Business energy for independent shops Sort your shop's next energy contract from behind the counter.

About 7,900 kWh a year: that was the median for shops in England and Wales in 2024, according to DESNZ's building energy statistics (ND-NEED). DESNZ's median for shops works out at about 108 kWh per square metre of floor space a year. Chilled cabinets, long opening hours and electric heating tend to push usage up.

About £3,030 a year, or £250 a month, for the median shop's 7,900 kWh at the provisional Q2 2026 average paid by businesses using up to 20,000 kWh a year (38.36p per kWh, including every charge except VAT). Your contract matters too: Dream Looks, a Marylebone boutique, cut its unit rate from 38.60p to 22.31p per kWh (excluding VAT and Climate Change Levy) by leaving deemed rates in Q4 2025.

No, not if your shop uses 1,000 kWh of electricity a month or less (an average of 33 kWh a day). HMRC treats supplies within that limit as domestic, so there's no Climate Change Levy, no certificate needed and a lower VAT rate instead of 20%: 0% in Great Britain from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, then 5% again, and 5% in Northern Ireland. If your bill shows 20% and your usage is within the limit, ask your supplier to correct it.

Yes, if you're on out-of-contract or deemed rates: Ofgem says you can switch to a new supplier at any time. Check first that your contract didn't renew you onto a new fixed term, and how much notice you need to give. Your current supplier can also object, for example if you owe it money.

At the end of your contract, unless it says otherwise. Ofgem says most suppliers won't let you switch before then unless you've agreed a termination clause or pay an exit fee. Fixed contracts also have a switching window, which opens a few months before the end, for you to renew or tell your supplier you're leaving, so check your contract for the dates and how much notice to give. The bill check looks for your contract end date and tells you in seconds whether it's time to line up your next contract.

It depends who pays the supplier. If paying the energy bill is your responsibility under the lease, Ofgem's 2022 advice for business tenants, written with Citizens Advice and Energy UK, says you can still switch, even if the lease has a default supplier clause. Check it for notice and return clauses: you may need to tell your landlord before you switch, or hand the supply back to a named supplier when you leave. If your landlord pays the supplier and recharges you through the service charge or rent, the contract is theirs, so start the conversation with them.

No. Ofgem says you can find out what's available directly from suppliers, or through an intermediary such as a broker or comparison site. Meet George is one of those intermediaries, but fully self-service: you check your bill, and if you're in your switching window, you compare contracts and sign online, with our 1p/kWh fee itemised on every quote and no sales calls.

A flat 1p per kWh, and you only pay it if you switch through Meet George. For a shop using the median 7,900 kWh a year, that's £79 a year. You pay it through your energy supplier, and it's itemised on every quote, never buried.