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How to switch business energy
Follow these six simple steps to switch your business gas or electricity supplier with ease.
Step 1: Request business energy quotes
Start by requesting business energy quotes directly from suppliers or through our experts. Providing an accurate business energy consumption estimate helps suppliers produce accurate quotes and ensures you get the most competitive rates available.
Step 2: Choose your preferred quote
Review your quotes as soon as possible, as prices on the wholesale energy market change frequently and can affect your quotes. Check the business energy tariff type, contract length, and expected annual cost, then choose the option that best fits your business needs and budget.
Step 3: Review and sign your contract
Your chosen supplier or business energy broker will send a business energy contract confirming your rates, meter details, and start date. Fill in the relevant details about your business and sign to start your switch. Ensure you’ve reviewed all the terms, as there are no cooling-off periods on these contracts.
Step 4: Supplier approval and checks
Your new business energy supplier will confirm your information and run a credit check. Your current supplier will also be notified and may object if you have unpaid bills, are still in contract, or not listed as the account holder.
Step 5: Switching process
Once approved, your new supplier manages the entire switch behind the scenes. The process usually takes 17–21 days. Your new supplier will confirm in advance, advising you of the date of your switch.
Step 6: Your new supply begins
Take a meter reading on your switch date for both your new and old suppliers. You’ll then receive a closing business energy bill from your old supplier and your first invoice from your new one, based on the meter reading on the switch date.
When can I switch my business energy?
Businesses considering switching business energy suppliers must first consider whether it is possible to do so without incurring expensive exit fees with their current supplier. Below, we analyse the most common scenarios.
Standard variable tariff
Businesses that have recently moved or have been automatically rolled onto variable rates after a previous tariff has expired can switch supplier immediately.
Switch date: ASAP (c.3 weeks typically)
Fixed tariff ending within 1 year
Businesses paying a fixed-term tariff can arrange a business energy switch in the last year of their contract, with the switch date scheduled for the final contract date.
Switch date: End date of current contract
Fixed tariff with over 1 year left
It is not possible to switch business energy suppliers without incurring expensive exit fees (with the exception is when your business leaves its property).
Switch date: N/A
Reasons to switch your business energy supplier
Here are the key benefits when changing to a new supplier.
Cost savings
Default variable business energy rates are often far higher than fixed deals available on the market. By switching, you could save up to 45% on your business gas and electricity bills.
Improved service
Many new suppliers provide faster support, smarter billing, and online account tools designed around your business. Better service can make managing your energy supply far easier.
Fixed rates
Lock in a fixed-rate business energy tariff to protect your company from price rises and budget confidently for the months ahead. You can also explore green business energy options that combine stability with renewable power.
The difference between switching business gas and business electricity
While the process is similar, there are a few key differences between switching business gas and electricity suppliers.
Meter types
Business gas supplies use a single-rate meter, while electricity can have multi-rate or half-hourly electricity meter setups. Half-hourly meters require detailed usage data and sometimes manual validation before your new supplier can confirm the switch.
Dual-fuel switches
Business gas and electricity are always separate contracts, but your supplier can usually coordinate them to start and end at the same time. Aligning both contracts makes billing simpler and helps you manage renewals more efficiently across your business.
How do I switch commercial energy suppliers for multiple business locations?
The process for switching business energy suppliers across multiple sites depends on how your contracts are currently managed.
Switching multiple business energy contracts
If each property has its own energy contract, start by reviewing your usage, tariff, and contract end date for every site. Most suppliers allow quotes up to six months before renewal.
Once you’ve gathered this information, ask suppliers to tender for your full portfolio and align all contracts to a common end date. This makes managing your portfolio much simpler.
Our experts can handle the process for you and gather quotes for each property. Start by entering your head office details above.
Switching business energy with a multi-site meter
If your business uses a multi-site meter, switching is more straightforward. Contact your current supplier for renewal rates, then compare them with deals from other trusted business energy suppliers.
If pricing or service falls short, our business energy experts can collect quotes for your entire portfolio during the final year of your existing contract to help you secure a better deal.
Business Energy Switch FAQs
Here, we answer the frequently asked questions surrounding the mechanics of switching business energy suppliers.
Do I need to sign an LOA when switching to a business energy supplier?
Yes, if you are using a comparison service to switch your energy contract, you will need a letter of authority.
An LOA is a legal document that is always required when using a business energy broker. The LOA generally gives your broker permission to:
- Request and obtain energy industry-held data about your property.
- Submit your contract with your chosen commercial electricity/business gas supplier.
- Communicate with your current supplier on your behalf.
- Resolve any objections arising in the switching process.
What do I need to do to prepare for my switch?
As you can see in our step-by-step guide above, switching business energy suppliers is mostly a matter of paperwork and requires little preparation.
However, we do advise that you arrange to take a meter reading on your scheduled switch date to provide to your new and old suppliers. This will prevent the suppliers from estimating energy consumption on their final and first bills, respectively.
Is there a fee for switching business energy suppliers?
No, switching business energy suppliers is free if you are coming to the end of your fixed rate tariff or if you pay default variable business energy rates.
However, if you are currently in a fixed energy tariff, you will need to pay an exit fee to terminate your contract and switch to a new supplier.
💡 Exit fees in business energy contracts can be expensive. Typically, it is not worth paying one of these fees to switch contracts.
Here is our full guide to getting out of a business energy contract.
You may also incur a fee if you choose to use an Energy Consultant instead of a broker or switch directly with a business energy supplier. For more information on this topic, please refer to our business energy broker guide.
What happens if I don’t switch when my business contract ends?
Your business energy contract will include a provision for what happens if you haven’t arranged a switch when your contract ends. Typically, you will continue to be supplied by your existing supplier under one of the following automatic tariffs:
- A rollover fixed contract for 1 to 3 years at rates defined by your supplier
- A default standard variable contract, which you can switch from at any time.
How long does the switch take?
According to Ofgem (the energy regulator), once you have signed your new business energy contract, it can take up to 21 days to complete a switch, but in most cases, it is around 17 days.
These switching times apply in the case of an ‘as soon as possible’ business energy switch. If you are currently on a fixed business energy tariff, the switch will be arranged to be completed on your current contract end date.
To ensure a smooth and timely business energy switch, it is a good idea to start the process well before your current contract’s end date and work closely with your new business energy supplier to provide any additional information they need.
Additional factors that affect the time it takes to switch business energy providers include:
- Meter type: If your business has a half-hourly meter, switching may take longer as it requires more technical work.
- Credit checks: If there are any issues with your company credit rating, this can delay the switching process.
- Objections: Your current energy supplier may object to the transfer to the new supplier if the requested start date is before your current contract ends or if you have outstanding payments with your existing supplier.
Source: Ofgem – Switching your business to a new energy tariff or supplier
Can I switch my business energy supplier if I have outstanding bills?
It is possible to switch business energy suppliers even if you have outstanding bills.
However, certain conditions and requirements need to be met before switching. Firstly, if you have outstanding bills with your current business energy supplier, you must pay these before you switch. Your current supplier can object to your switch if you owe them money. You may also need to settle any early termination fees or other charges that may apply if you are still in a contract with your current supplier.
If you cannot fully pay your outstanding bills, you can discuss payment options with your supplier to arrange a payment plan. Once you have an agreed payment plan and have fully paid it off, you can switch business energy suppliers.
If you owe more than £500 for gas or electricity, your current supplier may object to your switch. However, you can still switch if you can provide a letter of no objection from your current supplier or a letter from a debt advisor confirming that the debt is being managed.
You can complete a business energy switch in the UK even if you have outstanding bills, as long as you settle the outstanding balance or have a payment plan in place with your current supplier.
Do I need a new energy meter installed when switching business energy suppliers?
When switching business energy suppliers, you will not need a new energy meter installed. Even if you’re moving to a new property and changing your energy supplier, the likelihood is that you will not need to have a new meter installed.
You may only need a new meter installed if you’re moving to new business premises without an energy meter installed or where a meter is broken.
In this case, you can notify your new supplier and install a new meter on your premises.
How easy is it to change business energy suppliers?
Switching business energy suppliers can seem daunting, but it is just a matter of paperwork. Check out our step-by-step guide to switching business energy above.
It is important to remember that changing suppliers doesn’t involve any physical changes to the pipes and wires that supply your commercial property with energy.
If you switch business energy suppliers with AquaSwitch, our energy experts will make the process as hassle-free as possible. Start by simply entering your business postcode into our address finder below.
Is it best to switch business energy supplier now?
Following the energy crisis, many businesses are paying variable business energy rates in the hope that wholesale energy rates will continue to fall.
If you are in this situation, we recommend checking the fixed rates currently available. Simply add your postcode to our business postcode finder below to compare your current business electricity prices and business gas prices.
You may find that your business can make significant savings today by switching to a one-year contract offered on the market. Check out our complete guide on whether you should fix energy prices for 2026.
Can you switch business energy suppliers with debt?
If you’re in debt, you can switch business energy suppliers. However, this debt must be less than 28 days old at the point of switching.
After switching, you’ll be issued with a final bill by your current business energy supplier that requests payment of all outstanding amounts due. If you have unpaid business energy bills over 28 days overdue, you will need to pay these before attempting to switch to a new supplier.