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Shell Energy for businesses: at a glance
Shell Energy offers gas and electricity for businesses of all sizes in Great Britain, with tariff availability determined by how much money you spend on energy in a year.
Every Shell Energy tariff comes with 100% renewable electricity as standard, backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates, while gas customers can choose between natural gas or biomethane ‘green’ gas.
Shell Business Energy
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24/7 customer service?No
Learn more about how we bring you our review.
Shell business energy pros & cons
Pros
- Tariffs are designed for different business sizes and needs.
- It offers smart meter installation.
- There are a range of options for paying your business energy bill.
Cons
- There is no 24/7 customer service.
These pros and cons are based on an exclusive survey of UK business owners on what they found important when choosing an energy provider, conducted by NerdWallet in December 2022.
Shell business energy key features
- Offers Fixed Price, Pass Through and Flexible Purchasing tariffs for a range of business sizes
- Bespoke renewable energy options, such as choice of energy source and generation technology
- Flexible payment and billing options
Shell business energy full review
Providing both domestic and business energy, Shell Energy has a number of tariffs designed to suit businesses of different sizes, from those who spend less than £50,000 a year on energy to organisations whose bills exceed £10 million a year.
Check out the table below for a current snapshot of everything you need to know about Shell Energy’s business offering.
| Electricity contract length | One to 36 months (fixed price contracts) 12 to 60 months (flexible purchasing) |
| Gas contract length | One to 36 months (fixed-price contracts) 12 to 60 months (flexible purchasing) |
| Fuel mix disclosure | Coal: 0% Natural gas: 0% Nuclear: 0% Renewable: 100% Other: 0% (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023) |
| Customer service number | 0330 088 2679 |
| Payment number | 0330 088 2679 |
| Complaints number | 0330 088 2679 |
| General email address | [email protected] |
| Complaints email address | [email protected] |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.5 stars (as of 24 January 2023) |
| Smart meter installation | Yes (if eligible) |
| App | No |
| Payment options | Direct debit Credit or debit card Bank transfer |
If you want to find out more about Shell business energy, read on for our full guide.
Shell business energy features
Below, you can find more information on the features and tariffs available with Shell Energy for businesses.
Customer service
Being able to get in contact with your supplier whenever you have an issue is a must for business owners. It’s so important, in fact, that 24/7 customer service topped NerdWallet’s survey of the most important factors to consider when choosing a business energy provider.
It is disappointing, then, that Shell Energy does not offer 24/7 customer service. Instead, the supplier offers the following forms of contact, from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday:
- Online contact form
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 0330 088 2679
- Postal address: Shell Energy UK Limited, Elder House, 586-592 Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 1LR
This means Shell Energy lacks an online live chat function, which some suppliers offer. It also does not have a dedicated Twitter account for its business energy arm.
Business energy tariffs
Shell Energy tailors its business energy tariffs to organisations of different sizes.
That’s good news for business owners, who placed this flexibility in the top three criteria they look for when selecting a supplier, according to NerdWallet’s survey.
Fixed price tariffs
Shell Energy offers two fixed-price tariffs: one for businesses that spend less than £50,000 a year on energy, and one for businesses that spend more than that threshold. For the former, you can sign up online directly; for the latter, you will need to submit a request for a bespoke quote.
Both come with 100% renewable electricity and a fixed price for the length of your contract, which can be between one and 36 months. This means while your bills will only vary based on your usage, the amount you are charged per unit of energy consumed will remain the same.
Shell Energy’s fixed-price plans also allow for bespoke renewable options, such as green gas, and flexible billing options in 14-, 21- or 30-day payments.
Pass-through tariff
If you spend more than £50,000 a year on business energy, and have a half-hourly meter, Shell also offers a pass-through tariff.
With a pass-through tariff, you can fix the price of your electricity unit rate for the length of your contract, while also choosing which non-commodity costs are passed on to you.
Non-commodity costs can include charges related to distribution and transmission, and may rise or fall alongside market fluctuations. Any non-commodity cost that is passed through to you will rise and fall in -line with market changes.
Like with Shell’s other tariffs, the pass-through plan comes with 100% renewable electricity, bespoke renewable options, and flexible billing.
Flexible purchasing
If you spend more than £1 million a year on business energy, you can choose between two flexible purchasing tariffs: Flex Shape and Block and Index.
Flex Shape allows you to purchase electricity in line with your business needs across monthly, quarterly or seasonal blocks. Your price will be fixed for the length of the block period. Your Flex Shape contract can be between 12 and 36 months.
Block and Index, on the other hand, allows you to purchase electricity in blocks and choose how much of the price is fixed and how much is flexible. You will also have access to hourly wholesale prices. A Block and Index contract can be between 12 and 60 months.
Deemed and extended supply rates
If you move into business premises supplied by Shell Energy and have not agreed your own contract with the company, you will be put on a deemed rate. These are typically more expensive than other tariffs. You can switch to a different tariff at any time.
If your fixed-term contract with Shell Energy ends, meanwhile, and you have not provided a termination notice or renewed your contract, you will be placed on an extended supply rate.
Additional fees and charges
It is important to remember that on top of your kWh usage, charged at your unit rate, you will pay:
- a fixed standing charge, which contributes towards maintaining the electricity network
- VAT, either at 20% or the reduced rate of 5% (if your business uses less than 33kWh of electricity or 145kWh of gas a day)
- the Climate Change Levy (CCL), though there are exceptions to this tax
You will also be charged for third party, non-energy costs that may vary from month to month. These can include:
- energy infrastructure costs
- low carbon generation costs
- National Grid energy-related costs
- security of supply costs
» MORE: Business energy tariffs explained
Payment options
The ability to pay for business energy by direct debit is of the utmost importance to business owners, just behind 24/7 customer service, according to NerdWallet’s survey.
With Shell Energy, you can pay for your business energy via direct debit, over the phone using a credit or debit card on 0330 088 2679, or through an online bank transfer.
Shell also allows flexible billing options. You can choose from 14-, 21- or 30-day payment instalments.
Smart meters
Smart meters can make a big difference to your energy efficiency, and therefore your overall energy bill. With that in mind, business owners put smart meter installation in their top five most important factors when choosing a supplier.
To book a smart meter installation appointment through Shell Energy, you need to either complete an online form, or email [email protected].
» MORE: Smart meters for businesses
Renewable energy options
Any electricity supplied by Shell Energy is 100% renewable, from sources including wind, solar, hydropower and biomass, and is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates per megawatt hour (MWh) supplied. REGOs are a requirement of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), as part of the fuel mix disclosure regulations.
While REGOs were designed to provide consumers with clarity over how much renewable energy a supplier uses, a stronger sign of commitment to ‘green’ energy is purchasing it directly from renewable generators.
Shell also offers a number of bespoke renewable options, such as your choice of energy source and generation technology.
When it comes to gas, natural gas is offered as standard. However, you can request green gas, i.e. biomethane, if you so wish. This is matched with Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin (RGGO) certificates. For each kWh of gas, an RGGO contains information about where, when and how it was produced including the technology used.
Customer reviews
Shell Energy for business customers has an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating of 4.5 out of 5, based on 44 reviews (as of 26 January 2023).
How can I switch to Shell business energy?
- First you need to ensure that you are at the end of your existing business energy contract, and have satisfied any notice period.
- Then, you need to get a quote from Shell Energy. If you spend less than £50,000 a year on energy, you can sign up online. If you spend over £50,000 a year, you will need to submit a request for a bespoke quote.
- You will then need to review and sign your new business energy contract. You should make sure you have also paid off any outstanding balance with your existing supplier.
- Shell Energy will then carry out the switchover, including contacting your existing supplier.
- Finally, you will need to submit a meter reading when Shell Energy asks for one.
» MORE: How to switch business energy provider
How to choose a Shell Energy business tariff
When it comes to choosing a Shell Energy business tariff or comparing Shell against other suppliers, you should consider:
- the unit rate you are quoted
- whether you want the security of a fixed-rate tariff, or want to take a risk on a flexible tariff
- what level of customer service you require
- how long you want your contract to last
- whether renewable energy is important to you
Moving business premises with Shell business energy
Regardless of whether you are moving into, or out of, a business location supplied by Shell Energy, you will need to fill in a Change of Tenancy form.
This includes providing your:
- company details, such as name and registration number
- personal details, such as name and email address
- a forwarding or billing address
- opening or closing meter reading
Review methodology
At NerdWallet UK, we base our reviews and our ‘Best’ pages on the results of surveys we undertook about what was important to people who use these products. This allows us to look at products impartially of any commercial arrangements we have and fairly rate the products on the same set of criteria.
Best means our ‘Best’ and is based only on what products we have aligned to our surveys, which form the basis of our reviews and ratings. This means that there will be other products on the market that we have not included in our ‘Best’ pages. Best does not mean it’s best for you, nor does it mean the ‘cheapest’.
Our reviews may display lenders’ rates. This additional information has not been included in our evaluations but is still very important when choosing a product. Rates offered can depend on circumstances, amount and term. Always check details before proceeding with any financial product.
Product details reflect the information that was available at that time but may have changed since. We strive to give you a review on as many products as possible, but there will be products not included on the market. The review is our opinion, but it does not constitute advice, recommendation or suitability for your financial circumstances.
You can view our full review methodology here.
