BUSINESS ENERGY COMPARISON

As of August 2026, business gas unit rates range from 7.9p to 8.2p per kWh, depending on business size, according to panel data from our partners at Bionic. This is a month-on-month drop from July. Business electricity unit rates in the UK range from 26.7p to 27.8p per kWh, depending on business size.

Rates shown may vary, and your actual business energy costs may be higher or lower, depending on factors such as your location and energy efficiency. 

Business gas rates August 2026

Business electricity rates August 2026

^{Note: Prices are correct as of August 2026. Rates and bill size may vary according to your meter type and business location. The prices you’re quoted may be different from the averages shown. The figures shown are the average unit rates and standing charges received by Bionic from our panel of suppliers (inclusive of maximum Bionic commission), per business size thresholds, from August 1 to August 10, 2026.}

Business energy refers to the gas and electricity supplied to commercial premises under a non-domestic contract. Unlike household energy, business energy is not regulated by Ofgem's price cap, and tariffs are not standardised. This means every quote is calculated based on your business's specific needs, usage, and location.

Any organisation that uses energy for commercial purposes qualifies as a business energy customer. That includes sole traders and freelancers working from commercial premises, limited companies, charities, schools, public sector organisations, and landlords of commercial property.

If you work from home but need a commercial energy tariff, you’ll typically need to prove that at least 50% of your energy usage is for business purposes. If you meet these criteria, you may qualify for small business electricity rates. Find out more at our small and micro business energy guide.

Business energy contracts are typically fixed-term, running from one to five years, and are negotiated directly with a supplier or through a comparison service like MoneySuperMarket. Because prices are bespoke and contracts are longer, getting expert help to compare the market, rather than going direct to a single supplier, is usually the most effective way to secure a competitive rate.

If your business energy contract has already expired, your supplier will have automatically moved you onto out-of-contract rates. These are typically among the most expensive rates a supplier offers, and because business energy has no Ofgem price cap, there is no ceiling on how high they can go.

Businesses on out-of-contract rates can pay significantly more per kWh than those on a fixed deal. Comparing and switching as soon as possible is the most effective way to reduce your bills immediately. There are no early exit fees to worry about if you're already out of contract, you can switch at any time.

No. The price cap doesn't affect business energy rates. This is because it's only designed to protect domestic energy rates. There's no price cap on business energy. 

A change in the price cap can give an idea of where prices are heading, but the price cap doesn't directly affect business energy prices. As a business owner with a non-domestic contract, the only way to avoid price volatility is to switch to a fixed-rate contract. 

If you're currently out of contract or your current deal is up for renewal, now could be a good time to run a comparison to lock in your business gas and electric rates.

Comparing business energy can save you time and money. We use smart data to find out all we need to know about your business, its energy use, and its current supplier. This can help cut the time it takes to compare business gas and electricity prices. 

Once we have this information, we can compare rates from our panel of energy suppliers to help save you money on your next contract. You choose the deal that best suits your business, and we’ll help make sure the switch goes as smoothly as possible. 

If you’re used to switching household energy suppliers, you probably know your way around the comparison process. But switching business energy is a bit different. Unlike domestic "off-the-shelf" tariffs, business energy tariffs are tailored to your specific needs. 

That’s why our UK-based energy experts are on hand to help you compare deals and support you through the switch. 

Comparing business electricity and gas tariffs can be complicated because you need separate quotes for each fuel. This can make it more difficult to work out which deal is the best value for your business.  That’s why it’s often handy to get some expert help. 

When running a business gas and electric comparison, the first thing to look out for is the unit rate. This is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) and is the price you pay for the energy you use.  

You then need to look at the standing charge. This is a flat daily fee you pay regardless of how much commercial power you use. This covers the costs of things like maintaining the energy network, meter readings, and operating costs.

If you know these figures and have an idea of how much energy you use, you can roughly work out the cost of your monthly and annual business energy bills. 

The average prices per kWh and standing charges shown below should give you an idea of what you can expect to pay, based on the size of your business. 

A business energy broker is a company or individual who compares contracts from multiple suppliers on your behalf and helps you secure the best deal. Brokers can be particularly valuable for businesses with complex energy needs, such as large sites, multi-meter properties, or high consumption, where bespoke procurement is more cost-effective than a standard online comparison.

Brokers are also useful for smaller businesses as the swithcing process isn't quite as simple as it is for home energy.

MoneySuperMarket has partnered with Bionic to work with a panel of trusted business energy suppliers. Our experts act on your behalf to find the most competitive rates available to your business. Unlike going directly to a single supplier, comparing with us means you get quotes from across the market in a single call, without any obligation to switch.

It's worth knowing that business energy brokers are regulated under Ofgem's Microbusiness Strategic Review, which introduced new protections from 2022 requiring brokers to be transparent about any fees or commissions they receive. When you compare through MoneySuperMarket, our remuneration structure is disclosed as part of the comparison process.

You can find out more in our guide to business energy brokers.

The amount you pay for business energy is mainly affected by the wholesale cost of gas and electricity. This is the price your supplier pays for the energy it supplies to your business, and it can be impacted by anything from natural disasters to political events and conflicts. 

There are lots of other factors that affect how much you pay for business energy, including:

• The type of business you own. This dictates the patterns of energy consumption during the week, because not all businesses work Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Businesses that use a lot of energy during the evenings and weekends will be charged different rates compared to the daytime - these rates are usually lower, because there’s less demand on the network. 
• The annual energy use at your business. Suppliers usually offer slightly lower rates to large and industrial businesses that use a lot of energy. But if unit rates go down, sometimes the daily standing charge will go up. It’s always best to check your overall offer in terms of the cost for a full year, rather than just looking at unit prices. 
• The size of your business. Your buying power can depend on whether you run a small business or a large corporation. Suppliers always look at the size of a business and its usage levels to calculate rates. 
• The length and type of contract you have. Fixed-rate contracts often come with lower rates than variable contracts. If you lock in your rates for longer, your supplier should offer preferential prices. But if you let a fixed contract expire without lining up a new one to replace it, you’ll be placed on out-of-contract rates, which can be more than 33% higher. 
• Your current energy provider. You could already be with the most or least expensive supplier on the market, but you won’t know until you compare tariffs. 
• Where your business is located. The region your business is in affects the quotes you’ll get, because prices vary around the country. This usually depends on how difficult it is to supply a certain area. For example, Scotland has some of the highest prices in the UK, whereas the Midlands has some of the lowest. 

Suppliers use this information to work out the cost of your quote. This includes the unit rate, standing charge, and any other fees, taxes, and levies that apply. 

Fixed-term business energy deals offer the best way to save money and take control of your bills. But it’s not the only thing that will affect prices.

As well as fluctuations in the wholesale price of gas and electricity, some suppliers will offer to include maintenance and care of your commercial gas system as part of their contract. Make sure you check how much this will cost and weigh up whether it provides the best value for money. 

Business energy contracts are built around your business, not a generic household rate. Suppliers price your deal based on many things, including your location, usage, staff numbers and industry. Unlike home energy, there are no off-the-shelf tariffs.

There are a few other key differences too: 

• You can lock in business rates for up to five years, rather than the usual 12-month domestic deal
• There's no business dual fuel discount. Gas and electricity are always billed separately, even with the same supplier
• Once you sign, there's no cooling-off period, so it pays to get the details right first time. 
• Switching rules differ too. 
• You can only move supplier within your contract's switching window, typically up to six months before your end date, unless you're already out of contract. And the switch won't complete until your current contract ends. 

Read our full guide: Is business energy different to household energy?

If you're on your supplier's out-of-contract, you can switch at any time. The length of time the switch takes depends on the size of your business and other things like whether you owe your current supplier money. If you run a micro business, then the switch should take no longer than five days. For businesses of other sizes, it can take up to 30 days.

If your business is still under contract with its current supplier, your new contract won't take effect until this one expires. This means that if you sign a new contract in January but your existing one doesn't end until June, you won't pay the new rates for six months. But, if prices increase during that time, comparing business energy quotes and locking in rates early can save you money. That's why it makes sense to run a business energy comparison as soon as your current contract enters its switching window.

Extra protections for micro businesses

If your business qualifies as a micro business under Ofgem's definition -broadly, fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than €2 million - you benefit from a stronger set of consumer-style protections when buying energy.

These include the right to give notice and switch supplier at any point in your contract (subject to a notice period), a requirement for your supplier to give you advance notice before your contract ends and what rates you'll move to if you don't switch, and access to the Energy Ombudsman to resolve disputes if you can't agree with your supplier directly.

These protections were significantly strengthened under Ofgem's Microbusiness Strategic Review, which came into force in 2022 and continues to be updated. If you're unsure whether your business qualifies, our experts can advise when you compare.

If your business is moving to new premises, you'll need to set up a new business energy contract at your new address rather than simply transferring your existing one. The process is known as a change of tenancy (CoT), and it applies whether you're taking on a vacant commercial property or moving into a space previously occupied by another business.

When you move in, you'll automatically be placed on the existing supplier's deemed rates until a new contract is agreed, which can be expensive. Contacting a comparison service as early as possible, ideally before you take possession of the premises, means you can compare rates and line up a competitive deal from day one.

If you're leaving the premises, you'll need to provide a final meter reading to your current supplier and settle any outstanding balance. Your gas and electricity supply will continue for the incoming occupier under the same supplier until they arrange their own contract.

You can read the full process in our change of tenancy guide.

As a busy business owner, it’s unlikely you’ll have the time to ring around a range of suppliers for bespoke business gas and electricity quotes. That’s where the energy experts at MoneySuperMarket can help.  

One call to us is all it takes for us to compare tariffs for you from our panel of energy suppliers. We only need your postcode to start a MoneySuperMarket business energy comparison. We then use smart data to find out more about your business and its energy usage. Once we have all the info we need, we can find a competitive deal that suits the needs and budget of your business. 

The final decision is always with you – we supply the quotes, and you pick the one you like best. 

Give our business energy experts a call now on 0800 140 4667.