How The Right Business Electricity Tariff Could Help Your Company

If you run a small to medium enterprise (SME) and are concerned that you are spending too much each year on electricity and gas, it is highly recommended that you pay a visit to a energy comparison site to browse the commercial price plans available from providers in your area. Many energy suppliers offer plans that are specifically tailored to suit the needs of business customers. To find out what business electricity tariffs are available where your company is located, all you need to do is follow the links for commercial energy on a price comparison site and enter the address, name and type of business it is. Many sites also ask you to enter your current kilowatt hour (kWhs) per annum is, who your current provider is and whether you would like to view only fixed-period or every available contract. This is done to ensure the results provided are specific to your business' electricity needs. Deals that bundle gas and electricity together are included in the results but it is also possible to search for gas deals separately. Most of the major energy providers have price plans designed for SMEs, most citing a maximum yearly spend on energy and sometimes a maximum number of business sites as well in order to qualify. To qualify for the small and medium business electricity rate offered by British Gas, your yearly spend on electricity must not exceed £50,000 and your business must operate from less than twenty sites. The company's large business tariff is designed for businesses with an annual spend on electricity that is over £50,000 and operates from more than twenty sites. To qualify for the SME price plan from EDF Energy, your company's annual electricity bills will need o total less than £30,000. E.ON and Npower do not offer large business enery rates. To qualify as a SME under these providers' terms your company should have less than fifty sites and use less than £100,000 worth of electricity each year. Scottish Power does things slightly differently. It looks at the amount of electricity your business consumes in a year. If it is less than 75,000 kWhs, your business will qualify for its SME price plan. Most providers offer a discount for customers willing to pay by direct debit but it is not uncommon for them to also offer business customers other incentives. British Gas offers business customers the chance to receive 'green energy' that comes from renewable sources. This can help bring your company's Climate Change Levy (CCL) costs down. EDF will provide free energy efficiency advice so you can potentially save more money and Npower will provide you with an 'Electrisave' monitor that retails for £79.95, as well as providing energy efficiency advice and tools that could cut your energy bills by twenty-five percent. Once you have browsed the available deals, you will be able to make an informed decision on which deal will save you the most money. Do check that you will not incur a penalty fee for cancelling your contract with your current provider before you agree to switch though.