may be able to make a claim.

To speak to a member of our expert team, fill in our application form now and we’ll get in touch as soon as possible.

Consider going green

Sustainability is becoming more and more popular within the world of business, due to the current threat of climate change. Green energy is a lot cheaper than using fossil fuels in a number of industries, and that’s only set to increase as it becomes more common. The use of renewable energy has increased hugely across the UK (as well as within the rest of Europe).

In 2022, 40% of the UK’s electricity was provided by renewable sources, such as:

• Biomass
• Solar
• Wind
• Hydropower

In the long run, renewable energy tends to be cheaper than traditional gas and electricity prices – particularly with the recent energy price hikes.

Despite not being currently covered by the energy price cap, the British government has recently suggested a cap on renewable energy sources. This could make renewable energy even cheaper, so it’s worth considering – even if you’re not that interested in the sustainable side of things.

Apply for business energy grants

There are a range of support schemes, loans and energy efficiency grants that you can apply for through the UK government. These schemes are particularly aimed at helping small and medium sized business owners (although there are options available for larger enterprises).

These programmes tend to be location-based, however there are some that are available nationwide. Some of the main business energy schemes available at the moment include:

• The Low Carbon Workspaces scheme – This is a grant offered to businesses that implement energy efficiency measures.
• The Energy for Business scheme – Support and grant funding is offered to small and medium sized enterprises that have ongoing projects to save energy and reduce their carbon footprints.
• The Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme – This is a location specific scheme that gives grants, free energy audits and low carbon product development support for businesses in these counties.
• Low Carbon Dorset – Low Carbon Dorset is similar to the previous programme. It offers free support for Dorset-based businesses to reduce their carbon emissions, improve their energy efficiency and aid the development of new low carbon products.
• The SME Energy Efficiency Scheme (SMEES) – This scheme gives guidance to businesses that are interested in reducing their carbon footprint, as well as providing funding to them.
• The Business Energy Efficiency Programme – West Midlands – This is another scheme only available in the West Midlands, which reviews companies and offers grants to eligible businesses that want to manage and reduce their energy costs.
• Derbyshire’s DE-Carbonise Project – This is another localised programme for small and medium businesses based in Derby and the rest of Derbyshire. The project provides support and grants for SMES (small and medium enterprises) wanting to reduce their carbon emissions.
• Horizon Europe funding – Horizon Europe is a scheme available to all organisations across Europe, including UK-based businesses. There are several different things you can get funding for as a business, including the conduct of ground breaking research, growth creation in certain sectors (typically STEM fields) and your response to challenges such as climate change or food scarcity.

These are the main grants, schemes and programmes available to business owners based in Britain at the moment. However, different projects may become available over time, particularly with the current climate issues the planet is facing.

Other tips for reducing your business energy consumption

Once you’ve chosen a suitable tariff, you might want to take into account other business energy saving tips.

Taking further steps will ensure that your energy bills are kept as low as possible, which is particularly important at the moment – considering how high the average energy bill has risen over the last couple of years. Whatever tariff you’re on, the cost of your overall business energy contract will naturally be cheaper when you use less energy.

You should then have more money to put into the rest of your business, spreading your income further across your business.

Find out if you’ve been mis-sold a business energy contract

If you’re a business owner and you’ve been using business energy contracts for a while, there’s a chance you may have been mis-sold a contract. Thousands of businesses up and down the country have been mis-sold their business energy contracts, so it’s important to check whether you’re eligible to make a claim or not.

If you’ve recently made a switch between different energy companies and you used a broker as part of the process, there’s a chance that you might have been mis-sold your energy contracts. If your broker or supplier added an undisclosed commission to your bill, this is classed as mis-selling or profiteering.

This is because energy brokers and suppliers have to be completely transparent about any commissions that are paid. Ofgem has been cracking down on poor practice by energy brokers with a series of new reforms, however there are still energy brokers misusing the system.

At the Business Energy Claimline, we’re a legal firm specialising in mis-sold business energy contracts. We’ve been in the legal business since April 2001. Since then, we’ve helped many businesses across Britain regain thousands of pounds of mis-spent money, aiming to bring justice to organisations throughout the nation.

If you think you might have been mis-sold a business energy contract, you could win the money you originally paid back, as well as extra compensation for the trouble you’ve been through. This will allow you to put more money back into your business, as well as giving you a little more to spend on your future business energy contracts.

In order to work out whether you’re eligible for a claim, you need to get in touch with the Business Energy Claimline. We’ll assess your situation and work out whether your case is something we can take on. However, you may be eligible for a business energy claim if you:

• Are a business owner or are in charge of structuring energy for several businesses
• If you’ve recently used a broker to source a business energy contract/deal
• If you’ve recently structured a deal for a serviced office space that requires you to arrange your own office space

This is not a complete list and every situation is different. If in doubt, get in touch with our expert team and we’ll be happy to give you a free assessment.

Monitor your energy usage

Monitoring your energy usage is a great way to reduce your business energy. This will allow you to keep track of the overall energy consumption of your workplace, so that you can identify problem areas and act on them.

Statistically, British households have cut their energy usage by 10% since October 2022. Whilst making a business more energy efficient is slightly different when compared to your average household, this statistic shows that there are ways to reduce your energy bills if needed.

If you’re interested in managing energy costs in office buildings, purchasing energy-efficient appliances can have a huge impact on your energy bills. For example, laptops are much cheaper to run per year than desktop computers. If you have a kitchen in your building, smaller kitchen appliances (such as microwaves) are much cheaper to use than ovens.

Turning off lights and equipment when they’re not being used (like turning computers off completely instead of leaving them on standby) can also have an impact. Energy-efficient light bulbs have become increasingly common too – LED light bulbs are the most popular form of energy-efficient light bulb on the market at the moment. These bulbs last for a long time and use less electricity to run than a traditional light bulb.

Another way building owners can reduce the energy consumption of their commercial site is to improve the state of the insulation within the building. This will make the space warmer, without having to use as much energy to heat the premises.

You can also apply for business energy efficiency programs and schemes if you need help with improving the energy efficiency of your business premises.

Complete an energy audit

Another energy saving tip is to complete an energy audit of the sites owned by your business. An energy audit is something that can be undertaken at home or in the workplace, and it’s another useful way of managing energy costs within office buildings.

An energy audit is a process carried out at your business premises to identify and determine any weaknesses with energy efficiency the building may have. Once completed, you’ll receive a full assessment report. This report will also give examples of how you can improve the energy efficiency of your particular workplace.

You’ll also get recommendations about how you can make your building more efficient. This will help you to save money on your utility bills once you’ve implemented these business energy saving tips. Independent, private energy audits can be arranged, however you can conduct your own audit if you prefer.

If you do decide to do your own energy audit, make sure you research how to conduct it correctly beforehand. It’s essential that you conduct your audit accurately to get the best results.

Save energy by making a claim with the Business Energy Claimline

As you can see, there are many different ways in which you can save on business energy – whether that’s by changing your business energy contract, or by cutting costs in other ways.

At the Business Energy Claimline, we’re a transparent and upfront company that specialise in helping customers that have been mis-sold their business energy contracts. Businesses often use energy brokers to get the best deals. These brokers usually make a profit from their sale – legally, this has to be declared in full when you sign a business energy contract.

If your broker and/or the supplier tries to conceal how much they’ve made, there’s a good chance that your contract has been mis-sold. If you think your business energy contracts may have been mis-sold, the Business Energy Claimline is here to help. You can find out more about the eligibility requirements here.

If you’re ready to get the process started and you’d like to make a claim, contact our expert team and we’ll check your eligibility.