Auditel review

Auditel review summary

Auditel is a UK carbon, energy and procurement consultancy that helps organisations reduce costs, manage carbon emissions and improve procurement performance. It is not a simple online business energy broker in the same style as Bionic, Love Energy Savings or Utility Bidder. Its model is more consultative, with a network of specialists covering energy, carbon management, procurement and wider indirect business costs.

Auditel describes itself as a “Carbon, Energy & Procurement Solutions Company” and says it has built a network of more than 100 carbon, energy and procurement specialists since 1994. Its website says it helps organisations measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions while improving financial performance.

Auditel is best understood as a consultancy option for businesses that want more than a renewal quote. It may be particularly relevant for organisations reviewing energy procurement, net zero planning, supply chain costs, carbon reporting or wider business overheads.

Quick verdict

Category	Rating	Notes
Energy procurement	4.2/5	Strong consultancy-led approach rather than basic switching
Wider procurement support	4.6/5	Covers more than energy, with specialists across many expenditure areas
Carbon and net zero support	4.5/5	Strong positioning around carbon, energy and measurable decarbonisation
SME suitability	3.8/5	Useful for SMEs with meaningful cost or carbon goals, but may be more involved than an online broker
Large business suitability	4.3/5	Useful where energy, procurement and carbon need to be reviewed together
Fee transparency	4.0/5	Auditel marketing says it is not a broker and does not take commissions in some contexts, but customers should still confirm fees in writing
Customer review signal	3.8/5	Strong case-study and testimonial footprint, but less obvious mass-market Trustpilot-style review evidence
Overall rating	4.2/5	A strong consultancy option for businesses wanting energy, carbon and procurement support together

What is Auditel?

Auditel is a UK procurement, energy and carbon consultancy. Companies House lists Auditel (U.K.) Limited as an active private limited company, company number 02957303, with a registered office at 145 London Road, Kingston Upon Thames, KT2 6SR. The company was incorporated on 10 August 1994 and its listed SIC activity is management consultancy activities other than financial management.

Auditel’s own website says it has operated since 1994 and has built a network of more than 100 specialists from a broad range of professions and industries.

A key difference from many energy brokers is the breadth of the proposition. Auditel is not only focused on getting a business energy contract signed. Its wider procurement page says its specialists work across more than 100 expenditure areas, using benchmarking, analytical tools, supplier relationships and procurement frameworks.

What does Auditel offer?

Auditel’s services sit across three main areas: energy, carbon and procurement.

Service area	What it means	Best suited to
Energy procurement	Reviewing energy contracts, purchasing options and supplier terms	Businesses wanting an energy strategy rather than a simple switch
Energy management	Analysing usage, monitoring consumption and reducing waste	High-usage and multi-site organisations
Carbon management	Measuring, managing and reducing emissions	Businesses with net zero or ESG targets
Procurement consultancy	Reviewing supplier costs across many indirect spend categories	Organisations wanting wider cost reduction
Benchmarking	Comparing what a business pays against market or peer data	Businesses unsure whether current contracts are competitive
Supplier negotiation	Negotiating better supplier terms or running tenders	Businesses with significant procurement spend
Supply chain improvement	Improving supplier structure, risk and efficiency	Larger SMEs, charities, care groups, schools and multi-site operators
Compliance-related support	Helping with energy, carbon and procurement reporting needs	Organisations with regulatory or stakeholder reporting pressure

Auditel’s procurement page says it uses hand-picked procurement specialists, benchmarking tools and supplier relationships to negotiate on behalf of clients across over 100 expenditure areas.

Energy procurement and energy management

Auditel’s energy management page says it brings more than 30 years of experience to energy procurement and energy management, and describes its approach as transparent, strategic and client-led. It says the service is designed to simplify energy for clients and improve value, insight and outcomes.

This suggests Auditel is likely to focus on a broader review of energy purchasing and consumption, rather than simply presenting a list of supplier quotes.

Energy service	What it can involve
Energy contract review	Checking current rates, renewal dates and supplier terms
Procurement strategy	Deciding whether to renew, tender, fix or explore alternative structures
Supplier negotiation	Approaching suppliers or using procurement expertise to improve terms
Consumption analysis	Reviewing usage patterns and identifying waste
Multi-site support	Managing contracts and data across several premises
Carbon-linked procurement	Considering renewable or lower-carbon energy options
Energy efficiency advice	Looking beyond tariff changes to reduce actual consumption

This is likely to be useful for organisations where energy is a meaningful cost, or where procurement decisions need to support carbon reduction objectives.

Carbon and net zero support

Auditel places strong emphasis on carbon and net zero. Its homepage says it helps organisations on their journey to net zero in a measurable, meaningful and potentially self-funding way. It also says it helps organisations measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions while improving financial performance.

This makes Auditel different from a basic energy broker. A business might use Auditel not only to review energy costs, but also to understand how energy purchasing, supplier choices, emissions data and carbon-reduction projects fit together.

Carbon service area	Why it matters
Carbon measurement	Establishes the baseline for emissions reduction
Net zero planning	Creates a practical pathway for reducing emissions
Energy reduction	Cuts both costs and carbon emissions
Supplier review	Identifies procurement decisions that affect carbon impact
Carbon reporting	Supports internal, stakeholder or regulatory reporting
Decarbonisation business case	Helps link emissions reduction to cost savings
Self-funding projects	Looks for savings that can help fund carbon initiatives

Auditel’s strongest fit is likely to be where a business wants energy cost reduction and carbon reduction to be assessed together.

Wider procurement support

Auditel’s wider procurement proposition is one of its main strengths. It is not limited to energy. Its procurement page refers to specialists with long careers across more than 100 expenditure areas and states that Auditel uses benchmarking and analytical tools to speed up tendering and make sense of complex data.

This wider procurement model can be useful because energy is often only one part of a business’s cost base. Businesses may also be overspending on waste, telecoms, merchant services, insurance, packaging, cleaning supplies, facilities management, fleet costs or other supplier categories.

Procurement area	Why it may matter
Energy	High-cost category for many businesses
Waste	Important for hospitality, retail, care and manufacturing
Telecoms	Often affected by legacy contracts and poor tariff fit
Fleet and fuel	Significant for logistics, field service and delivery businesses
Cleaning and facilities	Material for care, hospitality, property and education
Water	Relevant for hospitality, care, manufacturing and agriculture
Merchant services	Important for retailers, cafés and hospitality businesses
Insurance	A major overhead for risk-exposed sectors
Packaging and supplies	Important for retail, manufacturing and distribution

Auditel’s own Smarter Services case study gives an example of work beyond energy, including procurement support across cleaning consumables and fuel cards. The case study says Auditel helped consolidate suppliers, run tenders and support ongoing procurement.

Is Auditel an energy broker?

Auditel is more accurately described as a consultancy that can support energy procurement, rather than a simple energy broker.

This distinction matters because many energy brokers primarily earn commission by arranging supplier contracts. Auditel’s broader positioning is around procurement, cost reduction and carbon management. One Auditel page aimed at medium-sized businesses says: “We are not brokers, we don’t take commissions, we are independent,” although this appears in the context of a specific procurement proposition and should not be treated as a universal guarantee for every service, franchise partner or contract structure.

The safest approach is to ask Auditel or the specific Auditel partner handling the work to confirm the fee model in writing.

Possible model	What to ask
Fixed consultancy fee	What is the fee, scope and deliverable?
Savings-based fee	What percentage of savings is charged and how is the baseline calculated?
Retainer	What is included each month or year?
Project fee	What milestones and outputs are included?
Supplier-funded fee	Is any payment received from a supplier or included in supplier pricing?
No commission model	Can this be confirmed in writing for the specific work?

Auditel fees and commission

Auditel does not publish one simple fixed price for all services. That is not unusual for a consultancy with a broad remit across procurement, energy and carbon. Fees are likely to depend on the scope of work, spend category, number of sites, contract complexity, energy usage, carbon reporting requirements and whether the work is delivered by Auditel centrally or through an Auditel partner.

Businesses should ask for written answers to these fee questions:

Fee question	Why it matters
Are fees fixed, savings-based, hourly, retainer-based or supplier-funded?	Shows how Auditel is paid
Is any commission included in an energy unit rate?	Important when comparing energy quotes
Are any supplier payments received?	Helps assess independence
What is the total fee if savings are achieved?	Prevents surprise invoices
How is a saving calculated?	Savings should be measured against a fair baseline
Is there a fee cap?	Prevents an unexpectedly high success fee
Are there minimum terms?	Important for ongoing consultancy or monitoring support
What happens if no savings are delivered?	Clarifies risk and value

One Auditel promotional page says it can design a self-funding and bespoke fee mechanism where it is only paid if it physically delivers profit, and that fee caps can be used where results exceed expectations. This is useful as an indication of possible commercial models, but customers should still check their own agreement carefully.

Broker fee transparency rules

Even where a consultant presents itself as independent, businesses should still check whether any energy-related fee is included in the supply contract.

Ofgem confirmed that, for non-domestic contracts signed on or from 1 October 2024, suppliers must ensure principal terms clearly display broker fees, and suppliers must make that information available on request.

The UK government has also said it intends to bring forward legislation to appoint Ofgem as regulator for energy third-party intermediaries, giving Ofgem powers to create principles, set rules, require registration, investigate firms and use enforcement tools.

For an Auditel customer, the practical lesson is simple: if Auditel or an Auditel partner is involved in arranging an energy contract, ask whether any third-party intermediary fee is included, and ask for it in pounds, pence per kWh and total contract value.

Example fee calculation for energy commission

If any energy-related fee is included in a p/kWh rate, the annual cost can increase quickly.

Annual energy usage	0.5p/kWh fee	1p/kWh fee	2p/kWh fee	3p/kWh fee
25,000 kWh	£125 per year	£250 per year	£500 per year	£750 per year
50,000 kWh	£250 per year	£500 per year	£1,000 per year	£1,500 per year
100,000 kWh	£500 per year	£1,000 per year	£2,000 per year	£3,000 per year
250,000 kWh	£1,250 per year	£2,500 per year	£5,000 per year	£7,500 per year
500,000 kWh	£2,500 per year	£5,000 per year	£10,000 per year	£15,000 per year
1,000,000 kWh	£5,000 per year	£10,000 per year	£20,000 per year	£30,000 per year

A business using 250,000 kWh per year would pay £2,500 annually for every 1p/kWh included in the unit rate. Over a three-year contract, that would be £7,500. This is why any energy procurement fee should be disclosed clearly, even if the consultancy also delivers wider value.

Customer evidence and reviews

Auditel appears to rely more on case studies, testimonials and consultant-led relationships than mass-market public review platforms. A third-party customer reference site lists 115 Auditel reviews and testimonials, 106 case studies and a 4.8/5.0 customer rating based on 1,295 reference ratings. This is useful evidence, although it is not the same as an open consumer review platform such as Trustpilot.

Auditel also publishes case studies on its own website. For example, the Smarter Services case study describes a long-term consulting relationship involving strategic procurement, supplier consolidation, retendering and ongoing advice.

Review or evidence source	What it suggests	Limitation
Auditel case studies	Shows examples of procurement and consultancy work	Selected by Auditel
FeaturedCustomers references	Large number of testimonials and case studies	Not the same as open public reviews
Direct references	Potentially useful for due diligence	Need to be requested from Auditel
Public review platforms	Less obvious mass-market review footprint	Harder to benchmark against SME brokers
Proposal quality	Important for consultancy work	Must be assessed case by case

For a consultancy like Auditel, it is sensible to ask for relevant case studies in the same sector, references from similar clients and a clear explanation of how savings or carbon reductions will be measured.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Established since 1994	Not a simple instant online energy comparison service
Network of more than 100 carbon, energy and procurement specialists	Franchise/partner model means experience may vary by consultant
Stronger wider-procurement capability than many energy brokers	Public review evidence is less straightforward than for SME brokers
Useful for combining energy, cost reduction and carbon reduction	Fee model must be confirmed for each project
Can support more than 100 expenditure areas	May be more involved than very small businesses need
Suitable for organisations wanting consultative support	Businesses must check whether any supplier-funded payment applies
Strong case-study and testimonial footprint	Selected testimonials are not the same as independent reviews

Is Auditel regulated?

Auditel is not regulated by Ofgem in the same way as a licensed gas or electricity supplier. That is normal for energy brokers and consultants. However, the wider energy broker and third-party intermediary market is moving towards stronger oversight, with government plans to appoint Ofgem as regulator for TPIs when parliamentary time allows.

The Energy Ombudsman has listings for several companies trading as Auditel. For example, Cost Analysts and Consultants Ltd T/A Auditel is listed as an active Energy Ombudsman member, and the Energy Ombudsman page says it can review disputes for that trading entity. Consilia Consulting Ltd T/A Auditel is also listed as active, with a start date of 1 December 2022.

This is an important practical point: because Auditel operates through a network model, the relevant legal entity may not always be Auditel (U.K.) Limited. Customers should check exactly which company they are contracting with and which Alternative Dispute Resolution route applies.

Complaints and dispute resolution

Auditel-related complaint arrangements may depend on the specific trading entity or partner involved. One Auditel complaints policy document for Apex FHM Ltd trading as Auditel says customers can seek external resolution from Ombudsman Services if they are not satisfied with the outcome, or if a decision has not been made within eight weeks. The document gives Ombudsman Services: Energy as the external route and states that the service is impartial and free for the customer to use.

Because multiple businesses can trade under the Auditel name, customers should confirm:

Complaint check	Why it matters
Legal entity name	Confirms who the contract is with
Trading name	Important where a partner trades as Auditel
Ombudsman membership	Determines whether Energy Ombudsman can review the dispute
Complaints email and address	Needed if a formal complaint is made
Eight-week escalation route	Important for unresolved complaints
Deadlock letter process	Needed for escalation to an ADR body
Evidence required	Quotes, contracts, invoices and fee disclosures should be kept

Who is Auditel best for?

Auditel is best suited to businesses that want a consultative review of energy, procurement and carbon rather than only a supplier quote.

Business type	Suitability	Why
Medium-sized SMEs	High	Cost savings across multiple categories may justify consultancy support
Multi-site businesses	High	Procurement, energy and supplier management can become complex
Charities and non-profits	Medium to high	Procurement savings and carbon reporting may both matter
Care groups	High	Energy, waste, food, supplies and compliance costs can be significant
Hospitality groups	High	Energy, waste, water, merchant services and supplies can all be reviewed
Manufacturers	High	Energy, carbon and supply chain costs can be material
Education providers	Medium to high	Procurement and carbon reporting may be relevant
Professional services firms	Medium	Useful if energy and wider overheads need review
Very small businesses	Medium to low	Simpler comparison brokers may be faster
Businesses with net zero targets	High	Auditel’s carbon and procurement mix is relevant

Who might need an alternative?

Auditel may not be the best choice for every business.

Situation	Why another option may help
Need for instant energy quotes	Bionic, Love Energy Savings or Utility Bidder may be quicker
One small meter and low energy use	A full procurement review may be more than needed
Preference for direct supplier pricing	Some businesses may want no intermediary involvement
Need for a large Trustpilot-style review base	Auditel’s evidence is more case-study and reference-led
Unclear legal entity	Customers should not proceed until the contracting party is clear
Pure energy-only switching	A specialist energy broker may be simpler
Very urgent renewal deadline	A faster online broker may be more practical

Auditel compared with other brokers and consultancies

Provider	Best for	How Auditel compares
Bionic	SME energy and business essentials comparison	Auditel is more consultancy-led and wider in procurement scope
Love Energy Savings	Fast online business energy comparison	Auditel is less of an instant switching service and more of a strategic adviser
Utility Bidder	SME energy and multi-utility comparison	Auditel has broader procurement and carbon capability
Northern Gas and Power	Energy procurement and energy management	Auditel is broader across indirect procurement and carbon
Inenco	Large energy users, bureau and compliance	Inenco is more utilities-specialist; Auditel is wider procurement-led
Inspired PLC	Corporate energy, ESG and risk	Inspired is more large-corporate energy-led; Auditel is broader cost and procurement-led
Advantage Utilities	Bespoke energy and sustainability consultancy	Both are consultative; Auditel has a stronger franchise-style procurement network

What to check before signing with Auditel

Before signing any agreement with Auditel or an Auditel partner, ask for the following in writing:

Check	Why it matters
Exact legal entity	Auditel may operate through partner companies
Scope of service	Clarifies whether the work covers energy, carbon, procurement or all three
Fee model	Confirms fixed, savings-based, retainer or supplier-funded fees
Supplier commission	Essential if energy contracts are being arranged
Total fee estimate	Helps compare value for money
Savings baseline	Important where fees depend on savings achieved
Fee cap	Helps limit success-fee exposure
Contract term	Shows how long the relationship lasts
Cancellation terms	Clarifies how to end the agreement
Energy supplier name	Confirms who will supply electricity or gas
Broker fee disclosure	Should be visible in principal terms where applicable
Complaint route	Confirms how disputes can be escalated
Ombudsman or ADR scheme	Especially important where the contract is with an Auditel partner

Final verdict: Auditel review

Auditel is a strong option for businesses that want a broader consultancy relationship covering energy, carbon and procurement. Its strengths are its long operating history, specialist network, wider category expertise, carbon-management positioning and consultative approach. It is more likely to suit organisations with meaningful overheads, sustainability goals or complex procurement needs than a very small business that simply wants a fast business energy renewal quote.

The main caution is clarity. Auditel’s network model means customers should confirm which legal entity they are contracting with, how the consultant is paid, whether any supplier-funded fees apply, and which complaint or ombudsman route is available. If energy contracts are being arranged, broker-fee disclosure should be requested in writing and checked in the supplier’s principal terms.

For the right organisation, Auditel can be a useful alternative to a conventional business energy broker. For a small business with simple energy requirements, it is still worth comparing Auditel against faster SME brokers such as Bionic, Love Energy Savings and Utility Bidder, as well as direct supplier quotes.

FAQ