Business energy renewals: a complete UK guide

Start 3-6 months before your contract ends

The renewal 'sweet spot' is 3-6 months before your current contract end date. You're inside most suppliers' forward-quoting window (typically up to 12 months), but not so far ahead that quotes are heavily hedged.

Starting earlier than 6 months rarely gets sharper prices; starting later than 6 weeks starts to reduce your options — some suppliers stop quoting new contracts inside a 30-day window.

What to gather

Have these to hand before you start the renewal:

• MPAN / MPRN
• 12 months of usage in kWh
• Current supplier, tariff name and contract end date
• Any planned changes to the business — expansion, closures, new equipment
• Companies House registration name (for the Letter of Authority)

The mistake that costs businesses the most

Letting the contract run past its end date without a new one signed. When that happens, you get moved onto 'out-of-contract' or 'deemed' rates that are typically 40-80% more expensive. The fix is trivial (sign a new contract) but every day of delay costs meaningful money.

Reverse-auction and whole-of-panel renewals

A properly-run renewal quotes the whole broker panel — 6-15 suppliers — on the same date, same contract length and same usage profile. That's how you get genuine like-for-like prices and a real comparison against your renewal quote from the incumbent.