Business Energy Comparison Sites: What To Look For

  • 2022-09-14

Owning a business is no easy feat; you must put your time and dedication into ensuring everything goes smoothly. Finding the best energy provider is one of the works you need to put out there, and you would have to soft through many energy sites to compare.

These comparison sites make choosing an energy supplier quick and easy. However, finding which site is the most suitable for you takes a bit more work.

When choosing an energy comparison site, it would be best to consider several factors. So if you want to find the best way to compare business energy sites, check out the list below.

Cost

The main reason small and large businesses typically turn to comparison sites is because they want to compare prices with other companies in the area. 

But just because one company has the lowest price doesn't mean it'll be the best choice for you and your business. You still have to ask questions like, do they charge for their services? 

Some sites will charge you for comparing prices, and others won't. 

So before you use a specific website for your utility needs, make sure you're getting a good deal on price by checking out all of the following factors:

Service fees

Some sites charge customers a fee for using their services, so ensure you know how much it will cost before signing up. This could add up over time if you're not careful!

Minimum usage requirements

Some sites require that customers use at least 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month before offering a quote, which may not work well if you only use electricity during certain times of day or seasons of the year.

Whether or not you can afford this kind of service depends on how much your business has to spend on energy. If you're a small company with limited funds, it might be better to use a free service instead.

Customer Service

If you're a small business owner, you may not have time to call your utility company whenever you have a question or concern. However, your business energy comparison site should be willing to help you with any queries while switching providers.

Some comparison sites offer little help or support once you've decided on a plan and signed up. In contrast, others provide various services, including assistance with switching providers and managing your account.

The best websites will have a dedicated customer service team or 24/7 support via phone or email. You can always call them if you need further help with your account or billing questions.

You should also look into whether they offer live chat services and if they have an app so that you can access their service from anywhere.

In addition, the best sites will have a community forum where you can ask questions about the process or get tips from other users.

Accreditation and Reputation

A reputable site will have a seal from one or more accrediting bodies, such as the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Trust Alliance.

You can also look up the company on Scam Tracker, which rates companies based on user-submitted complaints.

If there are many complaints about high-pressure sales tactics or poor customer service, it's probably best to avoid that company or organization altogether.

The BBB focuses on helping consumers make informed decisions about companies they may be considering working with. For example, when looking at an energy comparison site, you want to know that it has been evaluated by the BBB and given a sound report card. 

The Better Business Bureau offers a free service to check any company's rating online at their website.

If a company does not have accreditation, there is no way of knowing if they are legitimate or not.

The next thing to consider is reputation — both among companies and consumers.

What are people saying about the company? Does it have any complaints filed against it? Are other companies offering similar services that you can use as a benchmark?

You can also find out what other companies think of the company using Internet search engines such as Google or Bing. Searching for comments on these sites will help give you an idea of what others think of them before signing up with them.

Accurate Quotes and Clear Pricing

When comparing energy suppliers, they must give accurate quotes and detailed pricing information. This means being transparent about who is supplying your energy and what tariffs they offer.

It also means showing how much you'll pay over a year or two – not just your average monthly bill.

A good website will provide accurate quotes based on your current usage patterns and meter readings, as well as an estimated cost per unit of electricity or gas (kWh).

If they don't have this information available, they won't be able to give you an accurate quote.

Real-time rates

Energy prices fluctuate throughout the day and week, so the information you're seeing must be current. Some sites update their rates every 15 minutes or less; others don't update them until the following day.

You want one that frequently updates enough to know how much each plan will cost on any given day or month.

Variety of plans

Some companies offer only fixed rates, while others offer both fixed and variable rates (also known as time-of-use pricing).

Variable rates are based on the wholesale price of power at any given moment during peak or off-peak hours.

The idea behind such plans is that you pay more during peak hours (when electricity demand is highest) and less during off-peak hours (when it goes down).

Will they give me the best deals? Unfortunately, not all comparison websites provide the same results – some may offer better discounts than others.

If your chosen website doesn't come up with an offer that suits your budget, you may need to keep searching until you find one that does.

What kind of information do they give me? When using a comparison site, it's essential to check exactly what type of data they provide.

For example, some only offer information on fixed tariffs. In contrast, others provide information on fixed and variable taxes and other contracts, such as prepayment and credit meters.

Final Thoughts

A little research can help you save money on your energy costs. One way to do this is by comparing rates offered by different utilities or service providers.

There are many energy comparison sites, some more helpful than others. Here are some things to look for when choosing one:

Does it compare prices from all providers? Does it compare prices from all providers in your area?

Some sites may only compare rates from one or two companies, which may not be representative of what you could get if you also contacted other providers in your area.

Does it compare prices for different usage levels? Some sites only show rates for low usage levels, even though most businesses need more power than that.

Others will tell you how much you can expect to pay based on what type of business you run and how many employees it has — essential information if you have large offices or warehouses with high electricity needs.