SSE vs ScottishPower: comparing commercial tariffs and features to help you choose for your business

SSE Energy Solutions and ScottishPower are two of the UK’s largest and most established business energy suppliers. Both provide gas and electricity contracts, renewable power, smart meters, online account management and commercial decarbonisation services.

The main differences concern price certainty, procurement flexibility and customer service.

SSE is generally the stronger option for large organisations, complex energy portfolios and businesses that want fully fixed non-commodity costs. Its SSE Protect product fixes existing wholesale and non-commodity charges, while its wider offering includes flexible purchasing, corporate power purchase agreements and sophisticated energy-management tools.

ScottishPower is particularly competitive for small and medium-sized businesses seeking a straightforward one, two or three-year contract. Its Renewable For Business electricity product uses power generated from ScottishPower’s own UK renewable assets, while its commercial offering also includes solar panels, batteries and electric vehicle charging.

The published variable-rate figures suggest ScottishPower can be considerably cheaper than SSE. However, an important limitation applies: SSE’s current published schedule took effect in June 2026, whereas the latest deemed-price cards linked from ScottishPower’s business website remain dated 1 January 2025. These figures therefore provide useful context but are not a perfectly like-for-like comparison.

SSE vs ScottishPower at a glance

Comparison area	SSE Energy Solutions	ScottishPower
Business electricity	Yes	Yes
Business gas	Yes	Yes
Fixed contract lengths	Up to three years	One, two or three years
Fully fixed option	Yes, through SSE Protect	No equivalent fully fixed tariff clearly promoted
Renewable electricity	Included with SSE fixed plans	Renewable For Business electricity tariff
Renewable gas	Optional products available	Standard business gas only
Flexible energy purchasing	Yes	More limited for standard SME customers
Corporate PPAs	Yes	Available as part of wider green-energy solutions
Smart meters	Available without an additional installation charge	Available
Energy-use platform	SSE Clarity	Online account and ScottishPower app
Multi-site analysis	Included through SSE Clarity	Online account management available
Commercial solar	Rooftop, ground-mounted, car-port and floating solar	Rooftop solar and battery systems
Battery storage	Yes	Yes
EV charging	Yes	Yes
Published electricity variable rate	37.554p per kWh	33.720p to 36.110p per kWh
Published electricity standing charge	400p per day	203.78p to 270.70p per day
Published gas variable rate	11.280p to 11.749p per kWh	10.270p to 10.650p per kWh
Published gas standing charge	325p per day	225p per day
Trustpilot score	1.9 out of 5	4.4 out of 5
Best suited to	Complex procurement and complete price certainty	SMEs, renewable electricity and lower published variable rates

SSE provides separate fixed products depending on how much price certainty a business needs. ScottishPower’s For Business tariffs fix the energy component, but network, social and environmental charges remain variable and are reviewed every quarter.

Which is cheaper: SSE or ScottishPower?

Neither supplier publishes universal fixed-contract prices because business energy quotations are calculated individually.

The price offered to a business can depend on:

• Annual electricity and gas consumption
• Meter type and profile class
• Distribution region
• Agreed supply capacity
• Contract duration
• Contract start date
• Payment method
• Credit history
• Wholesale market conditions
• Whether third-party charges are fixed or passed through
• The number of sites included in the contract

The published deemed and out-of-contract tariffs offer the clearest public comparison. These tariffs apply when a business occupies premises without agreeing a contract, or when an existing fixed agreement expires without being renewed.

Businesses should normally avoid remaining on variable or deemed prices because both suppliers state that fixed-contract alternatives are likely to be more competitive.

An important pricing-date warning

SSE’s current Variable Business Rate schedule is effective from June 2026.

ScottishPower’s business pricing page still links to deemed electricity and gas price cards effective from 1 January 2025. ScottishPower also states that variable prices are updated regularly, so businesses should confirm the rates applying to their specific premises before relying on the published documents.

The following tables compare the most recent official price cards publicly linked by each supplier, but they do not cover the same effective period.

SSE vs ScottishPower electricity rates

For a standard unrestricted non-half-hourly electricity meter:

Supplier	Effective date shown	Unit rate	Standing charge
SSE	June 2026	37.554p per kWh	400p per day
ScottishPower	January 2025	33.720p to 36.110p per kWh	203.78p to 270.70p per day

ScottishPower’s linked schedule has both a lower unit rate and a lower standing charge in every electricity region.

The difference in standing charges is particularly significant. SSE’s 400p daily charge equals £1,460 a year before any electricity is consumed. ScottishPower’s published standing charges equal approximately £744 to £988 a year.

The published ScottishPower rates are nevertheless older, and a current ScottishPower fixed or variable quotation could differ substantially.

ScottishPower electricity prices by region

Electricity region	Unit rate	Standing charge
Eastern	34.100p per kWh	211.09p per day
East Midlands	33.950p per kWh	222.11p per day
London	33.920p per kWh	203.78p per day
Manweb	35.810p per kWh	270.70p per day
Midlands	33.720p per kWh	229.27p per day
Northern	34.210p per kWh	231.33p per day
Norweb	35.210p per kWh	217.02p per day
Scottish Hydro	36.110p per kWh	231.95p per day
ScottishPower	34.140p per kWh	242.15p per day
Seeboard	34.110p per kWh	214.47p per day
Southern	34.090p per kWh	217.83p per day
Swalec	34.370p per kWh	228.72p per day
SWEB	34.270p per kWh	231.65p per day
Yorkshire	33.950p per kWh	231.98p per day

Prices exclude VAT and the Climate Change Levy.

Example annual electricity cost

The following example assumes that a business uses 20,000 kWh of electricity annually through an unrestricted meter.

Supplier	Estimated annual cost
SSE	£8,971
ScottishPower – lowest-cost region	£7,528
ScottishPower – highest-cost region	£8,150

The SSE calculation uses its June 2026 unit rate and standing charge. The ScottishPower range uses the lowest and highest total annual costs produced by its January 2025 regional schedule.

On these published figures, ScottishPower would cost approximately £821 to £1,443 less per year.

This does not establish that a new ScottishPower contract will necessarily be cheaper. A fair purchasing decision should use live quotations with the same start date, consumption forecast and contract length.

SSE vs ScottishPower gas rates

Supplier	Effective date shown	Gas unit rate	Standing charge
SSE – monthly billing, bands 1 and 2	June 2026	11.280p per kWh	325p per day
SSE – quarterly billing, bands 1 and 2	June 2026	11.749p per kWh	325p per day
ScottishPower	January 2025	10.270p to 10.650p per kWh	225p per day

ScottishPower’s published gas standing charge is £1 per day lower than SSE’s, equivalent to an annual difference of £365.

Its linked unit rates are also approximately 0.63p to 1.48p per kWh lower than SSE’s rates, depending on the region and SSE billing frequency.

Example annual gas cost

The following calculation assumes annual gas consumption of 30,000 kWh.

Supplier	Estimated annual cost
SSE – monthly billing	£4,570
SSE – quarterly billing	£4,711
ScottishPower – lowest regional rate	£3,902
ScottishPower – highest regional rate	£4,016

On the published schedules, ScottishPower would cost approximately £554 to £809 less per year.

The difference would become larger for a gas-intensive hotel, restaurant, pub, care home, school or manufacturing business.

Once again, the ScottishPower figures are from an older effective period. Businesses should treat the comparison as an illustration of the published tariff structures rather than a substitute for current quotations.

Fixed contract comparison

Both suppliers offer contracts lasting up to three years, but they handle non-energy costs differently.

SSE Protect

SSE Protect is intended for businesses that prioritise budget certainty.

It includes:

• Fixed wholesale energy costs
• Existing non-commodity costs included in the fixed price
• Contract lengths of up to three years
• 100% renewable electricity
• Optional renewable gas products

SSE says it reserves the right to pass through a genuinely new tax or cost outside its control. However, the product otherwise provides stronger protection against changes to existing government and network charges than most partially fixed contracts.

SSE Choice

SSE Choice is designed as its lower-cost fixed option.

It fixes the wholesale energy component for up to three years, but non-commodity costs can change. These include charges set by network operators, government schemes and other industry bodies.

SSE Choice therefore offers less complete price certainty than SSE Protect, but it may start with a lower quoted rate.

ScottishPower For Business

ScottishPower’s standard business contracts last one, two or three years.

The price has two main components:

• A fixed energy component, protecting the business from wholesale price increases
• Variable network, social and environmental costs

ScottishPower reviews the variable component quarterly, with changes taking effect on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October.

This means the majority of the price remains stable, but the total unit rate can still rise or fall during the contract.

Which provides better price certainty?

SSE Protect provides the strongest price certainty.

ScottishPower’s contract model is more comparable to SSE Choice because both allow certain third-party costs to change.

Businesses comparing quotations should check whether the supplier is fixing:

• Wholesale energy
• Distribution charges
• Transmission charges
• Balancing costs
• Capacity Market charges
• Renewable Obligation costs
• Metering charges
• New or existing government levies

A tariff described simply as “fixed” does not necessarily mean that every element of the final bill is guaranteed.

Renewable electricity comparison

Both SSE and ScottishPower offer strong renewable electricity products backed by power generated through assets connected to their wider corporate groups.

SSE renewable electricity

SSE’s fixed plans include 100% renewable electricity as standard. The electricity is matched with Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin from UK wind and hydro assets wholly or partly owned by SSE Renewables.

SSE also offers:

• SSE Next Generation
• SSE Green
• Renewable gas options
• Named-asset corporate PPAs
• Portfolio PPAs
• Direct links to wind, solar or hydro generation

SSE reports that 64% of the electricity supplied across its total business portfolio between April 2024 and March 2025 came from renewable sources. Customers on its dedicated renewable products received electricity matched with 100% renewable generation.

ScottishPower renewable electricity

ScottishPower’s Renewable For Business tariff is available to electricity customers on one, two or three-year contracts.

Every unit is matched with electricity generated from ScottishPower’s own UK renewable resources and supported by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin. ScottishPower states that the product is independently verified and compliant with Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 guidance.

Customers can also receive a certificate confirming that they have chosen a ScottishPower renewable business tariff.

ScottishPower’s wider, non-renewable portfolio fuel mix for 2024/25 was reported as:

Energy source	ScottishPower standard fuel mix
Gas	73%
Coal	14%
Other fuels	6%
Nuclear	4%
Renewables	3%

Its dedicated green product is separately reported as 100% renewable.

Renewable energy winner

The renewable electricity comparison is effectively a draw.

Both suppliers offer traceable, REGO-backed renewable electricity linked to generation within their own corporate groups.

SSE has the broader renewable procurement range, particularly for large organisations requiring corporate PPAs or optional renewable gas.

ScottishPower’s Renewable For Business tariff is a straightforward and credible option for SMEs that want to report zero market-based Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity.

Smart meters and energy management

SSE Clarity

SSE Clarity is included without an additional subscription charge with SSE energy plans and uses smart or automated meter data to provide detailed consumption information.

Businesses can use it to:

• View consumption through graphs and tables
• Compare several sites
• Organise information by site, time or supply
• Set email alerts for unusual energy use
• Create energy reports
• Measure and forecast demand
• Identify possible energy waste

Half-hourly data can be fed into the dashboard, allowing a business to investigate overnight baseload consumption, unusual peaks and changes between different premises.

SSE also offers smart-meter installation without an additional installation charge for eligible businesses.

ScottishPower smart meters

ScottishPower offers business smart meters that send readings automatically and provide near-real-time information about consumption.

Customers can use ScottishPower’s online account or app to:

• Monitor energy use
• Enter meter readings
• View bills
• Make payments
• Manage account information

ScottishPower also works with the Carbon Trust to provide energy-saving guidance for business customers.

Energy-management winner

SSE is the stronger option for detailed energy analysis.

ScottishPower provides useful smart-meter and account-management functions, but SSE Clarity offers more explicit multi-site analysis, alerting, reporting and consumption forecasting.

Commercial solar and batteries

Both suppliers can help businesses generate electricity on their own premises.

SSE commercial solar

SSE offers:

• Rooftop solar
• Ground-mounted solar
• Solar car ports
• Floating solar
• Battery storage
• Private-wire solar farms
• Direct ownership
• Fully funded power purchase agreements

Under a funded PPA, SSE finances, builds, owns, operates and maintains the system. The customer then buys the electricity generated at an agreed rate without funding the installation upfront.

For major energy users, SSE can also develop solar farms on nearby owned or leased land and connect them directly to the business through a private wire.

ScottishPower commercial solar

ScottishPower’s business solar service can include:

• Solar panels
• Battery storage
• Initial proposals
• Site surveys
• Bespoke system design
• Nationwide installation
• Distribution Network Operator applications
• Smart Export Guarantee access
• Options to sell surplus electricity

ScottishPower says a typical solar installation has an expected operating life of approximately 25 to 30 years. Its standard packages can include a 24-month installer warranty, a 12-year panel manufacturer warranty and a 25-year performance warranty, subject to the individual product terms.

Commercial solar winner

SSE has the broader proposition for large and complex projects.

ScottishPower offers a comprehensive end-to-end service for conventional commercial rooftop systems. SSE goes further by offering floating solar, private-wire developments, large ground-mounted projects and multiple ownership and funding structures.

Electric vehicle charging

Both companies provide business EV charging solutions.

ScottishPower requires a business to take its energy supply from ScottishPower before purchasing its workplace chargers. It assesses the site’s available supply, likely vehicle use and number of users before recommending the number and type of chargers.

SSE offers EV infrastructure as part of its wider distributed-energy and decarbonisation services. This can be integrated with solar generation, batteries, building-management systems and local energy infrastructure.

Businesses should compare not only the equipment price but also:

• Installation costs
• Grid-capacity upgrades
• Back-office software fees
• Maintenance
• Employee reimbursement functions
• Payment processing
• Load balancing
• Solar and battery integration
• Charger warranties

Large-business and flexible procurement

SSE has a clear advantage for businesses with complex energy procurement requirements.

It categorises businesses using more than 100,000 kWh of electricity or 293,000 kWh of gas annually as large energy users and offers specialist plans for them.

Services include:

• Fully fixed contracts
• Wholesale-only fixed contracts
• Flexible purchasing
• Monthly, quarterly or seasonal purchasing
• Hedging and risk management
• Named-asset corporate PPAs
• Portfolio PPAs
• Energy-use forecasting
• Half-hourly account management
• Multi-site energy analysis

SSE’s flexible contracts allow customers to purchase wholesale baseload energy in separate increments rather than committing their entire expected consumption at one point in the market.

ScottishPower states that it supports small, medium and large organisations, and it can deliver PPAs and commercial green-energy projects. Its standard online proposition is nevertheless more heavily focused on one, two and three-year contracts than on active flexible procurement.

Large-business winner: SSE

Customer service comparison

Both suppliers’ main business telephone services operate during weekday office hours.

SSE’s new-customer and existing-customer business lines are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

ScottishPower’s small-business contact centre is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Its wider webchat service is available seven days a week between 7am and 11pm, although not every webchat function may be specific to business accounts.

Both suppliers allow eligible unresolved complaints to be referred to the Energy Ombudsman after eight weeks or after a deadlock letter has been issued.

Trustpilot ratings

Supplier profile	TrustScore	Number of reviews
SSE Energy Solutions	1.9 out of 5	463
ScottishPower	4.4 out of 5	192,402

ScottishPower has the much higher headline rating. However, the scores are not directly comparable.

The SSE Energy Solutions profile is specifically associated with the business supplier. Trustpilot states that SSE has no history of inviting customers to review it, meaning the reviews may not be representative.

ScottishPower’s profile covers the wider supplier and is dominated by domestic customer experiences. ScottishPower actively invites customers to leave reviews, and Trustpilot reports that 60% of its reviews are five-star while 20% are one-star.

Recent criticism on the SSE profile frequently concerns billing administration, account changes, delayed responses and high standing charges. These are individual opinions and should not be treated as verified findings about every customer’s experience.

Customer review winner: ScottishPower, with a significant comparability warning

SSE advantages and disadvantages

ScottishPower advantages and disadvantages

Which supplier is best for different businesses?

Business requirement	Better choice	Reason
Small office or shop	ScottishPower	Simpler tariff structure and lower published standing charges
Business needing complete price certainty	SSE	SSE Protect fixes existing energy and non-energy costs
Renewable electricity	Draw	Both offer power linked to their own renewable assets
Renewable gas	SSE	Optional renewable gas products are available
Large manufacturer	SSE	Flexible purchasing and risk-management options
Multi-site organisation	SSE	SSE Clarity provides cross-site analysis
Business prioritising published variable prices	ScottishPower	Lower linked unit rates and standing charges
Business wanting a straightforward fixed tariff	ScottishPower	One, two and three-year For Business contracts
Corporate PPA	SSE	Wider and more clearly defined PPA options
Rooftop solar installation	Compare both	Both provide end-to-end commercial systems
Large solar or private-wire development	SSE	Broader project types and funding structures
Business prioritising review scores	ScottishPower	Much higher headline Trustpilot rating
Business needing weekend online support	ScottishPower	Wider general webchat opening hours

Final verdict: SSE vs ScottishPower

SSE is the better overall supplier for large businesses, complex procurement and organisations that require maximum budget certainty.

SSE Protect is an important differentiator because it fixes existing wholesale and non-commodity costs. SSE also has the stronger flexible procurement proposition, more sophisticated energy analytics and a wider range of corporate PPAs, solar developments and distributed-energy solutions.

ScottishPower is likely to be the more accessible choice for many small and medium-sized businesses.

Its one, two and three-year contracts are relatively straightforward, its Renewable For Business tariff is backed by electricity from its own UK renewable assets, and its published deemed rates are considerably lower than SSE’s current Variable Business Rates.

The published price comparison must be treated cautiously because the suppliers’ price cards have different effective dates. ScottishPower’s linked cards are dated January 2025, whereas SSE’s current schedule took effect in June 2026.

A business should obtain current quotations from both suppliers and compare:

• Total estimated annual cost
• Unit rates
• Standing charges
• Contract duration
• Fixed and variable cost components
• Pass-through charges
• Renewable-energy evidence
• Metering charges
• Capacity charges
• Exit fees
• Broker commission
• Renewal terms

For a conventional SME fixed contract, ScottishPower may offer the more attractive combination of price and simplicity.

For a larger organisation, or a business wanting fully fixed costs, advanced reporting or flexible energy purchasing, SSE is the stronger choice.

FAQ