Frequently asked questions for small business

We can take information from someone not named on the account but we will not be able to provide any information to them.

We can take a payment from someone who is not named on the account but we will not be able to confirm the balance we will just take a payment for the amount they ask to pay.

There are a variety of ways you can pay your energy bill:

• Direct Debit: You can pay your bill automatically each month with a regular amount or the exact amount you use:
  • Fixed Direct Debit: A regular monthly payment that spreads your payments evenly over the year

  • Variable Direct Debit : A monthly payment depending on your billing frequency, that's based on your meter reading or an estimate if we don’t receive a reading

    Find out more about how Direct Debit works

    Find out more about paying your bill in full by Direct Debit

• Online banking /bank transfer  

When paying by phone or online, make sure you use your EDF account number as the payment reference. Your account number should start with an 'A'. Make sure to use the correct bank details for your type of energy account. 

If you are making a payment to be distributed across several accounts via remittance, please send your remittance to customerremittances@edfenergy.com

• MyAccount: You can pay your account balance through MyAccount online or on the App. Once you’ve logged in, select 'Billing', 'Make a payment' and then confirm the amount you’d like to pay
• Card, cash: You can receive a monthly bill and make a payment within 14 days
• Cheque: Unfortunately, you can no longer send your cheques to us directly. If you want to continue paying by cheque, you'll need to take your cheque to your nearest Post Office and pay over the counter. All cheques must be made payable to POST OFFICE LTD.
• By phone: You can call the EDF automated payment service on 0330 912 9959
• Change your payment method: You can select 'Payment method change' within MyAccount or call 0330 912 9959

The best way to make sure your business energy bills are predictable is to get on a fixed-rate tariff. EDF’s fixed-price energy contracts let you lock in a rate for up to four years, providing cost stability and reliable pricing. This ensures your business is protected from market fluctuations. By choosing a fixed-price contract, you can focus on your business without worrying about energy rate changes. Compare our small business electricity and gas tariffs.

Submitting a meter reading is quick and easy, and there are five different ways you can do it:

1. Online via MyAccount or at edfenergy.com/submit-reading
2. Login or download our app from the App Store or Google Play, and send us a picture of your meter read, once you’re logged in
3. Give us a call 0330 912 9959
4. Email us a picture of your meter reading with your account number for reference mailto:hellobusiness@edfenergy.com
5. Message us your meter reads on WhatsApp at 07782 569 959

When you check the body of the meter, if you have a smart meter it should say SMETS1 or SMETS2. Smart and AMR meters will usually have a digital screen with buttons to cycle through the displays, if it doesn’t have this option then it’s a legacy meter.

If you want to know if it’s a single or three phase meter and is safe to do so, you can count the number of wires coming out of the bottom, 4 is single phase, 8 is three phase. 

There are three different types of meter that can be found at a small business:

1. Single-Rate Meter (Standard Meter): This meter charges a single unit price for all hours, day or night. It’s ideal for small businesses like offices, shops, and cafés that primarily use electricity between 8am and 10pm, Monday to Friday
    
2. Two-Rate Meter (Economy 7 or Evening/Weekend Meter): This meter offers two unit prices, including a cheaper rate during off-peak hours (typically 12am to 8am). It’s best suited for small businesses like bakeries, takeaways, or those with night storage heaters
    
3. Three-Rate Meter (Evening, Weekend, and Night Meter): With three unit prices, this meter provides discounted rates for two specific off-peak periods. It’s perfect for small businesses like pubs, nightclubs, and restaurants that use electricity heavily at night and on weekends

To read either your gas or electricity meter we have a created a dedicated page where you can select which meter you’d like to read and our guide will show you the best way to read them, if it's safe to do so.

Unless you have a smart meter where your readings will be retrieved automatically, you should submit a meter reading every month. We will email you if you haven’t provided a meter reading to ensure your billing is accurate and up-to-date this will normally be a few days before your bill is due every month.

We have a dedicated Smart meter page where you can find out all the information around smart meters, the benefits of upgrading to one and how to book your smart meter installation online.

We’re committed to providing effortless account management. We want you to call if you have a question and you can’t find the answer in our FAQs. If your query isn’t urgent, you’re likely to get through to one of our energy specialists quicker if you call between Wednesday to Friday.
Our busiest times are the first and second week of the month when we process our invoices. While we have more people on the phones during these periods, small business customers might find it easier to reach us outside these weeks, and on days other than Monday or Tuesday.

There are three types of electricity meter:

• Smart meters - automatically send meter readings to suppliers and allow suppliers to communicate directly with the meter.
• Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) meters - similar to a smart meter and send reads automatically to suppliers. But unlike smart meters, it cannot receive messages from suppliers. These meters are more common in businesses.
• Traditional meters, or non-smart meters - need to be physically read with these readings entered into the supplier systems. There are a number of ways you can submit meter reads.

The easiest way to find out if you have a smart meter is to visit Citizens Advice. You'll need your MPAN and postcode which can be found on your invoice.

There are then different models of meters: 

• Standard meters are the most common type of meter and bills will always be a single rate.
• Multi rate meters measure energy usage at different rates depending on the time of day, typically separating peak and off-peak. Economy 7 is the most common multi rate meter type.
• Economy 7 (E7) is the most common multi rate meter. E7 meters have two rates: a cheaper off-peak rate for seven hours overnight and a standard rate for the rest of the day. E7 meters can be smart or non-smart. They have two rows of numbers on your meter which you'll need to read and submit. They will usually be labelled.  
• Prepayment meters require users to pay for energy in advance. Energy is added using a key or card, that can be topped up at a shop. They are always non-smart.

If you’re unsure, contact us today - we're here to help.

The easiest way to make managing your business energy hassle-free is to look for an energy provider with online account management. EDF’s online account management platform lets you view bills, submit meter readings, and manage payments in one place – saving you time and effort. We’re also rated Excellent on Trustpilot for customer service, so we’ll take care of everything and you can focus on running your business. 

We understand that running a business can be complex. To help make your account management easier - multiple people can be named on account. There’s no limit on how many people can be named on the account. We do ask for one main email address that’s used to log into your online account MyAccount, other email addresses can be linked to the account for contact purposes only. Multiple contact numbers can be linked to the account if you’d like. 

Before that person leaves, they should send a LOA (Letter of Authority) to hand over the account management. If that doesn’t happen we’ll need a LOA on company headed paper which is signed with the details of who will be taking over the account, along with evidence of who has left and who’s taking over. We can also look at companies house to verify this information. 

Great news – once you’re all set up you can manage all your properties under one account online with MyAccount. To get set up you’ll need to talk to our sales team to agree a new tariff 0333 188 6725.

Data protection is really important to us. We ask anyone we speak to a number of questions to verify their identity. We can take information from someone not named on the account, but rest assured we will not be able to provide any information to anyone who isn’t named on the account.  If you have access to the company MyAccount you can submit meter reading here. 

Data protection is really important to us. We ask anyone we speak to a number of questions to verify their identity. We can take a payment from someone who is not named on the account but we will not be able to confirm the balance we will just take a payment for the amount they ask to pay.

If you are moving into new property not supplied by EDF, you can get a new quote from us. Our cheapest prices are available online. As one of the largest energy suppliers to UK businesses, we're confident we have something to suit your business needs. 

When you contact EDF, we'll often request documentation such as a tenancy agreement, management agreement or solicitors letter to verify the change of responsibility for the premise. This could be because of unpaid bills on the account, disputed occupancy dates, and/or ending a contract early. 

We may request documentation to verify your business move when you contact us. These documents will need to be emailed to us at BM@edfenergy.com and will be reviewed by our specialist team. We endeavor to do this within 10 days but there can be a delay if we have received a number of queries. Once the change of tenancy has been completed, you'll receive a welcome letter. 

We will send this to the forwarding address you have provided as soon as it's available. You'll also be able to view it in MyAccount so you to pay your final balance online. 

We recommend that you don’t cancel your Direct Debit until your account has been closed. This is because if you are due a refund, this will automatically be sent directly to your account. 
 
If you cancel your Direct Debit or do not normally pay by Direct Debit, a cheque will be issued and sent to you at your forwarding address. 

Take a meter reading and/or a clear photo of the meter reading, send in a copy of the documentation that we may request to BM@edfenergy.com and have as much information available as possible before contacting our team. If you can also provide the owner or new occupiers' details, that would be particularly helpful. 

Unfortunately you are unable to carry your tariff  over you your new property as our business prices are bespoke to each business property and meter, get in touch and we will be happy to provide you with a new quote

If your account was closed more then 30 days ago click here, fill out the form and we’ll look into it for you. 

Here are some easy tips on optimising your energy use at your new business property: 

1. Upgrade to energy-efficient lighting
2. Schedule equipment downtime in your calendar so you haven’t got things running when they’re not in use
3. Make sure you have good building insulation
4. Consider installing thermostat controls so you can monitor the heating
5. Consider getting a smart meter so you know how much you’re spending – find out more about smart meters for small businesses
6. Another top tip is to walk around your business and conduct an energy audit – download our energy audit checklist to get started today.
7. Read more about how to cut your small business energy bill in this blog post. 

To avoid extra charges when moving property, make sure you take final meter readings on the day you move out of your old property and the day you become responsible for your new property. This will ensure that you are only paying for your usage and not that of the old occupant.

If we don't already supply the new property but you want to switch your supply to EDF, ensure you notify the current energy provider of your move as soon as possible. This ensures accurate billing and a smooth transition. Once you have agreed your new contact with EDF and your supply has switched we will ask you to provide your opening readings, we’ll then handle the rest to ensure no unexpected fees. Visit our moving property page for a detailed step-by-step guide.

There are several details that you can update yourself through MyAccount. Register today so that you can easily manage your account online at your convenience. 

You can reset your password using the forgotten password function on the MyAccount log in page.

You will need to contact us so that we can do this for you.

You can do this easily in MyAccount by going into the ‘About me’ section in the menu, which will take you to a page to enter and save the new details. 

If you have the same email address on your account then you will be able to view all your properties you have with EDF on your MyAccount.

No unfortunately you will need to use a different email address to your residential email address to set up your business account online.

You can find all about MyAccount and what you are able to do here.

If you have a smart meter you can download your data from Energy Hub in MyAccount. You'll get the most out of this if you have your preferences set to half hourly.  This data is available from the date you joined EDF or had your smart meter installed. 

If you can't download your data, please complete this form and we'll send you the data we've got for you. Depending on your chosen settings, we will provide you with all the readings we’ve collected from your meter over the past 12 months. If we have less than 12 months of data, we will start from the first day you joined EDF or the first day your meter sent us data, whichever is later. 

You'll need to complete all of the fields in the form to submit your request - and you'll need to complete a form for each business account you'd like the data for.

If your smart meter isn’t working correctly, please follow the following steps:

• Check for signal obstructions: Make sure nothing is blocking the signal from your smart meter, such as furniture or extra equipment 
• Contact us: If none of the above steps fix the issue, please contact us and we can investigate the issue for you
• Next steps: You don't need to do anything at the moment. Our smart meter team get an alert a week after your meter lost connection. They'll be working away in the background to get you reconnected. However, in some cases this can take a couple of months to resolve.

No availability in your area: we update our appointments weekly so if there isn’t any appointments available right now check back next week and we may have some new appointments available. 

Smart meter not compatible with your current setup: A smart meter might not work with your current set-up

Meter in a difficult location: Your existing meter might be in a location that's hard to access

There is a number of reasons why your bill may be estimated. A common reason why this may be is your meter reading preference is set to monthly and when we requested a meter reading from your smart meter there was an issue with the signaling. When we are unable to retrieve a meter reading your invoice will be estimated. A way to prevent this going forward is to update your meter reading preference to half hourly, so we can request meter readings more frequently to ensure we can get an accurate reading for your invoice. You can amend this in smart data preferences in MyAccount. 

Standing charges are a fixed cost that is included in each electricity and gas invoice, regardless of whether energy is used on that day. The charge covers the cost to maintain the energy supply network, take meter readings, and support some government social and environmental schemes. Zero standing charge tariffs often recoup this spend in higher unit rates. See our blog on standing charges. 

You can find your tariff type on your invoice or in MyAccount.

We offer businesses a variety of fixed term contracts that you can sign up to. This will be made clear when you sign up. You can also see your tariff end date on the back of your invoice and in MyAccount.

You'll receive a contract renewal letter or email, depending on your contact preference, 90 days' before your contract end date with options. You can also see your tariff end date on the back of your invoice and in MyAccount. 

Fixing your energy prices means entering into a contract where the rate you pay for your energy remains at the same price for a specified period, regardless of market fluctuations. This will be the unit price and standing charge that is fixed and not the monthly amount you pay as that will depend on your monthly usage. 

• Protection against rising costs: by fixing your prices, you shield yourself from potential future increases in energy rates
• Stability in budgeting: a fixed rate allows for predictable energy bills, making it easier to manage your business budget
• Peace of mind: knowing your rates won't change can reduce stress and provide financial security
• Avoiding market volatility: energy markets can be unpredictable due to geopolitical events, supply chain issues, and seasonal demand. Fixing your rates helps you avoid these uncertainties

You'll receive a contract renewal letter or email 90 days' before your contract end date with options. You can either renew, do nothing or choose to leave and find a new supplier. If you choose to renew, it's simple - we'll start your new contract the day after your current contract ends. You can usually save by fixing into another contract vs staying on a variable tariff. If you do nothing you'll roll onto our variable Freedom product which has no exit fees. Find out more here.

If you don't want to renew your contract with us, you don't need to do anything. You'll be free to leave after your Fixed Term Period end date. Just make sure you have cleared any outstanding balance. Find out more here.

Early Termination Fees may apply if you want to end your contract before your Fixed Term Period end date. 

If you have signed up to a fixed price tariff, we will object to any request to transfer before your Fixed Term Period end date. If you are on any other tariff, there is no need to contact us, but you must have cleared any outstanding balance. 

This will depend on the contract that you have agreed. In all cases we may object to you leaving if you have an outstanding balance with us.  It’s important you read your terms and conditions to understand why we would object to your tariff.

We're here to help - we have a dedicated team of small business energy specialists who are here to help with your business energy. Make sure you have your account number and business address to hand. Contact us today.

We're here to help - we have a dedicated team of small business sales specialists. Give us a call today 0333 188 6725⁽¹⁾. 

EDF provides small businesses with access to zero-carbon electricity tariffs, helping you reduce your environmental impact. Our competitively priced business tariffs are designed to support Britain’s journey to Net Zero, powered by renewable and nuclear energy sources. Compare our business tariffs now. 

Switching your business energy to EDF typically takes 5 working days unless an alternative supply start date is selected during the contract sign up . We’ll handle the process for you, so there’s no interruption to your supply. At EDF, we simplify switching by managing the entire process. Once you’ve signed up, we’ll confirm your transfer date and keep you updated every step of the way. Get a quote in 60 seconds and experience a smooth and simple switch to EDF.

Switching to EDF is simple and hassle-free. We handle the process for you, ensuring there’s no disruption to your energy supply. Once you’ve chosen the right tariff for your business, we’ll manage the switch from your current provider. You don’t need to contact them – we’ll take care of everything. Plus, with transparent pricing and no hidden fees, you’ll always know where you stand. 

If your payment method changes from Direct Debit, your prices may increase by 10p per day on your standing change and 1p per kwh on your unit rates. 

The commission paid to your energy broker is based on an uplift per unit (kWh) of the energy your small business uses. This uplift is included in the unit rate that you see on your invoice. The uplift varies from broker to broker. Your contract pack includes the total value of the commission you'll pay, based on your estimated annual energy use multiplied by the duration of your energy contract. The commission is also displayed per unit rate. You can also find out the amount of commission you've paid so far by completing this online form.

The brokers that EDF works with provide a range of services to our small business customers. Brokers often save you time as they compare energy deals for you. Many also help to manage your account for you and ensure that it keeps meeting your needs. The commission you pay covers these services. 

Yes - you'll always get our cheapest prices direct via our website. By coming online you'll pay no commission. Get a quote today.  

Your Economy 7 hours vary depending on your meter and the area in which your small business operates. You will receive 7 hours at the low night rate between 12.00am and 8.00am or 12:30am – 7:30am, if you’d like to know what the low night rate hours are for your tariff contact us at hellobusiness@edfenergy.com.

At EDF, we aim to make managing your energy simple and convenient. As part of this, we aim to collect at least 1 actual meter reading every 12 months, including readings provided by our customers themselves - we do send out meter reading reminders monthly to customers who don't have a smart meter. At other times, we may provide you with an invoice based on an estimate. These estimates are based on your previous energy consumption, ensuring that we provide you with accurate billing information.

If you ever receive an estimated invoice that you believe is not accurate, please get in touch with our dedicated small business team. Simply provide your own meter readings, and we’ll be more than happy to adjust your account accordingly.

If you don't have one yet, smart meters are a great way to take away the work of submitting meter readings. Book a smart meter appointment today and let the smart meter provide us with your meter readings, allowing you more time to focus on your business.

Our video below will explain why this could happen, what to do and how we can help you get an accurate bill. 

Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a UK government tax imposed on certain supplies of energy (primarily electricity, gas, coal, coal products and LPG).

Energy suppliers are required to collect the levy on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs. EDF Energy acts purely as a tax collector and makes no money from the levy.

Find out more information around CCL here.

Occasionally, we may need to cancel an existing invoice and re-bill your account for a specific period of time.

This usually happens when an accurate meter reading is provided to replace the estimated figure used in the original invoice. Any credit you are owed will be automatically refunded to your account and documented on a credit note.

If you receive an inaccurate estimated invoice and would like to submit your own meter reading, submit a meter reading in MyAccount. Once this has been done the actual meter reading will be taken into account for the next invoice and we’ll produce a negative/lower charge accordingly for the next one.

In line with current legislation, the VAT rate is applicable to business or non-domestic supplies is partially dependent on the amount of energy consumed. Supplies using 33 units or less (electricity) or 145 kWh or less (gas) per day during the bill period will be charged the reduced rate of VAT. Supplies using more than 33 units / 145 kWh per day will be charged the standard rate of VAT (subject to any VAT declarations submitted).

If you would like to keep your energy consumption under 33 units of electricity and 145 kWh of gas per day, check out our energy efficiency tips.

If you’re a charity and the premises are used only for charitable non-business purposes, then the reduced rate of VAT will apply.  If the premises are for a mixture of business and non-business use, then it is possible to split the charges between business (20% Standard Rate VAT) and non-business (5% Reduced Rate of VAT). More information can be found here.

For more information on VAT and CCL please visit the VAT and CCL Frequently Asked Questions page.

There are several ways to top up your meter, these include:

• EDF App / MyAccount: Manage your top-ups easily online.
• Auto-Top Up: Set up automatic top-ups when your balance reaches £5.
• Paypoint Store: Find a nearby store at Paypoint.
• Automated IVR: Use our automated phone system.
• Energy Specialists: Call our team of dedicated energy specialists on 0330 912 9959

A UTRN (Unique Transaction Reference Number) is a unique 21 digit number. You will receive one every time you top up.

If your Smart Meter stops communicating, you may need to enter the UTRN directly into your meter. Only do this if it is safe and practical; if your meter is at height, please call us instead.

Your top-up history for the past 12 months is stored in MyAccount / EDF App, allowing you to revisit UTRNs if needed

If you have a mobile number and/or email address registered with your EDF account, you will receive various alerts to help you manage your energy costs and stay on supply. There are 2 main types of alerts for PAYG customers.

• Low Balance Alerts: Issued when your meter balance drops below £5 and £1. Top up promptly to avoid going off supply.
• Self-Disconnection Alerts: Triggered when your balance reaches £0 or you have used all emergency credit, causing your meter to disconnect.

If your meter balance is low and you can't top up immediately, you can activate Emergency Credit.

EDF provides £10 Emergency Credit per fuel, which can be activated when your meter balance is below £1. You can activate Emergency Credit directly on the meter (if safe and practical to access).

It is important to note that the amount used in Emergency Credit will be deducted from your next top-up. While using Emergency Credit, standing charges and debt repayments are not collected. Your next top-up will need to cover:

• The amount of Emergency Credit used
• Missed standing charges
• Missed debt repayments
• Enough to cover your ongoing consumption

To ensure you don't go off supply during challenging times, we have Friendly Non-Disconnection Periods in place. Our standard periods are:

• Weekday Evenings:
  • BST: 6 PM – 11 AM
  • GMT: 5 PM – 10 AM

• Weekends and Bank Holidays:

  • BST: 6 PM Friday – 11 AM Monday (or the next working day)
  • GMT: 5 PM Friday – 10 AM Monday (or the next working day)

  You must be in credit when entering a Non-Disconnection Period for it to activate. Otherwise, your meter will not trigger the period. Additional non-disconnection periods may be in place for key holidays like Easter and Christmas. Check MyAccount / EDF App for details.

  Continue to top up during these periods, as any usage must be covered by available credit when the period ends. If you don't have enough credit to cover usage, daily standing charges, and debt repayments, you will go off supply

If you've run out of credit and gone off supply:

1. Top Up: Ensure you clear any negative balance on your meter plus an additional £2.
2. Re-enable Supply: Once topped up, you can re-enable your supply.

Steps to Re-enable Supply:

• Electricity: Re-enable directly on the meter (if safe to access).
• Gas: Re-enable directly on the meter (if safe to access).

Safety tips

• Ensure all appliances are switched off before re-enabling supply.
• For gas, make sure the boiler is switched off at the wall; otherwise, the supply will not turn on.

Meter Discrepancies: Occasionally, there may be discrepancies between your meter and account. EDF reserves the right to refund or deduct any overpayments or underpayments for energy charges and make necessary metering adjustments.

PAYG Variable Tariff: If you are one of our small business Variable tariff, your prices will be updated on your meter each time prices increase or decrease. These new rates will apply, and you will need to top up accordingly.

Top-Up Delays: There may be delays in top-ups being accepted by the meter due to scheduled outages or unexpected failures. It is your responsibility to ensure you have enough credit on your meter to reduce the risk of self-disconnection in these scenarios.

You can get help with energy problems, including issues with your bills or meters, or if you're struggling to pay for your energy.

If you live in England or Wales, go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133. Calls are free.

If you live in Scotland, go to cas.org.uk, or contact your Local Citizens Advice office. You can also contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660 or visit energyadvice.scot. Calls are free. If you need specialist support to resolve your energy problem, Citizens Advice and Advice Direct Scotland can refer you directly to the Extra Help Unit service.

If you're unhappy with the service you've received from EDF, you can find information on how to make a complaint by visiting the complaints page here.