When it comes to business energy rates, tariffs can vary wildly from supplier to supplier. It’s therefore pertinent to do a little research and compare business energy rates to find the best possible deal for your company. In addition to securing affordable energy, you’ll also want to find a supplier with a proven track record when it comes to customer satisfaction. This will ensure that you’ll enjoy a stress-free experience when it comes to managing your gas and electricity supplies, which in turn means you’ll be able to spend more time concentrating on the more important aspects of running a business.
In this article, we examine the companies which have received the most positive customer feedback. In addition to this, we’ll also look at the companies who ranked lowest. You may be surprised by the results – particularly because some of the “big six” energy suppliers have ranked poorly for customer satisfaction in 2020. On the contrary, the most positive scores for customer service have been awarded to some of the UK’s smallest energy providers.
These results are based on this year’s Which? Energy Survey. It is the biggest survey of its kind, which takes into account the ratings of over 30 different energy companies, with data gathered from 8,000 energy customers in the UK. The survey focuses on the following categories:
• Accuracy of bills
• Clarity of bills
• Customer service
• How complaints are dealt with
• Digital tools on offer
• Value for money
Business energy tariffs can bamboozle even the brightest minds. Unit prices, contract lengths, business location, consumption rates and standing charges can all impact how much you pay. On average, small-medium enterprises can expect to pay between 2.9p and 3.4p per kWh for electricity and around 4.2p per kWh for gas, in addition to facing a standing charge in the region of 70p per day for each. Companies who consume over 100,000 kWh per year might be able to access lower prices, although this is unlikely unless your company is directly involved in manufacturing, engineering or another industry which uses a lot of energy.
For the second year in a row, Octopus Energy has topped the charts and taken the crown as the UK’s best energy supplier. The firm received full marks (five stars) for bill accuracy, complaints handling and customer service in addition to a respective four out of five for bill clarity, value for money and digital tools. Overall, Octopus Energy received a customer satisfaction score of 80%. Despite only launching in 2016, the supplier has already attracted over 1.4 million domestic and commercial customers in the UK. It offers a large variety of tariffs, including a 100% renewable electricity deal for those who want to do their bit for the environment.
Ebico is hot on the heels of Octopus Energy, having received an overall customer satisfaction score of 79%. This small, not-for-profit energy company has two decades of experience under its belt and puts any profits into projects designed to help those living in fuel poverty. All Ebico tariffs use 100% renewable energy. The brand currently doesn’t offer energy plans for businesses, although this is expected to change soon.
Businesses are increasingly turning to Bulb Energy on account of its low tariffs, simple breakdown of costs and high customer satisfaction rating. The supplier launched in 2015 and now boasts over one million UK customers. One of the advantages of Bulb Energy is that there are no exit fees, which means your business is free to switch to an alternative supplier if you find a better deal elsewhere. Both domestic and business customers can expect to make use of 100% renewable energy when they switch to Bulb Energy.
Yet another 100% renewable supplier has ranked highly for value for money and customer satisfaction. People’s Energy is an East Lothian-based supplier which is committed to giving 75% of its profits back to customers, either through reductions on bills or credit on their accounts. It’s an interesting money-saving concept which has attracted the attention of thousands of businesses throughout the UK.
Utility Warehouse has been offering low-cost energy to UK businesses since 2005. The brand offers a unique and interesting concept which allows businesses to pair other essential business services (such as phone, broadband) with their energy bills to enjoy combined savings, all under one umbrella.
Together Energy is the worst-rated supplier out of 35 in the Which? Business Energy Survey. The brand launched in 2016, and currently has over 600,000 customers. In terms of overall customer satisfaction, Together Energy scored just 48%.
While Spark Energy scored well for its complaints handling strategy, it received just two out of five for value for money and customer service. Spark Energy actually ceased trading in 2018 – however, Ovo Energy, who took over the brand, retained the Spark name.
Scottish Power is one of the big six energy providers in the UK. Despite having a strong foothold on the UK market, the supplier, which currently supplies over 5 million homes and businesses throughout the UK, is rated as one of the poorest performing in the country. The firm recently sold its gas plants, closed its coal-powered stations and now supplies most of its energy from renewable sources.
Ultimately, the recent Which? Business Energy Survey has revealed that bigger isn’t always better. Some of the UK’s largest suppliers have performed worst when it comes to value for money and customer service. In contrast, smaller suppliers have consistently ranked higher across all criteria, which means your business could benefit by switching to an independent energy company today.
To see how much you could save, why not use our energy supplier comparison tool to find out more about the cheapest tariffs and best energy suppliers in terms of customer service? It only takes a couple of minutes, and your business could start saving money immediately.