The Suppliers We Tender Across
Not one price from one company. A genuine market tender.
Business Electricity Quotes – A business electricity quote is not a price off a shelf. There is no cap and no published tariff, so every quote is built for your meter, on the day it is asked for. Two quotes for the same site a fortnight apart can look nothing alike. Understanding what sits inside one is how you avoid signing the wrong deal. Start with business electricity prices for the wider picture.
✔ Whole-of-market tender ✔ Bills checked, not just switched ✔ Free and no obligation ✔ Rated 4.6 on Trustpilot
What a Business Electricity Quote Actually Is
Four things that make a business quote different from a domestic tariff.> It is priced for you. Your consumption profile, meter type, region, credit position and contract start date all feed the number. Nobody publishes a rate card you can check it against.
> It has a short shelf life. Wholesale moves daily, so most quotes hold for a day or two and then have to be re-priced. Collecting them over a fortnight gives you a pile of numbers that cannot be compared.
> It may not include what you assume. Some quotes fix the non-commodity charges, others pass them through at cost. Those are different products, and the cheaper-looking one is often the one carrying the risk.
> It comes with terms. Length, renewal window, termination notice and any fees are part of the offer. A keen rate attached to a poor renewal clause is not a keen deal. See business electricity rates for what sits inside the number itself.
What the Quote Does Not Include
The exclusions are where a keen-looking number quietly grows.A quote tells you what the supplier will charge. It rarely tells you what your bill will total, because several things sit outside it.
Tax and levies are usually excluded. VAT and the Climate Change Levy are typically quoted separately or not at all, so a figure that looks like your cost per kWh is a pre-tax one. On a pass-through contract, the network and policy charges sit outside the quoted rate too and move independently of it.
Capacity is separate. On larger and half-hourly sites, the availability charge for your agreed kVA is billed whether you use that capacity or not, and a quote for the energy alone says nothing about whether your capacity is set correctly. It frequently is not.
So is anything the supplier calls a service. Meter reading, data collection on half-hourly meters, billing administration and payment handling can all appear as separate lines. None of them are large on their own. Together they are worth checking before you sign.
This is why a quote has to be converted into a total annual cost before it means anything. Our comparison process covers how that conversion is done and what data it needs.
What We Do With the Quotes
Collecting them is the easy part.Normalise Everything
Every offer reduced to one all-in p/kWh, fixed and pass-through side by side, so you are comparing deals rather than headlines.
Read the Terms
Renewal windows, termination notice and fees checked before you sign, because that is where a good rate quietly becomes a bad contract.
Check the Bill
We check your capacity and non-commodity charges are right, which is often worth more than the rate you were quoting for.
Business Electricity Quote FAQs
How long is a business electricity quote valid?
Usually a day or two. Wholesale prices move daily, so suppliers cannot hold a price open for long. That is why quotes need to be run together rather than collected over a few weeks.
Why do quotes for the same meter differ so much?
Suppliers have different books, different hedging positions and different appetites for your profile. One that is keen on your meter this quarter may not be next. That variation is the whole argument for tendering.
Can I get a business electricity quote online?
Not a real one. Business prices are not published and are quoted individually against your site data, so anything instant is an estimate. A genuine quote needs your MPAN and consumption history.
Do I need my MPAN to get a quote?
It is the single most useful thing you can provide. Your MPAN identifies the meter so suppliers can see its profile and price it properly. It is on your bill, and we can help you find it.
Is it free to get quotes through Catalyst?
Yes, and there is no obligation. If the market is not offering you anything worth moving for, we will say so rather than manufacture a switch.
How far ahead of my contract end should I ask?
Several months rather than several weeks. Suppliers will price ahead of your start date, and having time means you can decline everything and wait, which is the only leverage that actually works.
★★★★★
★ Trustpilot
TrustScore 4.6 out of 5 · Based on 53 reviews
Totally on their game!
Have been with Catalyst for several years, the service we receive is professional and trustworthy, and totally on their game! Would recommend to anyone.
Helen · 13 June 2017
Business energy advice made simple
I have always received prompt, straightforward advice from Catalyst. Their agents are down to earth, polite and happy to oblige any task you ask of them.
Nigel Green · 28 April 2017
A professional approach and knowledgable
Catalyst are honest in informing you whether the contract (electric in my case) is the most cost effective.
Les, Devon · 26 May 2017