npower Business Solutions: a neutral guide

The short version

npower Business Solutions is a business energy supplier owned by E.ON. It focuses on large and corporate customers, not on small shops or offices. If you were once an npower small-business customer, the likelier answer is that your account moved to E.ON Next.

How npower ended up inside E.ON

npower was once one of the UK's big household-name suppliers. E.ON's own information page says npower is now part of the E.ON group, that its residential and small-business customers were moved to E.ON Next, and that npower stopped trading as a residential and SME supplier. Business customers were moved to npower Business Solutions, which describes itself as powered by E.ON.

npower has been part of E.ON UK since 2019, when E.ON took it over as part of a wider deal with innogy. npower Business Solutions' own About page dates E.ON's purchase of the business arm to 2021 and names the registered company as Npower Commercial Gas Limited, based in Nottingham. We could not find a published date for when npower's small-business accounts finished moving to E.ON Next; household accounts moved over during 2020 and 2021. Do not assume the legal entity on your contract matches the brand on the website, so always check your paperwork.

Who does it serve?

According to its website, npower Business Solutions supplies large and corporate customers and says it does not supply homes or smaller businesses. It describes:

• Fixed and tailored energy contracts, including renewable options.
• New connections and temporary power supply.
• Metering services and energy-usage management.
• Energy-efficiency and net zero services, and compliance support such as energy reporting and audits.

It also says it has worked with more than 20,000 businesses. These are the company's own claims and we have not independently verified them. It also offers an energy purchasing service for consultants and brokers.

The practical consequence: if you run a café, salon, small office or trade business, you will probably not be offered a contract by this supplier. For a small business, the relevant sister brand is E.ON Next; see our E.ON Next business guide.

If you used to be an npower small-business customer

1. Look at your latest bill. The supplier name and company number tell you who actually supplies you now.
2. Find the contract end date. A transfer between group companies normally leaves your contract terms in place, but check, and keep a copy of the paperwork.
3. Check your rates. If you drifted onto a default or out-of-contract rate, it could be much higher than a fixed deal. Use the out-of-contract energy cost calculator to see what it is costing.

Reading large-customer paperwork

Larger accounts are often more complex than a shop's bill. Expect items such as:

• A half-hourly meter, so you are billed on when you use power. See half-hourly meters explained.
• Non-commodity charges (network, policy and metering costs) possibly itemised separately. See non-commodity charges explained.
• Capacity charges based on your agreed supply. See supply capacity and kVA charges.

Worked example, with made-up round numbers: an electricity usage of 400,000 kWh a year at a fixed price of 22p/kWh is £88,000 before standing, network and tax charges (400,000 × 0.22). A one-penny difference per kWh is then £4,000 a year (400,000 × 0.01), which is why larger buyers compare quotes carefully and often use a consultant. This is an illustration, not a price you can expect.

How to contact them

Use the official npower Business Solutions contact page. Its About page lists 0330 912 4754 for existing customers; other numbers are given for quotes and renewals. Phone lines are open on weekdays only, so check current hours on the site. Before you call, have to hand your account number, the MPAN or MPRN for each site, your contract end date and a recent bill. If your question is about a small-business account that moved to E.ON Next, contact E.ON Next instead.

Checklist before a large-business renewal

1. Pull 12 months of half-hourly data. Your load shape affects price, so make sure the supplier is pricing your real pattern, not an estimate.
2. Check agreed capacity against actual peak. A worked example: a site paying a capacity charge on 300 kVA with a peak of 180 kVA is paying for 120 kVA it never uses. At an illustrative 4p per kVA per day, that is 120 × £0.04 × 365 = £1,752 a year. Ask your network operator for the real rate before acting.
3. List which costs are fixed and which are passed through. Large contracts often pass network and policy costs through at actual cost, which shifts risk to you.
4. Ask for any broker or consultant fee in pounds. It should appear in the Principal Terms.
5. Diarise the notice window. Bespoke contracts may require notice months ahead; missing it can leave you on a renewal or out-of-contract rate.

Market-wide half-hourly settlement is also changing how all meters are settled, with full implementation planned for 2027, so ask how your account will be affected.

How to switch away or renew

Large customers often get bespoke terms, so the notice and exit rules in your contract matter more than any general rule. What is true for all non-domestic customers is that there is no cooling-off period once you agree a contract, and broker fees must appear in the Principal Terms for contracts signed on or after 1 October 2024. Read the contract terms to check before signing anything.

Complaints and the Ombudsman

Complain to the supplier in writing. Microbusinesses and small businesses can go to the Energy Ombudsman after 8 weeks or a deadlock letter, within 12 months of the letter. Very large energy users above the small-business thresholds (over 200,000 kWh a year electricity or 500,000 kWh gas, and the staff and turnover limits) sit outside it, so you might need other routes such as your contract's dispute clause. See energy disputes and the Ombudsman.

Next steps

• Confirm who your supplier is from your bill, not the brand name.
• If you are a small business, look at the wider list of UK suppliers.
• Get at least two quotes before your renewal date.

Biz Energy is independent and is not affiliated with npower, npower Business Solutions or E.ON. We take no commission and this page is not an endorsement or a recommendation.