ScottishPower vs Shell Energy: comparing commercial tariffs to help you choose for your business

ScottishPower and Shell Energy both supply gas and electricity to UK businesses, but their strongest products serve different types of customer.

ScottishPower’s proposition is particularly accessible to small and medium-sized businesses. It offers one, two and three-year agreements, renewable electricity matched with generation from its own UK renewable assets, free smart-meter installation, commercial solar panels and several forms of electric vehicle charging.

Shell Energy offers fixed contracts to smaller organisations but has a more extensive proposition for large and complex energy users. Its services include pass-through contracts, direct wholesale-market purchasing, renewable gas, corporate power purchase agreements, microgrids and integrated on-site generation.

The price comparison requires considerable caution. Shell publishes deemed and extended-supply rates effective from 1 April 2026. ScottishPower’s website, however, still links to deemed price cards effective from 1 January 2025. The figures are therefore not from comparable periods and cannot establish which supplier would provide the cheaper current contract.

ScottishPower vs Shell Energy at a glance

Comparison area	ScottishPower	Shell Energy
Business electricity	Yes	Yes
Business gas	Yes	Yes
Standard fixed terms	One, two or three years	One to 36 months
Large-user flexible terms	Limited details in its public SME proposition	12 to 60 months
Renewable electricity	100% renewable Renewable For Business tariff	100% renewable options across fixed, pass-through and flexible products
Renewable gas	Not a central SME product	RGGO-backed renewable gas available
Treatment of industry costs	Reviewed quarterly on For Business tariffs	Fixed all-inclusive or selectable pass-through options
Flexible wholesale purchasing	Not prominently offered to SMEs	Flex Shape and Block and Index
Corporate PPAs	Renewable procurement support available	Corporate PPAs available
Published deemed electricity rate	33.720p to 36.110p per kWh	26.881p per kWh
Published electricity standing charge	203.78p to 270.70p per day	168p per day
Electricity pass-through costs	Not separately excluded from the published SME rates	DUoS and TNUoS charges passed through separately
Published deemed gas rate	10.270p to 10.650p per kWh	7.482p to 7.680p per kWh
Small-site gas standing charge	225p per day	446p per day
Smart-meter installation	Free for eligible businesses	Available for eligible businesses
Consumption data	App and online account	Up to half-hourly data through My Account
Commercial solar	Packaged solar and battery installations	Integrated solar, storage and microgrid projects
EV charging	Workplace, fleet and fully funded public charging	Workplace and wider fleet-mobility solutions
Trustpilot rating	4.5 out of 5	4.5 out of 5
Best suited to	SMEs wanting renewable electricity and green technology	Complex procurement, renewable gas and major energy users

ScottishPower fixes the wholesale-energy element of its For Business contracts, while network, environmental and social costs remain variable and are reviewed quarterly. Shell offers both fixed all-inclusive contracts and products under which selected non-commodity charges are passed through.

Does Shell Energy still supply UK businesses?

Yes. Shell Energy remains an active UK business energy supplier.

Shell sold its UK household gas and electricity retail operation to Octopus Energy, but the commercial supply business was not included in the closure of the household brand. Shell Energy continues to offer gas, electricity, renewable procurement and energy-management services to businesses in Great Britain.

Businesses should therefore distinguish between:

• The former Shell Energy household operation, whose customers transferred to Octopus Energy
• Shell Energy UK’s continuing commercial gas and electricity business

Which is cheaper: ScottishPower or Shell Energy?

Neither supplier publishes fixed rates that apply to every business. A quotation normally depends on:

• Annual consumption
• Meter type and profile
• Electricity distribution region
• Agreed supply capacity
• Number of premises
• Contract length
• Contract start date
• Payment method
• Credit history
• Renewable-energy requirements
• Treatment of third-party charges
• Broker commission

Published deemed prices provide some useful context, but there are two important problems.

First, ScottishPower’s latest publicly linked complete deemed schedules remain dated 1 January 2025. Shell’s rates are effective from 1 April 2026.

Second, Shell’s electricity prices exclude several major network charges that are billed separately. ScottishPower’s headline prices therefore cannot be compared directly with Shell’s unit rate and standing charge alone.

ScottishPower vs Shell Energy electricity prices

The following figures apply to standard unrestricted non-half-hourly electricity meters.

Supplier and tariff	Effective date	Unit rate	Standing charge
ScottishPower deemed	January 2025	33.720p to 36.110p per kWh	203.78p to 270.70p per day
Shell deemed	April 2026	26.881p per kWh	168p per day
Shell extended supply	April 2026	34.043p per kWh	168p per day

Prices exclude VAT and the Climate Change Levy.

Shell has the lowest headline unit rate and standing charge. However, it separately passes through Distribution Use of System capacity, reactive-power and fixed charges, along with Transmission Network Use of System charges. The complete Shell bill will consequently be higher than the figures produced from its unit rate and standing charge alone.

ScottishPower deemed electricity rates 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
Merseyside and North Wales	35.810p per kWh	270.70p per day
West Midlands	33.720p per kWh	229.27p per day
North East	34.210p per kWh	231.33p per day
North West	35.210p per kWh	217.02p per day
North Scotland	36.110p per kWh	231.95p per day
South Scotland	34.140p per kWh	242.15p per day
South East	34.110p per kWh	214.47p per day
Southern	34.090p per kWh	217.83p per day
South Wales	34.370p per kWh	228.72p per day
South West	34.270p per kWh	231.65p per day
Yorkshire	33.950p per kWh	231.98p per day

These ScottishPower figures are the rates in the deemed electricity document currently linked from its business terms page, but the document is dated January 2025.

Example annual electricity cost

The following illustration assumes annual consumption of 20,000 kWh.

Supplier and tariff	Headline annual cost
ScottishPower deemed – lowest-cost region	£7,528
ScottishPower deemed – highest-cost region	£8,150
Shell deemed	£5,989 plus network pass-through charges
Shell extended supply	£7,422 plus network pass-through charges

Shell’s deemed headline cost is between approximately £1,539 and £2,161 below ScottishPower’s published annual cost. Its extended-supply headline cost is between approximately £106 and £728 lower.

Those differences are not the final savings because Shell’s separately charged distribution, transmission and other network costs must still be added. The ScottishPower rates also relate to a much earlier pricing period.

What is Shell extended supply?

Shell applies different rates depending on why a customer does not have a fixed contract.

A deemed tariff normally applies when a business moves into premises already supplied by Shell without first arranging a contract.

Extended-supply rates can apply when an existing Shell fixed contract ends and the business remains on supply without completing a renewal. Shell’s extended electricity rate is 34.043p per kWh, compared with 26.881p on its deemed tariff.

This distinction is significant. An existing Shell customer should not assume it will receive the lower deemed rate when its contract expires.

Electricity price winner

There is no reliable winner from the published electricity schedules.

Shell has substantially lower headline rates, but its network charges are passed through separately. ScottishPower’s complete deemed schedule is transparent by region, but the publicly linked figures are dated January 2025.

Businesses should compare fully loaded annual quotations showing:

• Commodity unit rates
• Daily standing charges
• DUoS charges
• TNUoS charges
• Capacity charges
• Reactive-power costs
• Metering and data charges
• Environmental levies
• Broker commission

ScottishPower vs Shell Energy gas prices

The gas comparison is more straightforward because Shell does not apply the same separately listed electricity network costs.

Supplier and tariff	Annual consumption	Unit rate	Standing charge
ScottishPower deemed	Typical SME supply	10.270p to 10.650p per kWh	225p per day
Shell deemed	1 to 73,200 kWh	7.482p per kWh	446p per day
Shell deemed	73,201 to 732,000 kWh	7.680p per kWh	1,586p per day
Shell deemed	More than 732,000 kWh	7.571p per kWh	2,646p per day
Shell extended supply	1 to 73,200 kWh	11.044p per kWh	548p per day
Shell extended supply	73,201 to 732,000 kWh	11.242p per kWh	1,688p per day
Shell extended supply	More than 732,000 kWh	11.133p per kWh	2,747p per day

Shell’s deemed unit rate is considerably lower than ScottishPower’s published rate, but its standing charge is nearly twice as high for the smallest consumption band. Shell’s standing charge then rises sharply when annual consumption exceeds 73,200 kWh.

ScottishPower deemed gas rates by region

Gas region	Unit rate
Eastern	10.270p per kWh
East Midlands	10.310p per kWh
London	10.470p per kWh
Merseyside and North Wales	10.580p per kWh
West Midlands	10.650p per kWh
North East	10.450p per kWh
North West	10.330p per kWh
North Scotland	10.340p per kWh
South Scotland	10.340p per kWh
South East	10.390p per kWh
Southern	10.500p per kWh
South Wales	10.310p per kWh
South West	10.650p per kWh
Yorkshire	10.540p per kWh

ScottishPower’s standing charge is 225p per day in every region under the currently linked January 2025 deemed schedule.

Example annual gas cost

The following illustration assumes annual consumption of 30,000 kWh.

Supplier and tariff	Estimated annual cost
ScottishPower deemed – lowest-price region	£3,902
ScottishPower deemed – highest-price region	£4,016
Shell deemed	£3,873
Shell extended supply	£5,313

Shell’s deemed tariff is approximately £30 to £144 cheaper at this consumption level.

ScottishPower’s published rate is approximately £1,297 to £1,411 cheaper than Shell’s extended-supply tariff.

These comparisons again use ScottishPower’s January 2025 price card against Shell’s April 2026 schedule. They illustrate how the tariff structures work but do not establish which supplier would provide the cheaper current fixed contract.

Gas crossover point

Shell’s small-site deemed standing charge costs £806.65 more per year than ScottishPower’s published standing charge.

Its lower unit rate begins to offset that difference when annual consumption reaches approximately:

• 25,500 kWh against ScottishPower’s highest regional unit rate
• 28,900 kWh against ScottishPower’s lowest regional unit rate

Below those levels, ScottishPower’s lower standing charge can produce the cheaper published total. Above them, Shell’s lower deemed unit rate begins to dominate.

This calculation does not apply to Shell extended supply, which has both a higher unit rate and a higher standing charge than ScottishPower’s published January 2025 schedule.

ScottishPower contract options

ScottishPower offers one, two and three-year business contracts.

Its current electricity proposition is Renewable For Business. Its standard gas contract is the For Business tariff.

How ScottishPower fixed contracts work

ScottishPower splits the tariff into two elements:

• Fixed energy costs: The wholesale-energy component is locked for the agreed contract term.
• Variable industry costs: Network, social and environmental costs can rise or fall.

The variable charges are reviewed quarterly, with revisions taking effect on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October.

A ScottishPower contract should not therefore be interpreted as guaranteeing that the complete unit rate will remain unchanged.

The variable component can include costs connected with:

• Electricity and gas networks
• Environmental programmes
• Social obligations
• Capacity and balancing arrangements
• Other regulated industry charges

This structure can reduce the risk premium that might otherwise be built into a completely fixed price, but it also leaves the business exposed to rising third-party costs.

Shell Energy contract options

Shell provides three principal procurement routes.

Fixed all-inclusive contracts

Shell’s fixed-price terms range from one to 36 months.

The supplier offers a specific fixed all-inclusive SME plan to organisations spending less than £50,000 annually on energy, alongside tailored contracts for larger users. Customers can select renewable electricity, renewable gas and different billing or payment arrangements.

Shell describes the rate as agreed upfront, but it reserves the right to vary prices or pass on costs in circumstances including:

• Inaccurate information supplied by the customer
• Breaches of the agreement
• Changes to regulation or law
• Changes to metering or supply arrangements
• Changes to the calculation or structure of third-party charges

The product provides a high degree of certainty, but it is not immune from every possible industry or regulatory change.

Pass-through contracts

Shell’s pass-through contracts are primarily aimed at businesses spending more than £50,000 annually.

They allow the customer to fix the electricity commodity price while selecting which non-commodity charges are billed at prevailing rates. This can avoid some of the risk premium associated with fixing uncertain network and policy costs.

The disadvantage is that the total bill can change when distribution, transmission or environmental charges move.

Flexible purchasing

Shell’s flexible contracts are designed principally for electricity customers spending more than £1 million annually.

It offers two principal products:

Shell flexible product	Contract term	Purchasing structure
Flex Shape	12 to 36 months	Monthly, quarterly or seasonal block purchases
Block and Index	12 to 60 months	Block purchasing with residual volumes settled against an index

Flex Shape requires the relevant volume to be fully hedged before each block period begins. Block and Index provides hourly market access and allows the customer to choose when and how much electricity to hedge or leave floating. Both pass non-energy costs through and can include 100% renewable electricity.

Contract flexibility winner

Shell Energy

ScottishPower provides a straightforward structure for SMEs, but Shell offers a broader progression from short fixed contracts to pass-through pricing and direct wholesale-market purchasing.

Which supplier offers better price certainty?

The answer depends on the contract selected.

ScottishPower clearly states that its energy cost is fixed while industry charges remain variable and are reviewed quarterly.

Shell offers an all-inclusive fixed product, potentially giving stronger initial budget certainty. However, its contract allows changes in defined circumstances, including alterations to third-party charge structures or regulation.

Shell has the advantage where a suitable fixed all-inclusive quotation is available.

ScottishPower may appeal to businesses that prefer greater transparency over variable industry costs and do not want to pay the risk premium that can accompany fully fixed pricing.

The quotation should state precisely whether it fixes:

• Wholesale energy
• Distribution costs
• Transmission costs
• Balancing charges
• Capacity Market costs
• Renewable Obligation costs
• Contracts for Difference
• Metering and data costs
• New taxes or regulatory levies

Renewable electricity comparison

Both suppliers offer 100% renewable electricity, but their propositions differ.

ScottishPower renewable electricity

ScottishPower’s Renewable For Business tariff matches every unit used with renewable electricity generated from its own renewable resources in the UK.

The product is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin and is available on one, two or three-year contracts. ScottishPower reports that its group has 38 UK onshore wind-farm sites containing 1,157 turbines with combined capacity of 1,948 MW.

This is a strong proposition for an SME that wants:

• Renewable electricity as its standard contracted product
• REGOs connected with the supplier’s own renewable generation
• Evidence for market-based Scope 2 reporting
• A relatively simple one to three-year agreement

Shell renewable electricity and gas

Shell offers 100% renewable electricity across fixed, pass-through and flexible products. Customers can select options connected with particular generation technologies or locations, subject to the product offered.

Shell also offers renewable gas certified through the Green Gas Certification Scheme. RGGOs match the gas used by the customer with an equivalent amount of biomethane injected into the network.

Shell’s renewable proposition is broader for businesses that need:

• Renewable electricity and gas
• A choice of generation technologies
• Tailored certificate arrangements
• A corporate PPA
• Biomethane procurement
• A combined energy and decarbonisation strategy

Fuel-mix comparison

The suppliers’ overall fuel mixes should not be confused with their dedicated renewable tariffs.

Energy source	ScottishPower total mix	Shell Energy business mix
Renewables	7%	71%
Natural gas	70%	22%
Coal	14%	4%
Nuclear	4%	1%
Other fuels	5%	2%

The disclosures cover 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. ScottishPower’s non-green tariffs had a mix dominated by gas, while its dedicated renewable products are matched with 100% renewable electricity. Shell reported portfolio carbon intensity of 141 grams of carbon dioxide per kWh.

Renewable-energy winner

ScottishPower has the stronger simple SME renewable-electricity story because its Renewable For Business product is linked to ScottishPower’s own UK renewable assets.

Shell has the broader overall low-carbon proposition because it offers renewable electricity, renewable gas, biomethane services, PPAs and integrated on-site energy projects. Its disclosed business fuel mix also contained a much higher proportion of renewable electricity.

Smart meters and energy monitoring

ScottishPower smart meters

ScottishPower offers eligible businesses free smart-meter installation. It says installation normally takes around one hour per meter and that appointments may be available outside normal working hours or at weekends.

Automated readings reduce estimated billing, while customers can use ScottishPower’s online account and app to monitor energy, enter readings, view bills and make payments.

Shell Energy smart-meter data

Shell customers with compatible smart or advanced meters can access consumption data free through My Account.

The platform provides:

• Up to 12 months of historical data by default
• Gas and electricity information
• Data at intervals as short as half an hour
• Graphs showing patterns and trends
• Downloadable data
• Information across several sites
• Access for authorised representatives

The service is available continuously online, although recently transferred accounts and complex meters may require assistance before the data appears correctly.

Energy-monitoring winner

Shell has the advantage for granular and multi-site data.

ScottishPower’s app is likely to be easier for a small business needing routine account management. Shell’s ability to display and export half-hourly gas and electricity data gives it the stronger analytical proposition.

Commercial solar and batteries

ScottishPower business solar

ScottishPower offers a clearly packaged commercial solar service covering:

• Solar panels
• Battery storage
• Preliminary proposals
• Site surveys
• Tailored system design
• Nationwide installation
• Distribution Network Operator applications
• Smart Export Guarantee access

Its typical installation package can include a 24-month installer warranty, a 12-year panel manufacturer warranty, an inverter warranty starting from five years and a 25-year performance warranty. ScottishPower gives a typical solar-system operating life of 25 to 30 years.

This proposition is likely to suit shops, offices, warehouses, hospitality businesses and manufacturers wanting a conventional rooftop installation.

Shell on-site energy solutions

Shell’s proposition is broader and more bespoke. It can include:

• Solar generation
• Battery storage
• Microgrids
• Low-carbon heating
• On-site gas generation
• Energy-efficiency systems
• Asset design and construction
• Operation and maintenance
• Fully funded project structures

Shell can also optimise grid-scale batteries and flexible-generation assets.

Solar winner

ScottishPower for a conventional SME installation.

Its public proposition provides clearer detail about surveys, warranties, DNO applications and export arrangements.

Shell for a large integrated energy project.

Its offering is better suited to businesses combining solar, batteries, heat, microgrids and asset optimisation within one programme.

Electric vehicle charging

ScottishPower offers:

• Workplace chargers
• Fleet charging
• Destination charging
• Fast, rapid and ultra-rapid equipment
• Fully funded public charging for eligible sites

Under its public charging model, ScottishPower can fund, install, own, operate and maintain the equipment under a ten-year land lease. The host business receives a share of charging revenue.

Shell offers business EV charging through its wider mobility and energy-solutions operation. Its services can be integrated with renewable electricity, fleet services, battery storage and on-site generation. Shell also supports alternative fuels, road-tolling and fleet-payment services.

EV charging winner

ScottishPower for a clearly defined workplace or public-charging project.

Shell for an integrated national or international fleet-energy strategy.

Large-business and multi-site services

Shell is the stronger supplier for organisations requiring active energy procurement.

Its large-customer proposition includes:

• Fixed all-inclusive contracts
• Pass-through products
• Flex Shape
• Block and Index
• Wholesale-market access
• Monthly, quarterly and seasonal purchases
• Group billing
• Aligned contract-end dates
• Renewable gas
• Corporate PPAs
• On-site generation and asset optimisation

Its most advanced flexible products are aimed at businesses spending more than £1 million annually on electricity.

ScottishPower states that it serves small, medium and large businesses, but its public tariff proposition centres primarily on one, two and three-year contracts with fixed energy costs and quarterly variable industry charges.

Large-business winner: Shell Energy

Customer-review comparison

Supplier profile	TrustScore	Number of reviews
ScottishPower	4.5 out of 5	Approximately 193,000
Shell Energy for Business Customers	4.5 out of 5	179

Both suppliers currently have the same headline TrustScore, but the datasets are not directly comparable.

ScottishPower’s profile covers its wider customer base and is dominated by domestic experiences. It has an extremely large sample and actively invites reviews.

Shell’s profile relates specifically to business customers, making it more relevant to this comparison. However, 179 reviews is a small sample, and Trustpilot records only seven submissions during the most recent 12-month period shown.

Customer-review winner: Draw

Shell’s reviews are more relevant, while ScottishPower’s sample is far more statistically substantial.

ScottishPower advantages and disadvantages

Shell Energy advantages and disadvantages

Which supplier is best for different businesses?

Business requirement	Better choice	Reason
Small office or shop	ScottishPower	Simple renewable SME contract
Business wanting its energy cost fully packaged	Shell	Fixed all-inclusive option available
Business comparing published electricity prices	Neither conclusively	Shell passes network charges through and ScottishPower’s rates are old
Very low gas consumption	ScottishPower may be cheaper	Lower published standing charge
Moderate deemed gas consumption	Shell may be cheaper	Lower unit rate begins to outweigh standing charge
Existing Shell customer after contract expiry	Compare alternatives urgently	Extended-supply rates are considerably higher
Renewable SME electricity	ScottishPower	Power matched with its own UK renewable assets
Renewable gas	Shell	RGGO-backed options
Detailed half-hourly consumption data	Shell	Downloadable multi-site data
Conventional commercial solar	ScottishPower	Clearly packaged end-to-end installation
Fully funded public EV charging	ScottishPower	Host model with revenue share
Integrated microgrid project	Shell	Broader on-site infrastructure capabilities
Flexible wholesale purchasing	Shell	Flex Shape and Block and Index
Five-year flexible contract	Shell	Block and Index runs for up to 60 months
Corporate PPA	Shell	Prominent tailored PPA proposition
Multi-site billing	Shell	Group billing and aligned end dates
Relevant business-only review profile	Shell	Reviews relate specifically to businesses
Largest review sample	ScottishPower	Approximately 193,000 reviews

Final verdict: ScottishPower vs Shell Energy

ScottishPower is likely to be the better fit for a conventional small or medium-sized business.

Its one, two and three-year tariffs are relatively easy to understand, renewable electricity is matched with generation from its own UK assets, and it offers a strong supporting range of smart meters, solar panels, batteries and EV charging.

The principal drawback is that its contracted prices are only partly fixed. Network, social and environmental costs are reviewed quarterly and can change during the term.

Shell Energy is the stronger supplier for complex procurement and ambitious decarbonisation programmes.

Its fixed all-inclusive, pass-through and flexible-purchasing options provide more choice over how and when energy is bought. It also offers renewable gas, corporate PPAs, microgrids, battery optimisation and integrated on-site projects.

The price verdict is less clear:

• Shell has lower headline deemed electricity prices, but major network costs are added separately.
• ScottishPower’s publicly linked deemed rates are dated January 2025 and should not be treated as current quotations.
• Shell’s deemed gas can become cheaper at moderate consumption.
• ScottishPower has the lower small-site gas standing charge.
• Shell’s extended-supply rates are considerably less attractive than its deemed prices.

For an ordinary SME wanting straightforward renewable electricity, ScottishPower is the more accessible choice.

For a large, multi-site or energy-intensive organisation wanting renewable gas, market access or integrated energy infrastructure, Shell Energy has the stronger overall proposition.

The final decision should be based on live, fully loaded quotations showing unit rates, standing charges, network costs, capacity fees, broker commission, renewable certificates and every permitted price-adjustment clause.

FAQ