ENGIE vs EDF: comparing commercial tariffs and features to help you choose for your business

ENGIE and EDF are major business energy suppliers offering electricity, gas, renewable products, flexible procurement and services for large industrial users. However, their contract structures and environmental propositions differ considerably.

ENGIE supplies microbusinesses, SMEs and major corporate users. Its fixed-contract range includes Guard, Balance, Freedom and a no-standing-charge gas product called Simple. Businesses can fix prices for up to five years, choose how third-party charges are treated and add 100% renewable electricity to fixed or flexible arrangements.

EDF offers small-business fixed contracts lasting one, two, three or four years. Its Fixed Renewable tariff matches electricity use with UK Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin, while larger businesses can choose fully fixed, partly fixed, actively traded or flexible contracts. EDF also offers renewable, nuclear-backed zero-carbon and standard mixed-source electricity.

ENGIE may be the stronger choice where the business wants:

• a five-year fixed contract;
• a gas tariff without a daily standing charge;
• detailed control over third-party charges;
• green gas backed by renewable-gas certificates;
• active demand-response services;
• a named renewable asset; or
• a sophisticated renewable PPA.

EDF may be more suitable where the company wants:

• a straightforward one-to-four-year SME contract;
• a choice between renewable and nuclear-backed electricity;
• extensive conventional large-business procurement;
• a published solar-export tariff;
• Energy Hub consumption analysis; or
• an integrated commercial solar and EV-charging package.

Neither supplier is universally cheaper. The winning quotation will depend on the premises, meter, consumption, contract dates, credit assessment and treatment of non-energy costs.

ENGIE vs EDF at a glance

Feature	ENGIE Business	EDF Business
Business electricity	Yes	Yes
Business gas	Yes	Yes
Microbusiness supply	Yes	Yes
SME supply	Yes	Yes
Large and corporate supply	Yes	Yes
Standard national contract prices	Not published	Not published
Maximum advertised fixed term	Five years	Four years for SMEs
Fully fixed product	Guard	Fixed tariff or Fixed + Peace of Mind
Fixed network charges with government costs passed through	Balance	No directly equivalent SME product
All third-party costs passed through	Freedom	Available through selected large-business structures
Gas without daily standing charge	Simple	No prominent equivalent
Fixed wholesale with variable non-energy costs	Freedom or Balance, depending on costs selected	Fixed + Standard
Block purchasing	Market Choice and other flexible products	Fixed + Energy Trading
Day-ahead electricity product	Daily Flex	Flexible procurement and optimisation services
Large-user flex product	Simple Flex above 10GWh	Flexible contracts across several purchasing horizons
Maximum flexible purchasing horizon	Product-dependent	More than five years available
Renewable electricity option	Available with all fixed and flexible contracts	Fixed Renewable and large-business renewable products
Named renewable asset	UK Green Plus and Green Select	Available through renewable contracts and CPPAs
Nuclear-backed product	No prominent product	Zero Carbon for Business
Supplier-wide renewable share	48%	18.2%
Supplier-wide nuclear share	2%	54.8%
Supplier-wide gas and coal	47%	25.2%
Supplier-wide carbon intensity	249.36g CO₂/kWh	135g CO₂/kWh
Green gas	RGGO-backed biomethane	No equally prominent standard SME product
Energy monitoring	Online account, smart/AMR data and large-user platforms	Energy Hub, MyBusiness and Energy View
Published small-business export tariff	ENGIE does not offer SEG	Up to 15p/kWh
Commercial solar	Renewable projects and PPAs	Turnkey rooftop, ground and carport solar
Battery optimisation	Yes	Yes, including Battery-as-a-Service
EV charging	Bespoke low-carbon and infrastructure solutions	Workplace and fleet charging through EDF and Pod
Best suited to	Tailored contracts, green gas, PPAs and flexibility	Longer SME fixes, energy-source choice and conventional procurement

The summary reflects the suppliers’ current business-contract pages and 2024/25 fuel-mix disclosures.

Which businesses can apply?

ENGIE explicitly markets electricity and gas contracts to microbusinesses, small businesses, larger enterprises and industrial organisations. It says it supplies around 17,000 UK business customers and offers fixed, flexible, renewable and green-gas products across those customer groups.

EDF’s small-business route generally applies where annual consumption is below:

• 100MWh, or 100,000kWh, of electricity; or
• 300MWh, or 300,000kWh, of gas.

Organisations above those thresholds are directed towards EDF Large Business, where fixed, flexible, renewable and zero-carbon options are available.

Example suitability by company type

Example business	Annual electricity use	Potentially suitable option
Independent shop	12,000kWh	ENGIE Guard or EDF fixed tariff
Small office	40,000kWh	Fixed SME contract from either supplier
Low-use gas customer	Varies	ENGIE Simple may be relevant
Restaurant	120,000kWh	ENGIE enterprise quote or EDF Large Business
Hotel	400,000kWh	Multi-site or large-business contract
Manufacturer	2GWh	ENGIE fixed/flexible or EDF large-business contract
Company wanting a five-year fix	Varies	ENGIE Guard
Business wanting a four-year SME fix	Below EDF threshold	EDF
Company using over 10GWh	Above 10GWh	ENGIE Simple Flex or EDF flexible procurement
Company wanting nuclear-backed electricity	Large-business account	EDF
Company needing renewable biomethane	Varies	ENGIE Green Gas
Renewable generator	Project-dependent	ENGIE or EDF PPA
Business with flexible batteries or generation	Asset-dependent	ENGIE demand response or EDF optimisation

Actual eligibility can also depend on the meter type, payment history, creditworthiness, property use, number of locations and available electricity capacity.

Which supplier is cheaper?

Neither supplier publishes one universal contracted unit rate or standing charge.

A business quotation will normally consider:

• electricity MPAN or gas MPRN;
• distribution region;
• annual consumption;
• half-hourly demand;
• meter profile;
• voltage;
• agreed capacity;
• number of sites;
• contract start date;
• contract term;
• payment method;
• credit risk;
• renewable-product choice;
• pass-through-cost treatment; and
• prevailing wholesale prices.

The projected annual cost should be calculated as:

• Annual consumption × unit rate
• daily standing charge × 365
• capacity charges
• metering and data charges
• network costs
• environmental and government charges
• VAT and Climate Change Levy where applicable
  − export income and other contractual credits

ENGIE provides a particularly broad choice over how third-party charges are treated. EDF also lets large customers choose whether third-party costs are fixed or variable, but EDF presents fewer named pass-through structures to ordinary small businesses.

How unit-rate differences affect annual costs

Annual consumption	Value of 0.5p/kWh	Value of 1p/kWh	Value of 3p/kWh	Value of 5p/kWh
10,000kWh	£50	£100	£300	£500
25,000kWh	£125	£250	£750	£1,250
50,000kWh	£250	£500	£1,500	£2,500
100,000kWh	£500	£1,000	£3,000	£5,000
250,000kWh	£1,250	£2,500	£7,500	£12,500
1GWh	£5,000	£10,000	£30,000	£50,000
10GWh	£50,000	£100,000	£300,000	£500,000
50GWh	£250,000	£500,000	£1.5 million	£2.5 million

For a company consuming 10GWh, a difference of only 1p/kWh changes annual expenditure by £100,000.

How standing charges affect annual costs

Daily standing-charge difference	Annual difference per meter	Difference across ten meters
25p	£91.25	£912.50
50p	£182.50	£1,825
£1	£365	£3,650
£2	£730	£7,300
£5	£1,825	£18,250
£10	£3,650	£36,500

This makes standing charges particularly important for low-use premises, seasonal sites, landlords and multi-site organisations.

ENGIE Guard

Guard is ENGIE’s highest-certainty fixed product.

It includes:

• one fixed contracted price;
• eligible third-party charges within the fixed price;
• protection from normal market changes;
• prices guaranteed for up to five years;
• standard or green electricity; and
• standard or green gas.

ENGIE states that contracted rates remain consistent and that it absorbs relevant market-cost movements during the contract.

Guard may suit a business that wants:

• long-term certainty;
• simple budgeting;
• protection against wholesale volatility;
• fewer reconciliation adjustments; and
• one predictable rate structure.

Its opening price may include a risk premium because ENGIE accepts more uncertainty over future third-party charges.

ENGIE Simple

Simple is a fixed gas product with no daily standing charge.

The network, supply and other costs are instead recovered through one unit rate, meaning the business pays according to the gas it consumes. ENGIE states that the unit rate remains fixed for the contract.

This could be useful for:

• low-use gas supplies;
• seasonal businesses;
• vacant or intermittently occupied properties;
• landlords with lightly used meters; and
• companies planning to reduce gas consumption.

It is not automatically cheaper. A supplier can recover the avoided standing charge through a higher unit rate.

Break-even example

Suppose the ordinary tariff has:

• a standing charge of £3 per day; and
• a unit rate 2p/kWh below the no-standing-charge product.

The annual standing charge is:

£3 × 365 = £1,095

The break-even consumption is:

£1,095 ÷ £0.02 = 54,750kWh

Below 54,750kWh, the no-standing-charge tariff may be cheaper.

Above that point, the lower conventional unit rate may save more than the standing charge costs.

ENGIE Balance

Balance fixes network charges while passing through selected government charges at their prevailing cost.

The pass-through elements can include:

• Feed-in Tariff costs;
• Contracts for Difference;
• Capacity Market charges; and
• Renewables Obligation costs.

ENGIE positions Balance as a middle ground between a fully fixed price and complete pass-through treatment. It is available for standard or green electricity contracts.

Balance may suit a company that:

• wants certainty over network charges;
• does not want to pay a risk premium on government costs;
• understands pass-through billing; and
• can tolerate some movement during the term.

ENGIE Freedom

Freedom fixes wholesale energy while passing all third-party charges through at cost.

ENGIE says this provides transparency, avoids risk premiums on pass-through charges and lets businesses reduce certain costs by avoiding peak periods. It is available for standard or green electricity and gas contracts.

Freedom is likely to appeal to experienced organisations that:

• understand network and policy charges;
• want transparent reconciliation;
• can forecast changing third-party costs;
• can reduce electricity use during expensive periods; and
• prefer to retain cost risk rather than paying the supplier to absorb it.

Comparing ENGIE fixed products

Product	Wholesale price	Third-party costs	Standing-charge structure	Maximum published term
Guard	Fixed	Included in fixed rate	Conventional	Five years
Simple	Fixed gas rate	Included in unit price	No daily standing charge	Quote-dependent
Balance	Fixed	Network fixed; government costs passed through	Conventional	Quote-dependent
Freedom	Fixed	All third-party charges passed through	Conventional	Quote-dependent

ENGIE therefore offers more granular control over third-party charges than most mainstream SME suppliers.

EDF small-business fixed tariffs

EDF offers fixed small-business contracts lasting one, two, three or four years. Prices are individually calculated and reviewed weekly for new quotations. Customers receive online account management and access to dedicated small-business specialists.

EDF may be preferable to ENGIE where the company wants:

• a simple fixed tariff;
• a standard term of up to four years;
• a recognisable SME quotation process;
• renewable-only electricity;
• smart-meter monitoring through Energy Hub; or
• fewer product structures to assess.

ENGIE Guard provides a longer maximum term, but EDF’s four-year fixed proposition may be easier to understand for a business that does not need to choose how network and government charges are treated.

EDF Fixed Renewable

EDF Fixed Renewable is available over one, two, three or four years.

Each unit consumed is matched with a UK REGO, providing 100% renewable-backed electricity and supporting zero market-based Scope 2 reporting.

The product may suit companies wanting:

• renewable-only electricity;
• no nuclear allocation to the selected product;
• a long conventional fixed term;
• evidence for tenders or supply-chain reporting; and
• a straightforward environmental claim.

ENGIE Guard versus EDF Fixed Renewable

Feature	ENGIE Guard Green	EDF Fixed Renewable
Renewable electricity	Optional 100% renewable version	100% renewable
Maximum term	Five years	Four years
Third-party costs	Included in Guard rate	Included according to EDF fixed terms
Named renewable asset	Requires UK Green Plus or PPA option	Requires bespoke renewable arrangement
Gas available	Yes	Separate gas contract
Green gas available	Yes	No prominent equivalent
Nuclear allocation	None on renewable product	None
Best suited to	Longest certainty and combined green gas/electricity	Straightforward renewable SME fix

ENGIE flexible contracts

ENGIE offers several flexible products for businesses that want greater market exposure.

Fixed Price

Despite appearing on ENGIE’s flexible-product page, Fixed Price is a non-flexible structure under which the unit price remains fixed throughout the contract. It is included alongside ENGIE’s flexible range to help businesses compare procurement approaches.

Market Choice

Market Choice allows the business to choose its level of involvement.

By default, the price follows a market-reflective mechanism based on the monthly average of day-ahead prices. The customer can also purchase volumes for individual months, quarters or seasons when it considers market conditions favourable.

Market Choice may suit a company that:

• wants market-linked pricing;
• may trade some volumes actively;
• wants to purchase in several stages;
• has a defined risk policy; and
• can tolerate changing prices.

Daily Flex

Daily Flex is a multi-rate electricity product with as many as eight rates covering combinations of:

• seasons;
• times of day;
• weekdays; and
• weekends.

It may suit a business able to shift demand towards cheaper periods. The quoted unit rate includes an indicative commodity price.

Simple Flex

Simple Flex is recommended by ENGIE for electricity customers using more than 10GWh annually.

Monthly invoices are calculated from the weighted average of the business’s actual transaction costs and purchased volumes rather than a fixed monthly reference price.

Day Ahead gas

ENGIE’s Day Ahead gas product allows within-month purchasing and adjusts for differences between forecast and actual use at day-ahead prices.

The final invoiced rate is the average of the business’s trading decisions and relevant day-ahead transactions.

EDF large-business fixed contracts

EDF provides four principal named fixed structures for larger users.

Fixed + Peace of Mind

This fixes:

• wholesale electricity costs;
• eligible non-energy costs;
• delivery and new-generation costs; and
• EDF’s service charge.

It supports half-hourly and non-half-hourly meters and is aimed at businesses consuming more than 100MWh annually.

Fixed + Standard

This fixes:

• wholesale energy; and
• EDF’s service charge.

Forecast non-energy costs can change during the agreement.

Fixed + Energy Trading

This allows businesses consuming approximately 2,000MWh to 20,000MWh to purchase blocks of electricity through EDF’s trading desk.

EDF manages the remaining untraded volume, and live or reconciliation billing can be selected.

Standard Fixed gas

This fixes wholesale gas and EDF’s service charge while allowing forecast non-energy costs to vary. It is aimed at non-daily-metered gas customers using more than 300MWh annually.

ENGIE versus EDF fixed structures

Requirement	ENGIE product	EDF product
Maximum fixed-term certainty	Guard	Fixed + Peace of Mind
Fixed rate for up to five years	Guard	No direct SME equivalent
Gas without standing charge	Simple	No equivalent
Fixed network, variable government costs	Balance	Tailored large-business structure
All third-party charges at cost	Freedom	Flexible or pass-through contract
Wholesale fixed, non-energy forecast variable	Freedom or tailored contract	Fixed + Standard
Block purchasing	Market Choice	Fixed + Energy Trading
Straightforward four-year SME fix	Guard could be quoted	EDF small-business fixed tariff

ENGIE provides more named variations for handling third-party costs.

EDF provides a clearer division between small-business fixed tariffs and large-business procurement products.

EDF flexible procurement

EDF allows large customers to choose:

• a one-to-three-year purchasing horizon;
• a three-to-five-year horizon;
• a period exceeding five years;
• block or full-volume purchases;
• fixed or variable third-party costs;
• the level of specialist support; and
• tailored reporting tools.

EDF’s Customer Desk provides an auditable trading process, market information and support for customers with different levels of energy procurement experience.

ENGIE versus EDF for flexible purchasing

Requirement	Likely stronger fit
Market-linked monthly averaging	ENGIE Market Choice
Buying monthly, quarterly or seasonal volumes	Either
Multi-rate daily electricity product	ENGIE Daily Flex
Flexible gas within the delivery month	ENGIE Day Ahead
Flex product specifically above 10GWh	ENGIE Simple Flex
Published purchasing horizons beyond five years	EDF
Conventional trading-desk block purchases	EDF
Fixing or passing through third-party costs	Either
Large menu of traditional procurement options	EDF
Demand response and grid-market participation	ENGIE

ENGIE demand response and asset optimisation

ENGIE provides demand-response and flexibility services for businesses with controllable energy assets.

Its published portfolio includes more than 500MW of third-party assets under flexibility management, over 300 sites and more than 40 generating and demand-side technologies. A 24-hour trading desk responds to market and grid signals.

Potential assets include:

• batteries;
• generators;
• industrial machinery;
• heating and cooling;
• pumps;
• refrigeration;
• EV charging;
• on-site renewable generation; and
• other interruptible loads.

ENGIE can use flexibility to participate in wholesale markets, the Balancing Mechanism and frequency-response services.

EDF flexibility and battery optimisation

EDF also provides flexibility services and can optimise batteries, EV chargers, solar and other controllable assets. Its current services include PowerShift and Battery-as-a-Service, under which suitable businesses can use a fully financed and managed battery without paying the initial capital cost.

ENGIE may be stronger where the business already owns a diverse collection of flexible industrial assets.

EDF may be attractive where the company wants a financed battery combined with energy procurement and route-to-market services.

Current ENGIE deemed electricity rates

ENGIE’s non-half-hourly deemed and default electricity rates effective from 1 June 2026 are:

Charge	Current published rate
Unit rate	37.89p/kWh
Daily standing charge	£5.28
Annual standing charge	£1,927.20

The rates exclude VAT, Climate Change Levy and other applicable taxes. They apply where ENGIE supplies a premises without an agreed contract or after an existing agreement ends.

Illustrative ENGIE non-half-hourly costs

Annual electricity use	Unit-rate cost	Standing charge	Total
10,000kWh	£3,789	£1,927.20	£5,716.20
25,000kWh	£9,472.50	£1,927.20	£11,399.70
50,000kWh	£18,945	£1,927.20	£20,872.20
100,000kWh	£37,890	£1,927.20	£39,817.20

These are default-price illustrations rather than negotiated Guard, Balance, Freedom or EDF fixed quotations.

ENGIE half-hourly deemed rates

ENGIE’s half-hourly rates effective from 1 June 2026 include:

Meter category	Day rate	Night rate	Daily standing charge
Low voltage, LV substation and HV bands 1–2	40.47p/kWh	26.45p/kWh	£27.85
HV bands 3–4, approximately 1,000kVA or more	40.47p/kWh	26.45p/kWh	£510.31

Capacity, excess-capacity, reactive-power, VAT and Climate Change Levy charges can be added separately. ENGIE states that its out-of-contract half-hourly electricity is 100% green.

The £510.31 daily standing charge equals more than £186,000 annually before consumption and other charges. This illustrates the importance of arranging a negotiated contract for a large high-voltage supply.

Current ENGIE deemed gas rates

ENGIE’s deemed and default gas rate effective from 1 June 2026 is 13.32p/kWh across its published annual-quantity bands. Standing charges rise sharply with consumption.

Annual quantity	Unit rate	Daily standing charge
1–73,200kWh	13.32p/kWh	£2.20
73,201–293,000kWh	13.32p/kWh	£5.39
293,001–732,000kWh	13.32p/kWh	£14.11
732,001–2,196,000kWh	13.32p/kWh	£32.84
2,196,001–5,860,000kWh	13.32p/kWh	£66.45
5,860,001–14,650,000kWh	13.32p/kWh	£131.02

Illustrative ENGIE gas costs

Annual gas use	Applicable standing charge	Approximate total
25,000kWh	£803.00	£4,133.00
30,000kWh	£803.00	£4,799.00
50,000kWh	£803.00	£7,463.00
100,000kWh	£1,967.35	£15,287.35
250,000kWh	£1,967.35	£35,267.35
500,000kWh	£5,150.15	£71,750.15

The examples exclude VAT and CCL.

Can the published rates identify the cheaper supplier?

No.

ENGIE’s published rates apply to deemed or default supply without a negotiated contract. EDF’s new-customer business prices are individually quoted and change as wholesale markets move. EDF says it reviews its SME tariff prices weekly.

A contracted ENGIE or EDF price may be substantially lower than an out-of-contract rate.

Comparing supplier-wide fuel mixes

ENGIE and EDF used very different generation sources during the 2024/25 disclosure period.

Source or impact	ENGIE	EDF
Coal	8%	4.2%
Natural gas	39%	21%
Nuclear	2%	54.8%
Renewables	48%	18.2%
Other	3%	1.8%
Carbon emissions	249.36g/kWh	135g/kWh
Radioactive waste	0.000142g/kWh	0.0038g/kWh

ENGIE had the higher supplier-wide renewable share and much lower nuclear use.

EDF had substantially lower reported carbon emissions because more than half of its electricity was nuclear-generated.

Comparing product-level fuel mixes

Product	Renewable	Nuclear	Gas, coal and other	Carbon emissions
ENGIE renewable products	100%	0%	0%	0g/kWh
ENGIE standard products	11.6%	3%	85%	426.71g/kWh
EDF renewable products	100%	0%	0%	0g/kWh
EDF Zero Carbon products	0%	100%	0%	0g/kWh
EDF all other products	0.5%	53%	46.5%	233g/kWh

The suppliers’ published disclosures show that product selection is more important than their overall company averages.

Which supplier has greener electricity?

Environmental priority	Likely stronger fit
Higher supplier-wide renewable percentage	ENGIE
Lower supplier-wide carbon intensity	EDF
Less nuclear power	ENGIE
Less coal and gas combined	EDF
100% renewable fixed electricity	Either
100% renewable flexible electricity	ENGIE or EDF large-business renewable option
Nuclear-backed zero-carbon electricity	EDF
Named renewable plant	ENGIE UK Green Plus
New additional named renewable asset	ENGIE Green Select
Choice between renewable and nuclear	EDF
Lower radioactive waste	ENGIE
Renewable gas	ENGIE

Neither supplier should be described simply as greener without stating whether the comparison concerns renewable content, fossil-fuel use, nuclear generation or reported carbon emissions.

ENGIE Green Power

ENGIE’s green electricity contracts are backed by REGOs or equivalent Guarantees of Origin and are available with fixed and flexible supply.

The supplier says renewable power can be sourced from solar, onshore wind and offshore wind projects, with independent assurance supporting zero market-based carbon reporting.

ENGIE offers two particularly relevant sourcing options:

UK Green

UK Green supplies electricity from UK renewable plants and provides UK REGOs.

UK Green Plus

UK Green Plus links the fixed renewable supply with a named UK asset, enabling the company to identify the specific plant associated with its electricity.

ENGIE Green Select

Green Select is a portable long-term PPA linked with a new additional named UK renewable asset and backed by REGOs.

ENGIE also offers sleeving, allowing businesses with their own generation or an existing CPPA to incorporate output from that asset into an ENGIE supply contract.

Green Select may have an advantage over a conventional certificate tariff where the business wants:

• a named asset;
• evidence of additionality;
• a long-term renewable relationship;
• portability; and
• stronger environmental reporting.

EDF renewable and zero-carbon products

EDF offers large businesses a choice between:

• renewable electricity;
• nuclear-backed Zero Carbon for Business; and
• standard mixed-source electricity.

Zero Carbon for Business matches the organisation’s estimated consumption with EDF nuclear generation. Renewable products use renewable backing and can support zero market-based emissions reporting.

EDF therefore offers greater source choice.

ENGIE focuses more heavily on renewable electricity and biomethane.

Green business gas

ENGIE has a clear advantage where a company wants an environmental gas product.

Its green gas is produced from organic waste through anaerobic digestion or from captured landfill gas. ENGIE says the biomethane produces at least 46% fewer emissions than standard natural gas, and contracts are backed by Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin through the Green Gas Certification Scheme.

The supplier can also create combined solutions involving:

• renewable electricity;
• biomethane;
• RGGOs; and
• tailored purchasing agreements.

EDF does not prominently market an equivalent standard SME tariff containing a stated proportion of certified biomethane.

The physical combustion of biomethane still produces emissions at the site, but certificate-backed renewable gas can reduce lifecycle emissions and support market development.

Corporate Power Purchase Agreements

Both suppliers have extensive PPA capabilities.

ENGIE PPAs

ENGIE offers:

• short- and long-term PPAs;
• fixed and market-linked prices;
• upstream agreements for generators;
• downstream agreements for corporate buyers;
• named renewable assets;
• sleeving;
• Green Select;
• biomethane agreements; and
• RGGO management.

ENGIE’s recent UK agreements include ten-year and 15-year renewable supply arrangements, demonstrating its ability to structure long-term corporate contracts.

EDF PPAs

EDF provides:

• short-term fixed and index agreements;
• long-term contracts;
• CPPAs;
• renewable-generator sourcing;
• balancing;
• shaping;
• sleeving;
• settlement; and
• renewable-certificate management.

EDF states that its dedicated team has arranged 28 CPPAs for major corporate clients.

Which is better for PPAs?

PPA requirement	Likely stronger fit
Major global PPA experience	ENGIE
UK corporate PPA structuring	Either
Named new renewable asset	ENGIE Green Select
Portable PPA structure	ENGIE
Sleeving existing company generation	Either
Nuclear-backed supply alongside PPA	EDF
Generator balancing and shaping	EDF or ENGIE
Biomethane purchasing agreement	ENGIE
Short- and long-term generator offtake	Either
Combined gas and electricity decarbonisation	ENGIE

The better offer will depend on price indexation, volume risk, contract length, credit requirements and balancing responsibility.

Smart and AMR meters

ENGIE provides smart and AMR meters to eligible businesses.

Its meters support:

• automatic readings;
• more accurate bills;
• real-time consumption tracking;
• fewer manual readings;
• improved visibility of costs; and
• energy-efficiency analysis.

Standard installation is generally free for eligible ENGIE customers, although additional site works can incur charges.

EDF also provides smart meters to eligible small businesses. Energy Hub displays consumption by hour, day, week and month, helping customers identify unusual or avoidable energy use.

ENGIE online account versus EDF Energy Hub

Feature	ENGIE	EDF
View invoices	Yes	Yes
Download statements	Yes	Yes
Submit meter readings	Yes	Yes
View reading history	Yes	Yes
View contract documents	Yes	Yes
Consumption data	Yes	Yes
Add broker or authorised contact	Yes	Letter of Authority supported
Hourly, daily, weekly and monthly analysis	Meter-dependent	Energy Hub
Large-user trading platform	Yes	Yes
Dedicated account manager	Available	Available for relevant customers

ENGIE’s account area is strong for contract and billing administration. EDF Energy Hub has the clearer public proposition for SME consumption analysis.

Commercial solar and battery storage

ENGIE

ENGIE develops and operates solar farms and provides renewable-energy and storage services. Its UK proposition is strongest around utility-scale renewable assets, PPAs, battery optimisation and access to energy markets rather than one standardised SME rooftop installation package.

EDF

EDF offers rooftop, ground-mounted and solar-carport systems to businesses and public-sector organisations.

Commercial projects can include:

• structural and site surveys;
• system design;
• construction;
• battery storage;
• monitoring;
• maintenance;
• multi-site roll-outs; and
• integration with EV charging.

EDF says most commercial installations are completed within approximately three weeks to three months, depending on scale and complexity.

Which is better for commercial solar?

Requirement	Likely stronger fit
Standard turnkey SME rooftop project	EDF
Ground-mounted commercial solar	EDF or ENGIE project team
Solar carport	EDF
Utility-scale solar sourcing	ENGIE
PPA linked with a new solar project	Either
Battery revenue optimisation	ENGIE or EDF
Battery-as-a-Service	EDF
Generator offtake agreement	Either
Combined renewable electricity and biomethane	ENGIE
Public-sector multi-site solar	EDF

EDF has the clearer public end-to-end installation journey.

ENGIE has broader renewable-generation, PPA and market-optimisation expertise.

Solar export tariffs

EDF publishes the following small-business export options:

EDF export tariff	Payment	Main condition
Export 12M Small Business	15p/kWh	Existing EDF electricity customer
SEG Export Variable Value	5.6p/kWh	Existing EDF electricity customer
SEG Export Variable	Variable	Available to eligible non-EDF customers

Export 12M Small Business is fixed for one year and has no exit fee.

ENGIE states that it is not currently a Smart Export Guarantee supplier. A business using ENGIE for imported electricity can appoint a different SEG supplier for exported electricity. ENGIE does, however, provide bespoke PPAs for qualifying generators and larger projects.

Illustrative EDF export income

Annual export	Income at 15p/kWh
5,000kWh	£750
10,000kWh	£1,500
25,000kWh	£3,750
50,000kWh	£7,500
100,000kWh	£15,000

EDF is the more straightforward option for a small business wanting an off-the-shelf export tariff.

ENGIE may be stronger for larger generators needing a negotiated PPA, route-to-market service or certificate management.

Electric vehicle charging

EDF provides workplace and fleet charging through EDF and Pod.

The service can include:

• an initial scoping call;
• site survey;
• charger installation;
• onboarding;
• online charger management; and
• ongoing support.

Pod also operates thousands of UK charging bays.

ENGIE’s current UK public proposition places more emphasis on renewable supply, infrastructure, batteries and demand-response optimisation than on one standard packaged SME charger product.

ENGIE may nevertheless be relevant to a major charging project where the operator needs:

• electricity supply;
• battery storage;
• grid flexibility;
• wholesale market access;
• asset optimisation; or
• renewable PPAs.

EDF is likely to be easier for an ordinary business seeking installed workplace chargers.

Multi-site businesses

Both suppliers can serve multi-site organisations.

ENGIE can combine:

• Guard, Balance or Freedom;
• flexible trading;
• renewable electricity;
• green gas;
• smart or AMR meters;
• large-business digital platforms;
• demand response;
• PPAs; and
• asset optimisation.

EDF can combine:

• fixed and flexible electricity;
• business gas;
• renewable or nuclear-backed power;
• Energy View and MyBusiness;
• solar;
• batteries;
• EV charging;
• CPPAs; and
• PowerShift flexibility.

ENGIE may have an advantage where the organisation requires detailed third-party-cost choices or combined renewable electricity and biomethane.

EDF may be preferable where the company wants a broad but more conventional package delivered under one large-business procurement structure.

Contract expiry and switching

ENGIE says businesses can request quotations up to 12 months before renewal and fix for up to five years. It also states that a switch can complete in as little as two business days where the circumstances permit.

EDF offers small-business fixes of up to four years and moves customers onto its applicable Freedom tariff if a replacement agreement is not arranged at the end of Fixed Renewable.

Businesses should begin reviewing their contract well before expiry to avoid:

• deemed or default rates;
• higher standing charges;
• rushed purchasing decisions;
• loss of renewable benefits;
• disputed renewal authority; and
• unplanned pass-through exposure.

Business contract protections

Ordinary commercial gas and electricity tariffs are not protected by the domestic energy price cap.

Business contracts also generally have no automatic cooling-off period, including contracts accepted over the telephone.

Before choosing ENGIE or EDF, check:

• unit rates;
• standing charges;
• contract duration;
• fixed and pass-through elements;
• reconciliation arrangements;
• volume tolerances;
• meter and data charges;
• electricity-capacity costs;
• broker commission;
• renewable certificates;
• nuclear content;
• gas environmental claims;
• export arrangements;
• early termination liability;
• renewal procedures; and
• default pricing.

ENGIE advantages and disadvantages

EDF advantages and disadvantages

Which supplier is better for different businesses?

Business type or requirement	Likely better fit	Reason
SME wanting a straightforward fixed tariff	EDF	Simpler standard SME range
Business wanting a five-year fix	ENGIE Guard	Longer maximum term
Business wanting a four-year renewable fix	EDF	Fixed Renewable
Low-use gas customer	ENGIE Simple	No daily standing charge
Company wanting every third-party charge fixed	ENGIE Guard or EDF Peace of Mind	Compare complete quotations
Company wanting all third-party charges passed through	ENGIE Freedom	Dedicated named product
Business wanting network fixed but government charges variable	ENGIE Balance	Dedicated structure
Company wanting staged wholesale purchases	Either	Market Choice or EDF trading
Business consuming over 10GWh	Compare ENGIE Simple Flex and EDF flexible contracts	Both support active procurement
Company wanting lower supplier-wide carbon intensity	EDF	135g/kWh versus 249.36g/kWh
Company wanting higher supplier-wide renewable share	ENGIE	48% versus 18.2%
Business excluding nuclear power	ENGIE renewable or EDF Fixed Renewable	Product-specific selection required
Business wanting nuclear-backed electricity	EDF	Zero Carbon for Business
Company wanting a named renewable asset	ENGIE	UK Green Plus or Green Select
Business requiring green gas	ENGIE	RGGO-backed biomethane
Small solar exporter	EDF	Published SEG tariffs
Large renewable generator	Compare both	Strong PPA capabilities
Business wanting turnkey rooftop solar	EDF	Clear installation service
Company wanting battery flexibility revenue	Compare both	Strong optimisation services
SME wanting installed workplace chargers	EDF and Pod	Packaged installation route
Industrial user with flexible assets	ENGIE	Major demand-response portfolio
Complex national estate	Compare both	Different procurement strengths

Final verdict: ENGIE vs EDF

ENGIE and EDF are both strong business energy suppliers, but they appeal to different procurement and sustainability priorities.

ENGIE is likely to be the stronger choice where the organisation wants:

• a fixed term lasting up to five years;
• a gas contract without a daily standing charge;
• detailed control over third-party charges;
• market-linked or multi-rate flexible products;
• renewable electricity from a named asset;
• renewable biomethane;
• combined green electricity and gas;
• demand response;
• battery and asset optimisation; or
• a sophisticated electricity or biomethane PPA.

EDF is likely to be stronger where the business wants:

• a simple one-to-four-year SME tariff;
• a choice between renewable and nuclear-backed power;
• a conventional fully fixed large-business contract;
• block purchases through a trading desk;
• flexible procurement lasting more than five years;
• Energy Hub;
• a turnkey solar installation;
• a published export tariff; or
• workplace and fleet EV charging.

The fuel-mix comparison produces different winners depending on the chosen measure.

ENGIE’s supplier-wide mix contained:

• 48% renewable electricity;
• 39% natural gas;
• 8% coal;
• 2% nuclear;
• 3% other fuels; and
• 249.36g of carbon dioxide per kWh.

EDF’s supplier-wide mix contained:

• 18.2% renewable electricity;
• 21% natural gas;
• 4.2% coal;
• 54.8% nuclear;
• 1.8% other fuels; and
• 135g of carbon dioxide per kWh.

ENGIE therefore had the higher renewable percentage and lower nuclear share.

EDF had the lower overall carbon intensity because of its extensive nuclear generation.

At product level, both suppliers offer renewable electricity reporting zero market-based emissions. EDF also offers a separate 100% nuclear-backed zero-carbon product, while ENGIE provides named renewable assets and green gas.

The financial comparison requires matched quotations.

A fair procurement exercise should ask both suppliers to quote for:

1. the same meter portfolio;
2. identical annual consumption;
3. the same contract start date;
4. equivalent contract duration;
5. all standing charges;
6. fixed and pass-through components;
7. capacity, metering and data costs;
8. equivalent renewable credentials;
9. volume-tolerance provisions;
10. broker commission;
11. export income;
12. termination liability;
13. renewal and default prices; and
14. the complete projected annual cost.

For most companies, the decision can be summarised as follows:

• choose ENGIE for the widest fixed-cost structures, five-year certainty, green gas, named assets and flexibility services;
• choose EDF for straightforward SME tariffs, nuclear-backed choices, conventional procurement, solar exports and installed technology;
• compare ENGIE Guard with EDF Fixed + Peace of Mind where budget certainty is the priority;
• compare ENGIE Freedom with EDF Fixed + Standard or a flexible contract where pass-through transparency matters;
• compare ENGIE Market Choice and Simple Flex with EDF’s trading and flexible contracts for major users; and
• select the supplier offering the lowest complete annual cost after every standing, capacity, network, policy and metering charge is included.

FAQ