TL;DR: Key Takeaways
The Cost of Doing Nothing: Businesses on deemed rates (currently c. 38p/kWh) pay a massive premium. A typical small business stands to waste thousands this year by not switching to a contracted rate (c. 22p/kWh).
The 5-Day Reality: The logistical transfer of your supply takes just 5-21 days. The weeks of back and forth between your broker and you is due to the manual, fossilised process of traditional switching.
The Broker Trap: Traditional brokers hide their fees in your unit rate, often adding 3-4p per kWh. They create anxiety with jargon and pressure you with false deadlines.
Crucial Warning: Unlike your home energy contract, business contracts have NO cooling-off period. Once you sign, you are legally locked in.
The New Way: Meet George replaces the broker with AI. Upload a PDF of your bill, and our platform handles the data, the Letter of Authority, and the quote comparison instantly. It takes 10 minutes, and our commission is a transparent, flat 1p/kWh - typically 75% cheaper than a broker.
What Is Business Energy Switching?
Business energy switching is the process of changing your commercial gas or electricity supplier to secure better rates, improved contract terms, or enhanced service. Unlike residential switching, business energy contracts have no cooling-off period, require a Letter of Authority (LOA) to access your consumption data, and involve negotiating with suppliers who set prices based on your business’s specific usage profile. The process typically involves checking your current contract status, authorising data access, comparing quotes from multiple suppliers, and signing a new contract that triggers an industry meter transfer.
Business Energy Switching: Why It Takes Weeks
Switching business energy suppliers is often described as a “fossilised” process. While the logistical transfer of your meter only takes between 5 and 21 days, the administrative nightmare leading up to that moment - dealing with brokers, chasing bills, and decoding complex quotes - can drag on for weeks.
Most SMEs avoid switching because of this friction. They fear the admin spiral of hunting down paperwork and navigating aggressive sales calls.
Meet George changes this. We automate the entire process using AI. Upload a PDF of your bill, and our platform extracts the data, handles the Letter of Authority (LOA) digitally, and lets you switch in 10 minutes.
But to understand why Meet George is different, you need to understand how the traditional industry actually works. Here is everything you need to know about switching business energy in 2025.
Why Most Businesses Don’t Switch (But Should)
1. The Cost of Inertia
A significant number of UK SMEs are currently on “deemed rates” or out-of-contract tariffs. Deemed rates are the default price you pay when your contract expires and you haven’t actively renewed. Learn more about deemed rates and why they cost you 80% more.
Deemed rates are currently hovering around 38p/kWh, but due to market volatility, they can spike as high as 50p/kWh or more. In contrast, a competitive contracted rate is currently closer to 22p/kWh.
Let’s look at the maths for a business using 25,000 kWh annually:
- On Deemed Rates (38p): £9,500 per year
- On Contracted Rates (22p): £5,500 per year
- The Loss: £4,000 per year wasted due to inaction
2. The “Jargon Friction”
The second reason businesses stay stuck is that the process is abstract and confusing.
SMEs are experts at what they do. If you run a barbershop, you are excellent at being a barber. If you run a nail salon, you are a specialist nail technician. You shouldn’t need to understand complex energy jargon like “standing charges,” “DUoS,” “TNUoS,” or “kVA allowances.”
Traditional brokers speak in “pence per kilowatt hour” - an abstract figure that makes it hard to visualise the impact on your bank balance. This creates anxiety, so business owners put it off.
Meet George removes the abstraction. While we show the unit rates for transparency, we focus on the pound note value: “You pay £500/month now. You will pay £350/month with this switch. You save £1,800/year.” That is concrete, clear, and actionable.
The 5-Step Business Energy Switching Process
Step 1: Check Your Contract Status
Before you can switch, you must determine your status to avoid penalties.
Scenario A: Out of Contract (Deemed Rates) If your contract has expired, you are free to leave immediately. There are no exit fees. You should switch today to stop overpaying.
Scenario B: Mid-Contract If you have time remaining on your fixed-term contract, leaving early usually triggers a Termination Fee. Warning: Some contracts include “Mark to Market” clauses. This isn’t just a flat fine; it means you must pay the supplier for the energy they bought in advance for you, calculated on the difference between the wholesale price then and now. This can be substantial.
Scenario C: Renewal Window (The “Sweet Spot”) Typically 1-6 months before your contract ends, you enter the renewal window. You can sign a contract now with a new supplier that will go live the day your current contract ends. This locks in today’s rates without incurring exit fees. Warning: Be careful of digital renewal traps - clicking a “confirm” link in a supplier email during this period could lock you into an expensive auto-renewal.
How to find your end date: Check your latest bill. If it’s not listed (some suppliers annoyingly omit this), check your original contract. As a last resort, call your supplier to ask.
Step 2: The Letter of Authority (LOA) & Data Gathering
In the traditional process, gathering data is a headache. You might think you need to hunt down your annual consumption (kWh), but you actually just need to grant access.
The Letter of Authority (LOA) is the key. This is a legal document authorising a broker or platform to speak to suppliers and retrieve your consumption data from the central industry database (Xoserve (opens in new tab) for gas, ElectraLink (opens in new tab) for electricity) on your behalf.
Important: Not all LOAs are the same. There are two types: Level 1 (information only) and Level 2 (full authority to sign contracts on your behalf). Level 2 LOAs are used by some brokers to lock you into contracts without your consent. Learn more about LOA types and how to protect yourself.
Traditional Way: The broker emails you a PDF form to print, sign, scan, and email back. Some modern brokers may send a DocuSign link, but they still then have to manually request your data (EAC or AQ).
Meet George Way: You simply upload a PDF of your latest bill. Our AI extracts your MPAN/MPRN and address, automatically generates a digital LOA, and you sign it on-screen. We then pull all your consumption data instantly in the background.
Step 3: Compare Quotes (The Danger Zone)
This is where the process splits into three very different paths. Here’s how they compare at a glance:
Quick Comparison: Your Switching Options
| Method | Time to Switch | Typical Fee | Fee Transparency | Market Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Broker | 1-2 weeks | 3-4p/kWh | Hidden in contract | Limited (upfront commission-paying suppliers) |
| Comparison Sites | 1-2 weeks | Variable | Hidden in contract | Limited panel |
| Meet George | 10 minutes | 1p/kWh | Shown separately | 20+ suppliers |
Path A: The Traditional Broker (Slow & Opaque)
- The Process: You speak to a human energy broker. They take your details, then manually go out to tender.
- The Limited Market: Brokers often favour suppliers who pay them upfront commissions (sometimes 70-80% of the total commission value on Day 1). This means you aren’t seeing the whole market - just the suppliers that pay the broker the best.
- The “Uplift”: Brokers add their fee into your unit rate. While 2024 rules state this must be disclosed on the contract, it is often not made obvious. They might add 3p, 4p, or in extremely predatory scenarios, up to 10p per kWh to your rate. Learn how hidden broker commissions work and how to spot them.
- The Pressure: Expect calls claiming “rates expire today.” For SMEs, prices typically update weekly or monthly (unlike more frequent updates for larger energy users), so this is usually just a sales tactic.
Path B: Online Comparison Sites
- The Process: Faster than a broker, but often still requires a phone call to finalise the deal.
- The Limitation: Like brokers, they are limited to the panel of suppliers they have commercial relationships with. You are often still blocked from completing the full switch online without human intervention.
Path C: Meet George (Transparent & Automated)
- The Process: Instant comparison of 20+ suppliers.
- The Cost Advantage: Because we use AI and automate the switching process, we are typically 75% to 80% cheaper than traditional brokers.
- Full Visibility: You see the base wholesale rate and our fee separately. No hidden charges.
Step 4: Review and Sign the Contract
Once you select a quote, the supplier generates a contract (usually via DocuSign or PDF).
Traditional Way: The broker sends you the document. If you have questions about complex terms like “take-or-pay clauses,” you have to rely on the broker to explain them.
Meet George Way: You view the contract digitally. Our platform features an AI Contract Assistant. You can ask it limitless questions: “Does this contract have a termination fee?”, “Explain the payment terms,” or “Is this a green tariff?” You get instant, unbiased answers before you sign.
Step 5: The Switch
WARNING: There is NO Cooling-Off Period. Unlike residential energy, business energy contracts do not have a 14-day cooling-off period. Once you sign, you are legally committed for the full term. Ensure you are happy with the rates before signing.
The Timeline: Once the contract is signed, it must be submitted to the supplier. Meet George handles this instantly via API (a secure digital connection to the supplier’s system), whereas traditional brokers may submit the contract paperwork manually.
Once submitted:
- Fast Track Switching: Can be completed in as little as 5 working days.
- Standard Switching: Typically takes 11 to 21 days.
During this time, your new supplier takes over the meter registration logistically. If you are in credit with your old supplier, they will refund the balance to you after the final bill is settled.
How Meet George Fixes a Broken Market
Traditional switching is a manual process involving PDFs, phone tag, and abstract jargon. It takes weeks of admin time and often results in businesses overpaying due to limited market access and opaque broker commissions.
Meet George is different:
- Upload your PDF bill: No manual data entry. AI does the work.
- Real Money Logic: We show savings in pounds, not just abstract unit rates.
- Transparent Pricing: We charge a flat 1p/kWh fee. We are 75-80% cheaper than the industry standard.
- True Self-Service: Complete the entire switch - from quote to contract - in 10 minutes online. No sales calls.
The Result: You get the same energy, from the same suppliers, but cheaper, faster, and with zero headaches.
Ready to stop overpaying? We are launching in Q1 2026. Join the Platform Waitlist to get early access and ensure you never deal with a cold-calling broker again.