Why Understanding Your Business Energy Supply Matters

Choosing the right business power supplier is about more than just rates—it's about control. With the right insights, tools, and monitoring, businesses can compare offers with confidence, reduce their energy consumption, and avoid common pitfalls like hidden non-commodity costs, unclear standing charges, or misaligned contract terms.

At OAK Network, we don’t supply energy—we supply knowledge. Our mission is to help businesses manage and monitor their energy usage, so they can make informed decisions when the time comes to compare or switch suppliers.

Types of Business Energy Contracts

Whether you're a small business or managing multiple sites as a larger business, understanding your options is the first step to saving money.

• Fully fixed contracts: Lock in prices for up to five years. Great for budget certainty, but you may pay a premium if wholesale prices fall.

• Flexible tariffs: Suitable for businesses with higher usage that want to respond to market trends—though not for the faint-hearted.

• Green tariffs: Ideal for companies keen to reduce their carbon footprint and show sustainability leadership. Some suppliers offer zero carbon electricity from renewables or offsets.

Tip: Understanding your current usage patterns through energy monitoring tools can make all the difference when choosing a new contract. By tracking when and how your business consumes power—whether that’s daily peaks, seasonal shifts, or unnecessary out-of-hours usage—you gain the insight needed to choose a tariff that actually fits. This data can help you avoid overpaying on fixed contracts, spot opportunities for flexible deals, or justify switching to a green tariff.

Comparing Business Power Suppliers in the UK

There are many energy suppliers in the market, each offering a different balance of price, service, and contract terms. Here are some of the most prominent:

Non-commodity costs

These are the parts of your bill that have nothing to do with the gas or electricity itself. They include charges for distribution, network maintenance, environmental levies, and government schemes. Together, these can make up more than 50% of your total bill.

How to manage it:
While you can’t remove these costs entirely, you can choose suppliers and tariffs that break them down clearly—or even offer rates that mitigate them through smart energy strategies (like load shifting or using stored energy). Monitoring your peak demand times can also reduce certain charges (e.g. Capacity Market Charges), especially for larger businesses.

Standing charges

This is the fixed daily fee you pay just for being connected to the grid, regardless of how much energy you use. These vary dramatically between suppliers and tariff types.

How to manage it:
If you’re a small business with low or irregular usage, a supplier with a lower (or zero) standing charge could significantly cut your costs. Use historical usage data to assess whether a tariff with a higher standing charge and lower unit cost actually saves you more in the long run—or the other way around. Your current usage patterns will reveal which is the better fit.

Energy usage habits

Leaving lights on overnight or heating unused areas adds up quickly. Even small inefficiencies, repeated daily, create large, avoidable costs.

How to manage it:
This is where real-time monitoring really pays off. Tools like OAK Network’s analytics can help you pinpoint exactly when and where energy is being wasted—whether it’s a fridge in an unused office or equipment left running over the weekend. You can then automate alerts or behavioural nudges to reduce these habits, bringing down your total usage and making your energy supply work more efficiently.

Contract type and length

Suppliers may reserve their best rates for customers who commit to longer terms—typically six months or more. But not all contracts suit all businesses.

How to manage it:
With detailed usage data, you can approach contract negotiations armed with evidence. Suppliers are more likely to offer bespoke quotes when they can see a clear, predictable usage profile. If your business is scaling or changing, monitoring allows you to spot when a fully fixed or flexible contract is better suited—so you don’t get locked into a poor-fit plan.

Switching Suppliers: Is It Worth It?

Switching your electricity supplier or gas provider can save money—but only if it aligns with your business needs and usage patterns.

Our advice?

• Access your full usage history.

• Use that data to compare deals.

• Don’t wait for your current contract to end—start exploring options at least six months in advance.

• Get support from an energy expert if you’re unsure. (We know a few!)

Knowledge is Power

At OAK Network, we believe businesses benefit most not from rushing to switch suppliers, but from understanding their energy consumption and the market around them. When you’ve got visibility and insight, you’re in control—and you can secure a deal that works for your business.

Want to start your journey to smarter energy management? Book a demo today to find out more.