EDF research reveals confidence gap as energy complexity grows for UK businesses

• 86% of UK businesses are confident they can manage energy price volatility, yet 74% say managing energy has become more complex
• Almost half say energy complexity is making budgeting (48%) and long-term planning (47%) more difficult
• 43% say growing complexity is slowing investment decisions

UK businesses may be more confident in their ability to navigate the energy market than their own experiences suggest, according to new EDF research revealing a potential gap between perceived preparedness and the challenges companies are facing.

While 86% say they are confident they can manage energy price volatility, nearly three quarters (74%) report that managing their energy supplies and costs has become more complex over the past three years.

That complexity is already having wider business consequences. Almost half (48%) say it is making budgeting more difficult, 47% say it has reduced confidence in long term planning and 43% say it is slowing investment decisions.

The findings point to a potential confidence gap. While businesses overwhelmingly believe they can manage energy price volatility, their responses suggest that confidence may not tell the whole story. With energy already making it harder to budget, plan and invest, some businesses could be underestimating the scale and pace of change taking place across the market.

Wholesale price volatility remains the biggest challenge, cited by 49% of respondents, but price is increasingly only one part of the equation. Businesses are also navigating more complex contracts, changing regulation, new technologies and challenges around the quality and visibility of their energy data.

As the UK progresses towards the government’s Clean Power 2030 ambitions, and the way businesses buy, use and manage energy evolves, these wider factors will become increasingly important. The risk is that some businesses feel more prepared than they really are. The action plan highlights the role of a more flexible electricity system in supporting the transition to clean power. Alongside electrification, this will require businesses to consider how their energy purchasing, consumption and investment decisions fit together. The risk is that some businesses feel more prepared than they really are.

Against this backdrop, EDF’s research highlights an appetite for more choice and support. More than half (57%) want more flexible energy contracts, 53% want greater support managing energy risk and 45% want help with decarbonisation.

Expectations around flexible contracts are particularly pronounced in some sectors. Three quarters of education respondents, 70% of those in architecture, engineering and building, and two thirds of respondents in retail, catering and leisure say flexible contracts will become more important over the next two years. While traditional fixed-term arrangements continue to meet the current needs of most organisations, the findings suggest businesses may increasingly value a broader range of purchasing and risk-management options.

Alongside these expectations, the research shows how businesses are managing energy risk today. Almost half (48%) already manage energy risk continuously rather than primarily at renewal, highlighting the importance of understanding their energy position throughout a contract.

Christopher Dalley, Director of Business and Wholesale Services at EDF, said: “The businesses that get ahead will be the ones that stop viewing energy simply as a cost to manage. Decisions around how they buy and use energy, and where they invest, will increasingly shape their competitiveness.

“Businesses that understand their energy position can make better investment decisions, use greater flexibility and prepare for electrification. Those that wait for the market to force change risk being left on the back foot.”

To find out more about EDF Business and Wholesale Services, visit: https://www.edfenergy.com/large-business/welcome-to-edf-business-wholesale-services

ENDS

Notes to editors

The research was conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 500 UK energy users, all of whom were senior managers or above with decision making responsibility for energy use within their organisation.

Fieldwork was carried out between 9 June and 16 June 2026.

Censuswide employs members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and follows the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council (BPC).