Can I switch gas or electricity separately for my business?
Yes. Gas and electricity are separate supplies with their own meter points and contracts, so you can switch either fuel alone, use two suppliers, or move both together. Check each contract's end date before you move.
Why they can be split
Your electricity supply is identified by an MPAN and your gas supply by an MPRN. Each is a separate contract with its own price, term and end date. Ofgem also treats the fuels separately when it applies thresholds: you can be a microbusiness for one fuel and not the other (Ofgem: get energy for your business).
Three set-ups
| Set-up | Good for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Same supplier, both fuels, aligned dates | One bill and one renewal | May not be best price on each fuel |
| Same supplier, different end dates | Keeping flexibility | Two renewals to track |
| Different suppliers per fuel | Chasing best rate on each | Two bills, two accounts, two sets of terms |
Check before you switch one fuel
- Contract end date for that fuel. An unexpired fixed term on one fuel does not stop you switching the other.
- Whether a bundled discount exists. Some deals tie the price to taking both fuels. Ask whether the rate changes if you take only one.
- Debt on the account. If an account covers both fuels, an unpaid balance may affect the switch (see switching with debt).
Worked example
A restaurant has gas ending in March and electricity ending in September. Its gas use is 80,000 kWh a year. A new gas quote at 8.5p/kWh instead of the current 9.2p would save 0.7p × 80,000 = £560 a year before VAT. It can switch gas in March and leave electricity until September, staggering the renewals rather than paying an exit fee on electricity. Then, if it wants, it can align later.
To convert gas meter readings to kWh for comparison, use our gas units to kWh converter.
Does gas-only or electricity-only matter?
Some businesses have only one fuel (an all-electric office, say), so there is nothing to split. If you do have both, compare dual and single-fuel quotes; our guide to dual fuel for business goes into the trade-offs.
Ask each supplier for the quote with and without the other fuel. Do the sums yourself on the full-year cost, not the headline rate.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming one switch covers both fuels. Check that your new supplier is switching the MPAN and the MPRN, not just one.
- Forgetting that a shared account may carry one fuel's debt into the other's switch.
- Comparing a gas-only quote with a dual quote without allowing for each fuel's standing charge, which is paid daily whether or not you use any energy.
If one fuel is out of contract and on a deemed rate, moving it first is often the quickest saving: see how much more deemed rates cost.
Next steps
- Find the end date of each contract.
- Get quotes for each fuel separately and together.
- Pick the cheaper total, accounting for standing charges.
Sources
General information only. Energy prices, rules and supplier terms change; check the latest position with your supplier, Ofgem or the Energy Ombudsman before you act.