E.ON vs ENGIE: comparing commercial tariffs to help you choose for your business

E.ON and ENGIE both supply electricity and gas to UK businesses, but their strongest offerings target different types of customer.

E.ON Next provides relatively straightforward one, two and three-year fixed tariffs for small and medium-sized businesses. Larger organisations are served through npower Business Solutions, which offers fixed, flexible and renewable energy procurement products. ENGIE serves businesses of different sizes directly, with fixed contracts lasting up to five years, sophisticated pass-through arrangements, renewable gas and advanced energy-management services.

Based on their currently published deemed rates, E.ON is likely to be cheaper for most conventional small and medium-sized businesses. Its gas prices are lower in every region, while its lower electricity standing charge makes it cheaper than ENGIE for a business using 20,000 kWh annually in all 14 electricity regions.

ENGIE is the stronger option where complete price protection, renewable gas, long contract terms or complex procurement is more important. Its Guard product fixes a rate inclusive of third-party charges for up to five years, while its flexible products give large users more control over wholesale purchasing and demand management.

E.ON vs ENGIE at a glance

Comparison area	E.ON	ENGIE
Business electricity	Yes	Yes
Business gas	Yes	Yes
SME fixed terms	One, two or three years	Up to five years
Fully fixed product	Fixed SME tariffs and large-user options	Guard, including specified third-party charges
No-standing-charge option	Not prominently offered	Simple gas tariff
Flexible purchasing	Through npower Business Solutions	Yes
Renewable electricity	100% renewable electricity on selected E.ON Next tariffs	Optional with fixed and flexible contracts
Renewable gas	Specialist options through the wider group	Green gas and RGGO options
Corporate PPAs	Available through npower Business Solutions	Available
Published deemed electricity rate	36.5p to 41.1p per kWh	37.89p per kWh
Electricity standing charge	300p per day	528p per day
Published deemed gas rate	11.8p to 12.6p per kWh	13.32p per kWh
Gas standing charge for a small site	175p per day	220p per day
SME energy dashboard	E.ON Optimum	ENGIE online account
Advanced energy management	Through npower Business Solutions	GEMs, asset optimisation and demand response
Commercial solar	Packaged solar and battery installations	Bespoke renewable and energy-management projects
Main Trustpilot score	4.5 out of 5	Business profile has only five reviews
Best suited to	SMEs, lower deemed costs and packaged solar	Long-term certainty and complex procurement

E.ON Next defines its conventional SME customers as businesses using no more than 100,000 kWh of electricity or 293,000 kWh of gas annually, or meeting the relevant small-business turnover and staffing criteria. Larger customers are directed to npower Business Solutions. E.ON Next offers one, two and three-year fixed tariffs, while ENGIE’s fixed products can provide price protection for as long as five years.

Which is cheaper: E.ON or ENGIE?

Neither supplier publishes fixed-contract prices that apply universally. A quotation will depend on factors including:

• Annual consumption
• Electricity distribution region
• Meter and settlement type
• Agreed supply capacity
• Contract length and start date
• Payment method
• Credit history
• Number of sites
• Renewable-energy requirements
• Which third-party charges are fixed or passed through

The most transparent public comparison is therefore between each supplier’s deemed rates. These normally apply when a business occupies premises without agreeing a supply contract.

Deemed tariffs are generally more expensive than negotiated contracts and should not be treated as representative fixed-price quotations.

Important E.ON date qualification

E.ON’s deemed-contract webpage describes the currently downloadable documents as effective from 1 July 2026. However, the SME electricity and gas price cards contained within those documents are stamped 10 April 2026. The following comparison uses the rates in those currently linked official price cards, but businesses should confirm the applicable billing rates directly with E.ON.

ENGIE’s current non-half-hourly electricity and gas schedules took effect on 1 June 2026 and apply until further notice.

E.ON vs ENGIE electricity prices

The following rates apply to standard unrestricted non-half-hourly electricity meters. Prices exclude VAT and the Climate Change Levy.

Supplier	Unit rate	Standing charge
E.ON	36.5p to 41.1p per kWh	300p per day
ENGIE	37.89p per kWh	528p per day

E.ON’s unit price varies by distribution region. ENGIE applies a nationwide 37.89p rate to its published non-half-hourly deemed tariff.

ENGIE has the lower unit rate in four regions, but its standing charge is £2.28 per day higher. That adds £832.20 to the annual fixed cost before any electricity is consumed.

E.ON and ENGIE electricity rates by region

Electricity region	E.ON unit rate	ENGIE unit rate	Lower unit rate
Eastern	36.8p	37.89p	E.ON
East Midlands	36.7p	37.89p	E.ON
London	37.5p	37.89p	E.ON
Merseyside and North Wales	39.6p	37.89p	ENGIE
West Midlands	36.5p	37.89p	E.ON
North East	37.4p	37.89p	E.ON
North West	38.1p	37.89p	ENGIE
North Scotland	41.1p	37.89p	ENGIE
South Scotland	36.8p	37.89p	E.ON
South East	36.9p	37.89p	E.ON
Southern	37.5p	37.89p	E.ON
South Wales	37.8p	37.89p	E.ON
South West	38.1p	37.89p	ENGIE
Yorkshire	36.8p	37.89p	E.ON

E.ON has the lower electricity unit rate in ten of the 14 regions. ENGIE is lower in Merseyside and North Wales, the North West, North Scotland and the South West.

Example annual electricity cost

The following example assumes annual consumption of 20,000 kWh through an unrestricted meter.

Supplier	Estimated annual cost
E.ON – lowest-price region	£8,395
E.ON – highest-price region	£9,315
ENGIE	£9,505

The calculations include the published unit rate and 365 days of standing charges but exclude VAT, the Climate Change Levy and additional site-specific charges.

Despite having a higher unit rate in four regions, E.ON remains cheaper at 20,000 kWh because of its lower standing charge. The estimated annual saving ranges from approximately £190 to £1,110.

When could ENGIE become cheaper?

In the four regions where ENGIE has the lower unit rate, its energy-price advantage eventually offsets its higher standing charge.

Region	Approximate annual crossover point
North Scotland	25,925 kWh
Merseyside and North Wales	48,667 kWh
North West	396,286 kWh
South West	396,286 kWh

For example, an unrestricted North Scotland customer consuming more than approximately 25,925 kWh annually could pay less with ENGIE’s published deemed tariff. Below that level, E.ON’s lower standing charge is likely to outweigh its higher unit price.

These are mathematical crossover points based solely on the published rates. They do not include VAT, the Climate Change Levy, additional network costs or alternative meter arrangements.

Electricity price winner: E.ON for most SMEs

ENGIE can become cheaper for higher-consumption customers in certain regions, particularly North Scotland.

E.ON vs ENGIE gas prices

Supplier	Gas unit rate	Standing charge
E.ON	11.8p to 12.6p per kWh	175p per day
ENGIE – up to 73,200 kWh	13.32p per kWh	220p per day
ENGIE – 73,201 to 293,000 kWh	13.32p per kWh	539p per day

E.ON has both the lower gas unit rate and the lower standing charge for a conventional small-business site.

ENGIE applies the same unit rate across its published consumption bands, but its standing charge increases sharply as annual quantity rises. For example, a site consuming between 293,001 and 732,000 kWh pays £14.11 per day, while one using between 732,001 and 2,196,000 kWh pays £32.84 per day.

Example annual gas cost

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

Supplier	Estimated annual cost
E.ON – lowest-price region	£4,179
E.ON – highest-price region	£4,419
ENGIE	£4,799

On the published deemed prices, E.ON would be approximately £380 to £620 cheaper per year.

The difference becomes much larger for businesses entering ENGIE’s higher standing-charge bands. A restaurant, hotel, school, care home or manufacturer should therefore examine the annual quantity band carefully rather than comparing only unit rates.

Gas price winner: E.ON

Half-hourly electricity comparison

Half-hourly prices are more difficult to compare because the suppliers structure rates, standing charges, capacity costs and settlement bands differently.

ENGIE’s current published half-hourly deemed prices are:

ENGIE meter category	Day rate	Night rate	Standing charge
LV, LV Sub and HV bands 1–2	40.47p per kWh	26.45p per kWh	£27.85 per day
HV bands 3–4	40.47p per kWh	26.45p per kWh	£510.31 per day

ENGIE passes through additional capacity, excess-capacity and reactive-power costs where applicable. Its schedule also states that its out-of-contract electricity rates are 100% green.

E.ON’s half-hourly deemed rates vary by regional band. Published unit prices range from approximately 30.8p to 49.4p per kWh, while daily charges range from £1.56 for a low aggregated band to several hundred pounds for high-voltage, high-capacity supplies. Capacity and excess-capacity charges are added to relevant LV and HV accounts.

A half-hourly customer should request a complete annual forecast containing:

• Day and night consumption
• Daily standing charges
• Agreed capacity
• Excess-capacity charges
• Reactive-power charges
• Meter operator costs
• Data collection and aggregation
• Distribution and transmission charges
• Balancing costs
• Broker commission

There is no reliable overall half-hourly winner without a specific meter, regional band and consumption profile.

E.ON contract options

E.ON Next SME contracts

E.ON Next offers bespoke fixed business tariffs lasting one, two or three years. Selected fixed electricity tariffs include 100% renewable electricity.

SME customers also receive online account management and access to dedicated Energy Specialists. Eligible businesses can obtain quotations online, while multi-site customers, landlords and property managers can request bespoke support.

E.ON allows existing customers to discuss a replacement tariff up to 180 days before their current contract ends. Online renewal may be available closer to the termination date, subject to eligibility.

E.ON large-business contracts

Large and corporate customers are served through npower Business Solutions, part of the E.ON group.

Its procurement options include:

• Conventional fixed contracts
• MultiPurchase contracts
• Market Tracker
• Flex Streamline
• Fast Flex
• Flex Innovate
• Renewable fixed and flexible products
• Corporate power purchase agreements

MultiPurchase allows a business to fix separate portions of its expected energy volume at different points. More advanced flexible products provide access to wholesale purchasing, dedicated portfolio management, risk reporting and options for handling non-commodity charges.

ENGIE contract options

ENGIE’s fixed portfolio provides a wider range of approaches to third-party costs.

ENGIE Guard

Guard includes specified third-party charges within a fixed rate. ENGIE states that contracted prices remain consistent and can be guaranteed for up to five years.

The product is available for standard or green electricity and gas contracts. It is likely to suit businesses that prioritise long-term budget certainty and want protection from changes to the charges included in the agreement.

ENGIE Simple

Simple is a fixed gas tariff with no separate daily standing charge. Instead, the relevant costs are incorporated into the unit price.

It may suit low-use or seasonal gas sites, although a tariff without a standing charge is not automatically cheaper because the unit rate may be higher.

ENGIE Balance

Balance fixes network charges while passing government programme costs through at their current rates.

This can remove some of the risk premium associated with fixing uncertain policy costs, but the overall bill can change during the contract.

ENGIE Freedom

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

The tariff provides transparency and may reward customers that can reduce demand during expensive network periods, but it provides less complete budget certainty than Guard.

Which provides better price certainty?

ENGIE provides the clearest fully fixed proposition.

Guard expressly includes third-party charges in its fixed contracted rate and can run for up to five years. E.ON offers straightforward fixed SME tariffs and large-business contracts with different approaches to non-commodity costs, but the precise protection depends on the individual quotation and contract terms.

Businesses should confirm whether a fixed quotation includes:

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

“Fixed” does not always mean every element of the final bill is guaranteed.

Flexible purchasing comparison

E.ON’s advanced flexible contracts are provided through npower Business Solutions. A corporate customer can divide volumes into several purchases, follow market-reflective rates or actively trade wholesale energy with support from a portfolio manager.

Its Flex Portfolio Solutions allow businesses to select different levels of market updates, risk reviews and performance reporting. Flex Innovate also removes contractual volume tolerances and prices differences between traded blocks and actual consumption against a published index.

ENGIE offers:

• Simple Flex electricity
• Day Ahead gas
• Fixed Price
• Market Choice
• Daily Flex electricity
• Tailored trading services

Simple Flex is recommended for electricity users consuming more than 10 GWh annually. Market Choice allows customers to select monthly average day-ahead pricing or purchase volumes for months, quarters and seasons when market conditions appear favourable. Daily Flex can contain up to eight separate rates covering seasons, weekdays, weekends and different times of day.

Flexible purchasing winner: Draw

Both companies offer credible flexible procurement. E.ON’s wider group provides a particularly broad choice of portfolio-management structures, while ENGIE combines flexible energy supply with demand response, asset optimisation and market-access services.

Renewable electricity comparison

E.ON renewable electricity

E.ON Next offers 100% renewable electricity on selected one, two and three-year fixed business tariffs.

For larger businesses, npower Business Solutions offers UK Business Renewable and UK Renewable Pure products. UK Renewable Pure uses wind, solar and hydro generation, while both products use REGOs and are designed to support zero market-based Scope 2 reporting. Renewable options can be added to fixed and flexible contracts.

E.ON Next’s overall electricity portfolio for residential, small-business and corporate customers between April 2024 and March 2025 was:

Source	E.ON fuel mix
Natural gas	51.5%
Renewables	31.3%
Coal	10.2%
Other fuels	4.3%
Nuclear	2.7%

Its reported portfolio carbon intensity was 331 grams of carbon dioxide per kWh. These figures include customers who were not using a dedicated renewable product.

ENGIE renewable electricity

ENGIE makes 100% renewable electricity available with its fixed and flexible contracts. It also provides named-asset and bespoke corporate PPA structures, renewable gas and support for retiring Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin.

ENGIE’s 2024/25 fuel mix was:

Source	Overall ENGIE supply	Renewable products	Standard products
Renewables	48%	100%	11.6%
Natural gas	39%	0%	66%
Coal	8%	0%	13%
Other fuels	3%	0%	6%
Nuclear	2%	0%	3%

ENGIE reported overall carbon intensity of 249.36 grams of carbon dioxide per kWh. Its renewable products reported zero market-based Scope 2 emissions, while its standard products produced 426.71 grams per kWh.

Renewable-energy winner

ENGIE has a narrow advantage for bespoke renewable procurement.

Both suppliers can provide credible REGO-backed renewable electricity and corporate PPAs. ENGIE’s advantages include renewable gas, RGGOs, named-asset arrangements and a higher renewable share across its overall disclosed power mix.

E.ON remains highly competitive for businesses wanting a conventional renewable fixed contract, particularly through its independently verified npower Business Solutions products.

Smart meters and energy data

E.ON Optimum

E.ON Optimum is a free energy-management dashboard for eligible SME customers with compatible meters.

It allows businesses to:

• View electricity and gas consumption
• Compare usage year on year for up to three years
• Benchmark consumption
• Receive sustainability and efficiency tips
• Access data remotely

E.ON also offers commercial smart-meter installation without a separate installation charge, subject to eligibility and site suitability.

ENGIE online account and GEMs

ENGIE customers with compatible smart, AMR or half-hourly meters can access yearly, daily or half-hourly consumption information through an online account. Half-hourly data files can also be requested separately.

For more complex customers, ENGIE offers GEMs and other energy-management services combining real-time data, analytics, market expertise, demand response and asset optimisation.

Energy-data winner:

• E.ON for a typical SME, because Optimum provides an accessible, packaged dashboard.
• ENGIE for advanced industrial energy management, because its tools extend into asset optimisation, trading and demand response.

Commercial solar and batteries

E.ON has the more clearly defined small-business solar proposition.

Its commercial systems typically range from 15 kW to 100 kW, although larger systems are available. Services can include:

• Three-dimensional system design
• Structural roof assessments
• Distribution network applications
• Solar and battery installation
• Performance and return-on-investment forecasts
• Monitoring tools
• Multi-site designs
• Solar-only, battery-only or combined installations

E.ON gives general payback estimates of four to six years for solar and battery systems and four to seven years for battery-only projects. Actual results depend on system size, usage patterns, financing, roof orientation and export restrictions.

ENGIE’s published UK proposition places greater emphasis on renewable generation, PPAs, biomethane, energy management, asset optimisation and demand response than on a standard packaged rooftop-solar service for SMEs. For a large or technically complex decarbonisation project, however, ENGIE’s wider capabilities may be more relevant.

Packaged commercial solar winner: E.ON

Customer service comparison

E.ON Next gives business customers online account access and support through telephone, email and WhatsApp. Dedicated Energy Specialists are included in its SME proposition.

ENGIE provides online account management, telephone and email support. Its sales lines normally operate during weekday business hours, and specialist account management is available for tailored energy contracts.

Eligible small and microbusiness customers can refer unresolved complaints to the Energy Ombudsman once the required escalation conditions have been met.

Trustpilot ratings

Supplier profile	TrustScore	Reviews
E.ON Next Energy Ltd	4.5 out of 5	Approximately 212,000
ENGIE UK & Ireland business profile	2.5 out of 5	5

The headline figures are not directly comparable.

E.ON’s profile includes predominantly domestic reviews rather than a separate business-only sample. E.ON invites customers to submit reviews and Trustpilot reports that it responds to 99% of negative reviews, generally within 24 hours.

ENGIE’s business-specific profile contains only five reviews and has no history of inviting customers. Trustpilot explicitly warns that the reviews may not be representative. The 2.5 score is therefore too weak a dataset to assess current ENGIE business service reliably.

Customer-review winner: E.ON, with an important comparability warning

E.ON advantages and disadvantages

ENGIE advantages and disadvantages

Which supplier is best for different businesses?

Business requirement	Better choice	Reason
Small office or shop	E.ON	Lower standing charge and simple SME tariffs
Typical SME electricity account	E.ON	Lower annual cost at common consumption levels
Gas-heated business	E.ON	Lower unit rate and standing charge
North Scotland electricity site	Compare both	ENGIE becomes competitive at higher consumption
Five-year contract	ENGIE	Guard prices can be guaranteed for up to five years
Complete price certainty	ENGIE	Guard includes specified third-party charges
Simple one to three-year fix	E.ON	Straightforward E.ON Next SME proposition
Zero-standing-charge gas	ENGIE	Simple tariff
Renewable SME electricity	Compare both	Both offer 100% renewable products
Renewable gas	ENGIE	Green-gas and RGGO services
Commercial rooftop solar	E.ON	Clearly packaged SME installation service
Large industrial customer	Compare both	Both offer advanced flexible purchasing
Demand response	ENGIE	Integrated flexibility and asset optimisation
Multi-stage wholesale purchasing	Either	Both offer split-purchase arrangements
Corporate PPA	Compare both	Both provide renewable PPA solutions
Accessible SME data dashboard	E.ON	Optimum is free for eligible customers
Advanced asset analytics	ENGIE	GEMs and energy-management services
Public customer-review record	E.ON	Much larger review base, though mostly domestic

Final verdict: E.ON vs ENGIE

E.ON is the better overall option for most small and medium-sized UK businesses.

Its published deemed gas rates are lower than ENGIE’s, and its £3 daily electricity standing charge is substantially below ENGIE’s £5.28 charge. At annual electricity consumption of 20,000 kWh, E.ON is cheaper in every region, producing an estimated saving of approximately £190 to £1,110.

E.ON also provides a simpler SME proposition, a free energy-use dashboard for eligible customers and a well-developed commercial solar and battery service.

ENGIE is the stronger choice for businesses prioritising long-term certainty or advanced energy procurement.

Guard provides a clearly defined fixed rate inclusive of specified third-party costs for as long as five years. ENGIE also has advantages in renewable gas, demand response, asset optimisation and tailored PPA arrangements.

The practical conclusion is:

• Choose E.ON for conventional SME electricity and gas, lower published deemed costs, an accessible dashboard or commercial solar.
• Consider ENGIE for a five-year agreement, comprehensive price protection, renewable gas or complex industrial procurement.
• Compare both for high-consumption electricity in North Scotland, where ENGIE’s lower unit rate can offset its higher standing charge.

Businesses should compare personalised quotations using the total estimated annual cost rather than the unit rate alone. The comparison should include standing charges, capacity costs, pass-through provisions, broker commission, renewable certificates, exit terms and contract-end arrangements.

FAQ