Business Energy Contracts Explained: Fixed vs Variable, and What to Check Before You Sign
Not all business energy contracts work the same way. Here's the difference between fixed and variable rates, and the terms worth reading…
Read moreAugust 27, 2026
We hear the same handful of concerns from almost every business owner before they switch supplier for the first time — and almost none of them turn out to be true in practice. Here’s what actually happens, myth by myth.
Switching only changes who bills you, not the physical gas or electricity reaching your premises. There’s no engineer visit, no new meter in almost all cases, and no gap in supply — the process happens entirely on the administrative side, coordinated between suppliers and the network operator without any physical work at your premises.
Your new supplier handles the handover with your old one directly, including notifying them of the change and settling the final meter reading. You don’t need to call and cancel anything yourself, and you won’t be billed twice for the same period — the changeover date is set precisely so there’s no overlap.
In most cases it’s a single electronic contract, based on the meter details and usage from your existing bill. If you use a broker, this part is handled for you — we complete the contract details and you simply confirm and sign.
This is really the only one with some truth to it — properly comparing the market does take time, which is exactly why most businesses never get round to it and end up rolling onto an expensive default rate instead. That’s the gap a broker closes: we do the comparing, you just decide whether the numbers make sense.
A supplier switch is a straightforward commercial contract change, not a credit application in any meaningful sense — it has no bearing on your business credit file, and your existing supplier has no way to flag the switch to anyone beyond the standard industry handover process.
See our full guide to switching business energy supplier for the exact process from start to finish, including realistic timelines for each stage.
If the only thing holding you back has been uncertainty about the process rather than the numbers, send us a recent bill — we’ll handle the comparison and talk you through exactly what switching would involve for your business, with no pressure to go ahead if the numbers don’t stack up.
Get a free, no-obligation quote in minutes.
Get a Free QuoteNot all business energy contracts work the same way. Here's the difference between fixed and variable rates, and the terms worth reading…
Read moreRunning more than one site multiplies the admin of tracking renewal dates, rates and suppliers. Here's how to keep it under control…
Read moreBroadband and phone lines get bundled together so often that it's easy to overpay for one while under-provisioning the other. Here's how…
Read more