Guide library
Clear explanations of the choices, evidence, language and provider roles involved in commercial energy.
47 guides across 8 topics. Use the sections below to move from a business question to the evidence and decisions that matter.
Understand adviser roles, remuneration, authority, supplier coverage and the procurement process before appointing anyone.
What should we expect a broker to do for our business?
Understand the broker's role, what may be included and what remains your responsibility.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
How can we find out what our broker is being paid?
A plain-English explanation of fees, embedded commission and the questions to ask.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What am I allowing an energy broker to do?
What an LOA may permit and what to check before signing.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
How do we know whether two business energy quotes are genuinely comparable?
Compare total cost, assumptions, risk and service—not just the headline unit rate.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Should we contact a supplier, broker or consultant?
Separate the organisations that sell energy, arrange contracts and provide advice.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
How should we select and check a business energy broker?
A practical, evidence-led checklist for appointing a broker without confusing sales claims, service scope or remuneration.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Does ‘whole of market’ mean every business energy supplier?
Understand what broker market coverage means and what evidence to request before relying on a comparison.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What information should we prepare before seeking business energy prices?
Prepare consistent company, site, meter, consumption and contract evidence before asking suppliers or brokers to quote.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Turn bills, meter identifiers, half-hourly data, demand and capacity into information you can use.
What are we actually paying for on our energy bill?
Separate consumption, unit prices, standing charges, taxes and site identifiers.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Why does half-hourly data matter to our business?
How interval data helps organisations understand timing, peaks and site behaviour.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What is the difference between a standing charge and a unit rate?
Understand the fixed daily charge, the price per unit consumed and why both matter when comparing contracts.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Is our electricity meter half-hourly or non-half-hourly, and why does that matter?
Understand what the labels mean, how settlement and data differ, and what a decision-maker should check.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What are our MPAN and MPRN, and are they the same as the meter number?
Identify electricity and gas supply points correctly across bills, meters, contracts and sites.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Is our business energy bill based on actual or estimated readings?
Understand how readings become billed consumption and how to investigate an estimate that looks wrong.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What is the difference between kW, kWh and kVA?
A plain-English guide to power, consumption and electrical capacity.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Who is responsible when our business meter, data or connection needs attention?
Understand the separate roles of the supplier, network operator, meter operator and data services.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What is the difference between consumption, maximum demand and capacity?
Distinguish kWh used, kW demand and the electrical capacity reserved for a business site.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Where do we find the reliable information about our sites, meters, contracts and consumption?
A practical source map for the information needed before buying, checking or improving business energy.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Keep site-level facts visible while deciding what should be aligned, consolidated or managed centrally.
Should we buy energy for all our sites together?
Understand aligned renewals, consolidated information and portfolio buying.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Can we receive fewer energy invoices without losing detail for each site?
Understand the difference between consolidated presentation and reliable site-level control.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Can we align different energy contract end dates across our estate?
Understand coterminous end dates, bridging arrangements and the trade-offs involved in portfolio alignment.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should we do about energy when acquiring or opening another site?
Control responsibility dates, readings, supply identity and temporary rates during a property change.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What information should we hold for every site and energy supply?
Create one controlled record linking companies, locations, supply points, meters, contracts and owners.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Is the landlord or the tenant responsible for our business energy supply?
Establish who contracts, who receives the bill and how shared or recharged energy should be controlled.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should we do about energy when closing, selling or leaving a business site?
Control final readings, responsibility dates, contract exposure and record handover when a site leaves the estate.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Who do we speak to when a site needs a new connection or more electrical capacity?
Understand when the network operator, supplier and specialist contractors become involved.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Review timing, contract structure, quotations, renewal risks and what happens before and after signing.
How early should we start looking at our next energy contract?
Build a renewal timetable without mistaking an early conversation for a reason to sign immediately.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What is the difference between fixed, flexible and pass-through energy?
Understand what is fixed, what can still move and why the labels alone are not enough.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Why are we being charged an out-of-contract or deemed rate?
Why a business can be supplied without a negotiated contract and what to check next.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should we do when a supplier or broker problem is not being resolved?
Identify the responsible party, preserve evidence and use the correct escalation route.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should we expect between signing and the first accurate bill?
Manage supplier registration, opening data, billing and broker support through the handover.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should we check before renewing or replacing a business energy contract?
Recognise weak data, premature decisions, unclear charges and missed handovers before they become expensive problems.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What actually happens when a business buys or renews its energy?
A step-by-step view of buying commercial electricity or gas, from evidence gathering to contract handover.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Assess suitability, finance, grid constraints, ownership and operating assumptions before approving a project.
How do we know whether commercial solar is suitable for our site?
The evidence to gather before relying on a generation or savings proposal.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Should our business buy solar panels, lease them or use a PPA?
Compare ownership, lease-style funding and on-site power purchase structures without relying on a headline saving.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should we check before accepting a commercial solar proposal?
A decision-maker's checklist for assumptions, scope, approvals, warranties and responsibilities.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Would a battery reduce our business energy costs?
Understand the operational evidence and revenue assumptions behind a commercial battery case.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 10 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Where could a commercial solar system be installed on our estate?
Compare the property, operational and commercial questions behind three common business solar formats.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Can our business install solar if it leases the premises?
Identify the lease, consent, ownership and end-of-occupation questions before developing a solar proposal.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Can our solar system export electricity to the grid?
Understand why network approval and export assumptions can change the size, programme and economics of a project.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
How much of our solar generation will the business actually use?
Separate electricity used on site from electricity sent to the network when assessing savings and revenue.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Start with operating need, electrical capacity and site constraints before selecting charging infrastructure.
What should our business decide before procuring EV charging?
Plan workplace, fleet and visitor charging around need, capacity, access and operating responsibility.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Prioritise operational evidence, avoidable waste and investment choices before jumping to technology.
Which energy-efficiency actions should our business investigate first?
Turn bills, interval data and site knowledge into a controlled improvement programme.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
Use role-specific questions for finance, procurement, estates, operations and board-level decisions.
What should a CFO ask about commercial energy?
A finance-led framework for procurement, exposure, approvals and investment decisions.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
How should procurement lead a business energy purchase?
Structure a fair, traceable commercial-energy buying process.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should estates and operations leaders control?
Connect commercial energy decisions to sites, equipment, capacity and continuity.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending
What should a board understand before approving an energy decision?
Board-level questions for energy cost, resilience, investment and accountability.
Energy Guide editorial team · Source checked 11 September 2026 · Specialist review pending