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On deemed rates? Compare business energy quotes and move onto a contract.
If you have moved into business premises without agreeing an energy contract, you are likely paying deemed rates. These are typically far more expensive than contracted rates. We compare quotes from 30+ suppliers on our panel and, in many cases, can backdate your contract to the day you moved in.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Online quotes available 24/7.
- Same-day contracts available
- Backdating available in many cases
- We will always work to avoid a security deposit
Per kWh, excluding VAT, the Climate Change Levy and standing charges. Not a quote.
What are deemed rates?
A deemed contract is created automatically when a business uses gas or electricity at a premises without having agreed a contract with the supplier. This most often happens when you take over a property and the energy is still supplied by the company the previous occupier used.
The supplier still needs to bill someone for the energy being used, so it places the new occupier on its deemed rates from the date they took over. You do not sign anything or agree to the price. The supply simply continues and the charges build up.
Each supplier sets its own deemed rates and publishes them. They are not fixed for a set period, so they can change, and there is no agreed end date. They stay in place until you agree a contract, either with the current supplier or with another supplier.
Deemed rates compared with a contract
- Unit rates are typically much higher than a contract
- Standing charges are often higher too
- Prices are not fixed and can change
- Set by the supplier, with no comparison or negotiation
- Apply automatically from the day you take over
- Prices compared across the suppliers on our panel
- Unit rates and standing charges fixed for the contract term
- Clear start and end dates, so you can budget
- Chosen to suit your usage and your business
- Can often be backdated to the day you moved in
Why deemed rates are bad for business
The biggest issue is cost. Deemed rates are usually well above the prices available on a contract, and the gap applies to every unit of energy you use. For a business that is busy fitting out or opening new premises, that adds up quickly.
They also make budgeting difficult. Because the rates are not fixed, you cannot be sure what your bills will be from one quarter to the next.
Many businesses do not realise they are on deemed rates until the first bill arrives, sometimes several months after moving in. By then the extra cost has already been charged.
The previous occupier's unpaid bills do not pass to you, because energy contracts are linked to the business, not the property. But you are responsible for the energy used from the date you took over, so it pays to act early.
The cost of waiting
This is an illustration only and not a quote. It compares example unit rates of 45p per kWh on deemed rates and 25p per kWh on a contract, and excludes VAT, the Climate Change Levy and standing charges.
Extra paid on deemed rates compared with the example contract rate. At this usage, every month on deemed rates costs around £667 more.
Backdating your contract to the day you moved in
In many cases we can arrange for your new contract to start from the date you took over the premises. When that happens, the energy you have used since moving in is billed at your contracted rates rather than deemed rates, so the extra cost shown above is avoided.
Illustration only. Whether a contract can be backdated, and how far, depends on the supplier and your circumstances.
How it works
- 1.Tell us the date you took over the premises.
- 2.We find your meters and current supplier from your address.
- 3.We compare suppliers on our panel that can backdate to your move-in date.
- 4.Once you agree a contract, the supplier rebills from your start date at your contracted rates.
Going direct to a supplier
If you contact a supplier directly, backdating is often not available. The contract usually starts on the day it is agreed, so the period since you moved in stays on deemed rates. We work with a wide range of suppliers and know which can backdate, which gives you the best chance of avoiding those charges.
The sooner you contact us, the more options there are, so please do not wait for your first bill.
Move onto contracted rates, often the same day
We can secure a contract in your name the same day, have you on contracted rates within 24 hours in many instances, and in many cases backdate it to the day you moved in. You do not need a bill or your meter numbers to get started.
Takes less than 10 minutes. Online quotes available 24/7.
Or call us on 0333 016 6680