The Suppliers We Tender Across
Not one price from one company. A genuine market tender.
Switch Business Electricity Supplier – Switching business electricity supplier changes who bills you and nothing else. The same power arrives down the same wires through the same meter. What it does change is what you pay, and the deadlines in your current contract decide whether you get that choice this year or next. See business electricity prices for how contracts are priced in the first place.
✔ Whole-of-market tender ✔ Bills checked, not just switched ✔ Free and no obligation ✔ Rated 4.6 on Trustpilot
What Actually Happens When You Switch
Less than most people expect, and none of it touches your supply.> Your supply is never interrupted. No engineer visits, no downtime, no change to your meter. It is a change of who is registered against the MPAN.
> The new supplier does the work. Once you sign, they register the meter and agree the transfer date with the outgoing supplier. You provide a meter reading around the switch so the final bill is right.
> It can be objected to. An outgoing supplier can block a transfer, most often for an outstanding balance or because you are still inside your contract term. Both are avoidable if you plan the timing.
> The saving is in the detail. Moving supplier is only worth doing if the deal underneath is better. Compare on an all-in rate, not the unit rate a supplier leads with.
The Deadlines That Decide Everything
Miss the window and the decision gets made for you.Every business electricity contract has a termination or notice window. Miss it and you can find yourself rolled onto the supplier’s renewal terms, or onto deemed rates. Those are set by the supplier for its own protection rather than negotiated for yours, and they show it.
The rules are not the same for everyone. Microbusinesses have specific protections around notice and rollover length; larger businesses generally have whatever their contract says and no more. Either way, the practical answer is the same: know your end date and your notice period, and work backwards from them.
Give yourself a season rather than a fortnight. Tendering properly, weighing the terms and completing a transfer all take time, and being able to say no to every offer is worth more than any negotiating tactic. If you are already out of contract or on deemed rates, that is the situation to fix first, because it is costing you now. Our supplier guide covers who is worth approaching.
How We Manage the Switch
From tender to first correct bill.Dates First
We check your end date and notice period before anything else, because everything else depends on them.
Tender, Then Advise
Your meter goes to the market and every offer is normalised, so the decision is made on comparable numbers.
Through to Billing
We handle the paperwork, the readings and the first bills, and check the new supplier has your capacity and charges right.
Switching Business Electricity FAQs
Will my electricity supply be interrupted when I switch?
No. Switching is a billing change and nothing more. Your power keeps arriving exactly as it does now, over the same cables, through the same meter. No engineer visit, no downtime.
How long does it take to switch business electricity supplier?
Usually a few weeks from signing to the transfer completing, though it depends on your contract dates. The tendering and decision-making beforehand is what needs the real time.
Can my supplier stop me switching?
It can object to a transfer, most commonly for an outstanding balance or because you are still within your contract term. Clearing the debt or timing the switch for your notice window removes the problem.
What happens if I miss my termination window?
You may be rolled onto renewal terms you did not choose, or onto deemed rates. Either way the price stops being something you agreed and becomes something applied to you. It is the most common and most avoidable way businesses overpay.
Can I switch if I am out of contract or on deemed rates?
Yes, and you should do it quickly. Deemed and out-of-contract rates are the dearest way to buy electricity, and there is normally no notice period holding you there.
Do I need a meter reading when I switch?
Yes. A reading around the transfer date makes sure the closing bill from your old supplier and the opening bill from the new one are both based on real consumption rather than an estimate.
★★★★★
★ 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