Who is my business gas supplier?
If you're looking to switch business gas suppliers, it helps to know who your current provider is. If you're unsure how to do that, you've come to the right place. This guide explains all you need to know, including how to check your bill, what your MPRN is and how to find it, how to use the Find My Supplier service, and much more.
Five-point summary
- Check your latest gas bill for your supplier name, account number, and MPRN, or search your email for recent invoices and contract details.
- Use the Find My Supplier website or Meter Number Helpline if you don't have a bill, providing your postcode or business address to identify your current supplier.
- Contact Bionic directly with your postcode and business details, and our technology can usually identify your supplier and current contract for you in minutes.
- Look for your MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) on your gas bill or via Find My Supplier, as you'll need it to switch suppliers or compare quotes.
- If you've just moved into new premises, inherited a contract, or have multiple sites, Bionic can help you find all your suppliers and secure better rates.
How to find your business gas supplier in three simple steps
Finding your business gas supplier in the UK is straightforward when you follow these three simple steps:
1. Check a recent gas bill
Your business energy bills contain loads more information than what you owe your supplier for the power you've used. The simplest way to find out who supplies your gas is to look at your most recent business gas bill. It should clearly display your supplier's name, contact details, and account information.
2. Use the Find My Supplier Online Tool
If you don't have a bill available, visit the Find My Supplier website and enter your business postcode to identify your gas supplier and get your Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN).
3. Call the Meter Number Helpline
Alternatively, contact the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524 (calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company's access charge) to find out who supplies your business gas and get your MPRN.
How Bionic can help you find your business gas supplier and switch
If you're a Bionic business, our energy experts can help you identify your business gas supplier. Get in touch, and we'll let you know. If your current business gas contract is up for renewal, we can compare rates and help you switch suppliers.
How to find out who supplies your gas
So, we've told you how to find your supplier in three simple steps, but here's a more comprehensive breakdown of some of the steps you can take:
- Check your latest bill – Your latest business energy bill will show the name of your current gas supplier, along with other information about your contract. This includes the cost of your unit rates and standing charge, your account number, the name of your plan, its renewal date, and your supplier's contact number.
- Check your emails – Most energy suppliers now offer paperless billing, which means your energy contract is handled online via email and your supplier’s website. If you can’t find a paper bill, it’s worth searching your emails for things like ‘business gas’, ‘gas supply’, or even just ‘gas’ or ‘energy’. If there’s nothing in your inbox, run the same searches on your spam, junk and trash folders.
- Contact the local distribution company - You can contact the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 6081524 or use the Find My Supplier website. But before you do, you’ll need to find your Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN). This is a unique code that identifies your property and its gas supply. To find your MPRN, check on your meter for a number between six and 10 digits. It should also be on a gas bill, usually under ‘Details of charges’ and listed as ‘Meter Point Reference’.
If Bionic sorted your last energy contract, you can give us a call, and we'll be able to tell you who you're with. We currently work with the following panel of trusted UK gas suppliers:
- British Gas
- BG Lite
- British Gas Plus
- Crown Gas & Power
- EDF Energy
- Opus Energy
- ScottishPower
- Smartest Energy
- SSE
- Valda Energy
- Yü Energy
If your business uses 55,000 kWh or more of gas a year, you'll be classed as a large business by suppliers. This means your supply will be handled differently. To find out more, check out our guide to large business energy and give our tech-enabled energy experts a call on 0800 077 3701.
How to find your business gas supplier if you have multiple sites
If you operate multiple business sites, finding your gas supplier for each location follows the same process. Sounds simple, but it does need you to check the supplier details for each property. Here's how to identify your suppliers across all sites:
Check the gas bill of each site
Review the most recent gas bill for each business location. Your supplier's name and contact details will be clearly listed on every individual property's statement.
Use the Find My Supplier Tool for each MPRN
Visit the Find My Supplier website and enter the postcode for each of your business properties to identify the supplier and obtain the unique Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) for every site.
Consider multi-site energy management
Managing multiple suppliers across different locations can be a headache. So, consider consolidating all your properties under a single multi-site energy contract. This provides one supplier, one bill, and one renewal date for all locations. It will cut your admin and potentially help you secure better rates through volume negotiation.
How to find your business gas supplier if you've just moved into new premises
When you move into new business premises, you can usually find your gas supplier by first asking the landlord, managing agent or previous occupier. You can also check for any recent bills or letters addressed to “The Occupier”. If you're still having no luck, use the online Find My Supplier service or call the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524 with your postcode and meter details.
How to find your MPRN
To find your Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) on your gas meter, look for a number of between six and ten digits directly on the meter.
You can also find this number on your gas bill, typically listed under ‘Details of charges’ as ‘Meter Point Reference’.
If your MPRN begins with ‘74’ or ‘75’, it indicates your gas is supplied by an Independent Gas Transporter (IGT). Although Ofgem regulates and limits IGT charges, these rates tend to be higher than those for standard supply methods.
Why do you need to know who your gas supplier is?
You might think it’s not important to know who supplies the gas at your business premises. But if you don't know anything about your gas supply, there’s a high chance that you’ll be overpaying for your business energy. And if you don’t know who supplies your business gas, you probably won't know when your contract is set to expire.
In case you weren’t already aware, loyalty doesn’t pay when it comes to gas and electricity. Just as with your household energy supply, business energy providers will put you on more expensive rates the second your fixed deal contract expires. And with no energy price cap for businesses, out-of-contract rates can put your bills through the roof.
It’s not all about getting the best price, though. As a business owner, you need to ensure you’re with a supplier that can meet your business's needs and demands. For instance, if you use a lot of energy at off-peak times, you'll want a supplier that offers a competitive time-of-use tariff.
It’s also important to choose a supplier that offers a good level of customer support in case something goes wrong with your billing or supply. It's one thing to lose power at home, but losing power at your workplace could be catastrophic for your business.
You should also have your gas supplier’s details to hand in case there’s an emergency, and you need to call an engineer. If you think you have a gas leak or can smell gas, clear out your building and phone the National Gas Emergencies number on 0800 111 999. You should also let everyone else in the surrounding area know.
How to find the type of business gas contract you signed up for
When you know who supplies your energy, you'll then be able to find out the type of business energy contract you're on. You can do this by contacting your supplier or, if you're a Bionic business, the tech-enabled experts at Bionic.
There are several types of business energy tariffs your business could be signed up to, but if you've just moved into new business premises or let your last deal expire without signing a new one, you'll be on deemed rates or out-of-contract rates.
These rates will be among your supplier's most expensive, so it's important you compare and switch as soon as possible. The good news is you can switch away from deemed and out-of-contract rates at any time.
What’s the difference between a supplier and a distribution network operator (DNO)?
Your energy supplier is the company you pay for your gas. They buy the wholesale gas to sell to you throughout your energy contract.
Gas distribution network operators (DNOs) run the local gas pipes that supply your business property. The standing charge covers the cost of running and maintaining this network. If the DNO costs are shown on your bill, they will be under the distribution use of system (DUoS) charge.
How to check your DNO
Check the table below to find out who the DNO is for your region, or enter your postcode at the Energy Networks Association website.
There are eight gas distribution network operators in Great Britain, owned by four ownership groups, as follows:
| Distribution network owner | Distribution network operator region |
| Cadent Gas Ltd | East of England, North London, North West, West Midlands |
| Northern Gas Networks Limited | North East, Northern England |
| SGN | Scotland, Southern England |
| Wales & West Utilities Limited | Wales and West |
When should you switch your gas suppliers?
There’s arguably never a bad time to switch energy supplier and save money. But the way business electricity and gas deals work means there is a limited window of opportunity to compare deals and make the change.
This is known as your switching window. The length of your switching window will depend on the supplier you’re with and the type of contract you’re on, but it can start up to 12 months before your current deal is due to end.
Although you can compare deals and sign a new contract during this window, the switch won’t actually take place until your existing deal ends. Even so, as energy prices tend to increase over time, it often makes sense to compare deals and sign up for a new deal to lock in lower rates as soon as possible.
What if you're moving business premises?
If you’ve moved business premises, you should switch your gas supplier or arrange a new deal as soon as possible.
Although arranging a new energy deal probably won’t be top of your to-do list when moving your business into a new property, it’s worth prioritising it. When you move into new commercial premises, the gas supplier for that property will place you on deemed rates, which are always among the highest around.
If you are on deemed rates, you can switch business energy at any time, with no notice period and no termination fees. If you’ve recently moved into a new property, check out our guide to moving business premises.
How to switch business gas suppliers
If you’re ready to switch to a better business gas deal, contact the energy experts at Bionic by clicking the button on the right of the page or by visiting our business gas comparison page.
We’ll take the time and hassle out of comparing rates and talk you through your options on a quick call. Commercial energy contracts don’t offer a cooling-off period, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re signing up for before you finally do. Our experts are on hand to make sure you get the right deal from our panel of trusted suppliers.
Business gas supplier FAQs
If you're still unsure about any aspect of finding your business gas supplier, check out the answers to some frequently asked questions below:
How can I quickly find out who supplies my business gas?
The quickest ways are to check a recent business gas bill for the supplier’s name, look for any letters or emails from an energy company at your trading address, or use the Find My Supplier online service with your postcode and meter details.
Where can I find my business gas MPRN?
Your business gas Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) is usually printed on your gas bill near the meter or supply details. If you do not have a bill, you can get it by entering your address on the Find My Supplier site or by calling the Meter Number Helpline.
What should I do if I’ve just moved into new business premises and do not know the gas supplier?
If you've just moved in, ask the landlord or managing agent, check for any bills addressed to “The Occupier”, and if nothing turns up, use the Find My Supplier tool or call the Meter Number Helpline with your postcode and meter readings so you can register with the existing supplier and avoid being put on expensive out-of-contract rates.
Can my business have different suppliers for gas and electricity?
Yes, businesses can choose separate suppliers for gas and electricity, which can be useful if one provider is cheaper for gas and another for electricity. But it does mean managing two contracts and two sets of bills. And although you can have the same supplier for both, there are no dual fuel options as with domestic energy.
Will switching business gas suppliers interrupt my supply?
No, your gas supply will not be interrupted when you switch, because the same pipes and meter are used. Only the company that bills you and sets your rates changes behind the scenes.
How long does it take to switch business gas suppliers?
For most non-micro businesses, a switch typically completes within about four weeks or up to 30 days once your contract and details are confirmed. Micro businesses can often be switched in as little as five working days, provided there are no objections such as unpaid debt.
Is it cheaper to use the same supplier for gas and electricity?
A dual-fuel deal from one supplier can sometimes be cheaper or simpler, but it is not guaranteed, so it is worth comparing separate gas and electricity quotes as well as bundled offers to see which gives the lowest overall cost for your usage.
Can Bionic find my supplier and handle the switch for me?
Bionic can help identify your current business gas (and electricity) supplier using your MPRN and other details. We can then compare quotes from a panel of providers and support you through the switch.
