Smarter Business Group

10/15/2026

Forward energy costs strengthened across the fortnight even though prompt electricity ended the period sharply lower. Gas moved higher across the curve, with UK baseload forward power also increasing, while day-ahead power remained highly volatile as changing wind expectations altered gas-for-power demand.

The commercial message is to separate short-term system conditions from the cost of securing a future fixed contract. A weak day-ahead electricity price does not automatically translate into cheaper forward contracting. With European gas storage still relatively low for the time of year, Norwegian outages recurring and Middle East shipping risk continuing to affect sentiment, businesses approaching a contract decision should prioritise budget certainty rather than rely on a broad market correction.

In our latest UK Energy Market Report, we explore:

✅ What drove gas and electricity price movements during the fortnight, and what the trading range reveals about contract timing risk
✅ Forward curve insight and what the current market structure means for contract term decisions
✅ The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), with applications now open and closing 30 November 2026
✅ Procurement recommendations for Winter 2026 and April 2027 contract starts
✅ How monitoring energy consumption can help businesses identify avoidable costs and also support better procurement decisions

In a market this volatile, having a knowledgeable advisor monitoring conditions and supporting procurement decisions can make a significant difference. Read the full report and speak to the team at Smarter Business to find out more.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4yiopnx

10/14/2026

How confident are you that your business energy bills are right?

Business energy bills rely on several sources of information, including contract prices, meter data, supplier systems, industry charges and tax treatment, and an error in any of them can affect the amount you pay. Common causes include estimated readings that are higher or lower than actual use, rates that are entered incorrectly or not updated when a new contract begins, missed credits and levies charged incorrectly. If an error is not spotted, it can be repeated across several billing periods.

Invoice validation is a structured way to check for these errors. Through our Bureau Services, Smarter Business can carry out detailed invoice checks, help make sure accurate meter readings are submitted to your supplier, and raise and manage queries with your supplier. Invoice validation can also identify undercharging, which could otherwise lead to an unexpected back bill later.

If you manage several sites or meters and have limited time to check every bill line by line, speak to the Smarter Business team about invoice validation: https://bit.ly/3Yc9AnI

10/12/2026

Smart meters for business: what they do, and a rule change coming in 2027.

A smart meter sends your readings to your supplier automatically. This reduces the need for manual readings and can help limit estimated bills. It can also provide more detailed information about when and how your business uses energy.

There is also a change to plan for. From 1 September 2027, new fixed-term energy contracts for smaller business and public sector sites in Great Britain will come with a condition: the site must have, or agree to have, a smart or advanced meter. Sites that do not want one will need to choose a different type of contract. The rule applies to contracts agreed on or after that date, and energy suppliers must start telling their customers about the change from 1 January 2027.

Smarter Business can help with metering, from smart electricity meters and automated reading options to gas meter upgrades, and can connect your metering with energy monitoring. Get in touch with your current meter details and site requirements to discuss the best next steps.

Speak to the team: https://bit.ly/3Yc9AnI

10/07/2026

What is the Climate Change Levy, and is your business paying the right amount?

The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a UK environmental tax on the energy used by businesses and public sector organisations. It is listed on business electricity and gas bills and charged per kilowatt hour (kWh), so the more energy a site uses, the more levy it pays.

Some organisations pay less. Eligible facilities covered by a Climate Change Agreement pay a reduced rate, and energy used by charities for non-business activities, for domestic purposes or in very small quantities is excluded from the main rate.

The reliefs for Climate Change Agreements, charities and mixed-use premises only reach your bill once you have given your supplier the right certificate. Without it, you can be charged the full rate.

Smarter Business can check that CCL and any reliefs are applied correctly on your energy bills. Our energy monitoring software also helps you find wasted energy, and every kWh you save reduces both your usage charges and the levy.

To check the CCL on your bills, speak to the Smarter Business team: https://bit.ly/3Yc9AnI

10/06/2026

UK wholesale energy markets remained highly volatile across the fortnight, with near-term gas and power forward contracts ending below the opening comparison, but the path was uneven. Prices rallied early, weakened through the middle of the period, and recovered on 24 September as Norwegian supply concerns and geopolitical risk returned to focus. Later 2028 seasonal contracts finished higher, showing that risk did not disappear from the back end of the curve.

Winter 2026 gas and power both finished around 5% below the opening comparison, yet each traded through materially wider high-low ranges during the period. For mid-market businesses, the key message is that lower endpoint prices do not remove contracting risk.

In our latest UK Energy Market Report, we explore:

✅ Recent movements in UK gas and electricity prices and what drove them
✅ Why a lower closing price does not mean contracting risk has reduced
✅ Forward curve insight and what it means for contracting strategy
✅ Non-commodity costs and why they remain important even when wholesale prices soften
✅ Procurement recommendations for October 2026 and April 2027 contract starts

Read the full report to understand what the current market means for your business and the steps you can take to protect your budget.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4y9hywT

09/23/2026

When your utilities contract comes up for renewal, how do you know the price in front of you is a good one?

A renewal quote arrives with no context and nothing to measure it against. Smarter Business puts yours side by side with quotes from our panel of trusted suppliers, so you can see exactly where it sits before you sign. If there is a better deal available, we secure it and manage the switch.

Get a quote today: https://bit.ly/3Fqs35y

09/15/2026

For businesses with multiple premises, energy management can become fragmented quickly. Different suppliers, different contract end dates, and different renewal windows across sites all create complexity.

The risk is straightforward: miss a renewal window on any one site and you can roll onto a higher rate than you would have agreed to on the open market. With multiple sites, that risk multiplies.

Our team can manage your electricity and gas contracts across all your sites: comparing the market at each renewal, handling supplier relationships, and giving you full visibility of your contracts and consumption data across your sites.

If you are managing energy across multiple sites and want one team handling it, speak to us: https://bit.ly/3T69AGa

09/09/2026

Wholesale energy risk increased materially in the week from 1 to 7 September, with NBP gas moving higher across every contract reviewed and UK forward power also repricing higher.

Norwegian maintenance, reduced LNG availability and escalating US-Iran tensions drove sharp early-week gains, before a brief mid-week softening was quickly reversed, with ongoing Norwegian supply constraints, low European storage, fresh strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and renewed Middle East shipping risk reinforced winter supply concerns. Winter 2026 gas rose from 176.51 p/therm to 183.87 p/therm, while Winter 2026 power moved from £136.43/MWh to £149.00/MWh, both remaining above Summer 2027.

The week demonstrated that even short-lived easing can be quickly reversed when geopolitical and physical supply risks remain unresolved, and has strengthened the case for considering a longer contracting horizon.

In this urgent weekly update, we cover:

✅ Gas and electricity price movements across prompt, winter and seasonal contracts
✅ What drove prices during the week and why the mid-week correction did not hold
✅ Forward curve positioning and what it means for near-term contracting risk
✅ Why the case for considering a longer contracting horizon, potentially through 2029 or 2030, has strengthened
✅ Procurement recommendations for October 2026 and April 2027 contract starts

If you have an October 2026 or April 2027 contract start approaching, read the full update to understand the steps you can take to protect your budget in a rapidly moving market.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4h1rge1

URGENT WEEKLY UPDATE 8 September 2026 | Mid-Market Business Customers URGENT: Gas and forward power prices have moved materially higher since the

09/08/2026

What does Market-Wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) actually mean for your business?

MHHS is changing how electricity consumption is accounted for across Great Britain, but what does that mean for your contract, your meter and the tariffs available to you?

Our latest blog explains what is changing, what is not, and what businesses should know ahead of their next energy renewal.

Read the full guide: https://bit.ly/3TkOqnM

Market-Wide Half-Hourly Settlement changes how business electricity is accounted for in Great Britain. Learn what it means, and what it does not change.

09/03/2026

When Woodgrange Laundry came to us, they had reached an impasse with their gas supplier. One of their meters had not been billed correctly, and they had been overcharged after being placed on out-of-contract rates.

Woodgrange is a high-end commercial laundry with several branches across London, in an energy-intensive industry where a billing error on one meter is not a small problem.

We broke the deadlock, then went back to the market on both their gas and electricity:

💡 £30,000 in savings from the renegotiated contract
💡 A gas arrangement giving them access to the wholesale market
💡 A Climate Change Agreement put in place, further reducing costs
💡 Ongoing contract monitoring and energy-efficiency reporting

Read the full case study: https://bit.ly/3zP4hxP

Case Study Woodgrange Laundry Blossom & Browne’s Sycamore was established in 1888 and is still run by the Browne family as a...Read More...