Business Energy

Business gas tariffs

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Whether your company is small, medium or large, you’ll want a supplier and business gas tariff that suits you. Our guide to business gas suppliers gives you all the information you need to help you decide which deal is right for you and your business (18/8/09)

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a gas deal for your business. The “big six” suppliers, British Gas, EDF, E.ON, npower, Scottish Power, and Scottish & Southern Energy, all offer tariffs for business customers as well as tariffs for domestic customers. Other small suppliers, such as EBICO and first:utility also offer competitive business gas prices.

Like household energy, business customers are free to choose and switch to the best energy supplier for their needs. However, with so many different tariffs and options available, deciding who to switch to will need some careful thought. Our guide to business gas suppliers will help you choose the best deal for you, no matter what size your company.

British Gas business gas

Britain’s largest energy supplier, British Gas (www.britishgas.co.uk), offers two business gas deals:

• Business gas for small and medium businesses - For businesses that spend up to £50,000 a year on their gas bills, and have less than 20 sites in the UK. Rates are fixed for a set period, so you’ll always know what you’ll be paying each month.
• Business gas for large businesses - For businesses that spend more than £50,000 a year on their gas bills and/or have more than 20 sites in the UK. Choose from either fixed or flexible contracts.

British Gas supplies energy to over 950,000 businesses and every customer has their own account manager. Your account manager will be responsible for arranging connections and metering services, as well as the registration and switchover process, and any billing or payment queries.

Your account manager can also help you get the best from your business gas supply and give you tips on energy efficiency.

Find out more about British Gas business gas tariffs.

EDF business gas

French-owned energy supplier EDF (www.edfenergy.com) offers two business gas deals:

• Business gas for small and medium businesses - For businesses that spend up to £30,000 a year on their gas bills and have less than 20 sites. Rates are fixed for a set period (either one, two or three years), so you’ll always know what you’ll be paying each month. Bills are quarterly.
• Business gas for large businesses - For businesses that spend more than £30,000 a year on their gas bills and have more than 20 sites in the UK. Choose from either fixed or flexible contracts. Bills can be monthly or quarterly.

EDF has 250,000 small and medium business customers and 200,000 large business customers, all benefiting from a choice of contract length, dedicated business advisors, 2% off quarterly bills for paying by direct debit and free energy efficiency advice.

Find out more about EDF business gas tariffs.

E.ON business gas

With over 500,000 customers, E.ON (www.eonenergy.com) is one of the UK’s largest business energy suppliers. It has one business gas tariff, designed for small and medium companies, with less than 50 sites in the UK, that use less than £100,000 of gas a year. The tariff offers:

• Competitive fixed gas prices guaranteed for the length of your contract
• Either a one or three year contract
• Free energy efficiency advice to help you reduce your gas bills
• A discount when you pay by direct debit

Choosing a three year contract means you will be able to budget your energy costs for longer, protecting your business against energy price increases for three years.

Find out more about E.ON’s business gas tariff.

Npower business gas

Npower (www.npower.com) supplies both gas and electricity to over 300,000 businesses in Britain. The supplier offers one business gas tariff aimed at small and medium businesses that use less than £100,000 worth of gas a year.

• Fixed gas prices until 2010
• Energy efficiency advice to help you lower your gas bills
• A 2% discount when you pay by direct debit

All new Npower business customers are given a free e3 pack. The e3 pack contains a free Electrisave monitor worth £79.95 (a smart meter), and all the energy efficiency tools and advice you need to reduce your energy bills by up to 25%.

Find out more about Npower’s business gas tariff.

Scottish Power business gas

Scottish Power (www.scottishpower.co.uk) offers two business gas deals:

• Business gas for small and medium businesses - For businesses that use less than 75,000kW of energy a year.
• Business gas for large businesses - For businesses that use more than 75,000kW of energy a year. Large businesses (with more than 25 sites) can benefit from Internet Invoicing, which gives customers access to up-to-date billing information whenever they want, and they can view up to 13 months’ historic data, including invoices and statements.

Scottish Power has over 200,000 business customers and allows them to pay in six different ways, including monthly/quarterly direct debit, by cheque, cash or giro cheque, and using credit/debit cards. Your business may be eligible for a discount if you pay by direct debit.

Find out more about Scottish Power business gas tariffs.

Scottish & Southern Energy business gas

Scottish & Southern Energy has over 9 million customers in the UK. Its business customers can benefit from:

• Fixed prices for the entire contract period
• Prices and quotations that are easy to understand
• Contract packages with a variety of contract periods and payment methods to suit your business
• Experienced business energy advisers
• Local customer service centres in Scotland, England and Wales. Or the option of a visit from an experienced Business Energy Adviser to talk to you about your business energy needs.

Changing your business’ gas supplier is quick and easy using the Energychoices.co.uk business energy service. You could save up to 50% on your gas and electricity bills by simply talking to a friendly, UK based savings expert today.