Who’s who in business energy

The so-called 'Big Six' suppliers of business electricity and business gas rates are:

• British Gas Business 0845 600604
  Part of Centrica, BGB is the UK's biggest business energy supplier, offering business electricity prices as well as gas and incorporates Scottish Gas Business, Electricity4Business, Bizzenergy, Enron and Electricity Direct.

• EDF 0800 096 2255
  Stands for Electricite de France and is the French state-owned company but, in the UK, looks after the customers of SWEB, Seeboard & London Electricity and so features in our comprehensive business gas and business electricity comparison panel.

• Eon 0800 068 6516
  German-owned and includes the business electricity and business gas customers of Powergen, Economy Power, Norweb, Eastern Electricity, East Midlands Electricity & Independent Energy.

• Npower 0845 166 3360
  Also has a German parent company (RWE) business electricity and business gas UK customers include Midlands Electricity, Yorkshire Electricity & Northern Electric.

• Scottish Power 0845 2700 700
  Owned by Spanish parent Iberdrola but offering business energy prices throughout the UK and includes the business energy customers of Manweb.

• Scottish & Southern 01256 304278
  British owned, also known as SSE and incorporates the business electricity and business gas customers of Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro Electric, SWALEC, Atlantic Electric & Gas.

Smaller companies supplying prices to us for gas &/or business electricity comparison:

• Opus 0845 3302655
• Shell 0207 257 0100
• CNG 01423 502554
• Corona  08442 646464
• Haven 01473 725943

Network operators who physically deliver business electricity and gas to your area:

• SSE Power Distribution (North Scotland) 0800 300 999
• SP Power Systems (South Scotland) 0845 272 7999
• SP Manweb (North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire) 0845 272 2424
• Electricity North West Ltd (North West) 0800 195 4141
• CE Electric / NEDL (North East England) 0800 668 877
• CE Electric / YEDL (Yorkshire) 0800 375 675
• Central Networks (East Midlands) 0800 056 8090
• Central Networks (West Midlands) 0800 328 1111
• EDF Energy (Eastern England) 0800 783 8838
• Western Power Distribution (South Wales) 0800 052 0400
• SSE Power Distribution (Southern England) 08457 70 80 90
• EDF Energy (London) 0800 028 0247
• EDF Energy (South East England) 0800 783 8866
• Western Power Distribution (South West England) 0800 365 900
• Exoserve (UK-wide for business gas)   0870 608 1524

Jointly owned by the five major gas distribution network companies (National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, Scotland Gas Networks, Southern Gas Networks and Wales & West Utilities). Exoserve runs the 'M Number hotline' to find out your gas supplier / supply number (meter point reference number) to enable you to compare business energy prices.

Other industry-wide bodies you may need to contact about business energy rates:

• National Grid / Transco 0845 605 6677
• Consumer Direct (replaced Energywatch) 0845 4040506
• Consumer Direct Scotland 0141 226 5261
• Consumer Direct Wales 02920 787100
• Ofgem (Office of the Gas & Electricity Markets) 0207 901 7000
• Department of Energy and Climate Change 0300 060 4000
• Gas Safe Register (replaced CORGI) 0800 408 5500
• DEFRA 08459 335 577
• Experian 0844 481 8000
• Energy Ombudsman 0845 055 0760

If you are looking to cut consumption as well as your business energy rates:

• National Energy Foundation 01908 665555
• Envirowise 0800 585 794
• Energy Savings Trust 0800 512 012
• Carbon Trust 0800 085 2005