UK business electricity prices by size of business
In 2026 Q2 (provisional), UK businesses paid an average of 24.51p per kWh for electricity, including the Climate Change Levy and before VAT. The smallest users (under 20 MWh a year) paid 38.36p; the largest (over 150,000 MWh) paid 22.25p. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, published 29/09/2026.
Prices by size of business
Size bands are set by how much electricity a business buys in a year. One MWh is 1,000 kWh, so 20 MWh a year is about 55 kWh a day.
| Size band | Annual use (MWh) | Price incl. CCL (p per kWh) | Price excl. CCL (p per kWh) | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Small | 0 - 20 | 38.36 | 37.67 | +3.5% |
| Small | 20 - 499 | 28.59 | 27.87 | -0.1% |
| Small/Medium | 500 - 1,999 | 27.67 | 27.09 | 0.0% |
| Medium | 2,000 - 19,999 | 25.17 | 24.61 | -2.5% |
| Large | 20,000 - 69,999 | 24.42 | 23.85 | -0.6% |
| Very Large | 70,000 - 150,000 | 22.70 | 22.25 | +3.8% |
| Extra Large | >150,000 | 22.25 | 21.78 | +6.1% |
| All businesses | n/a | 24.51 | 23.97 | +2.0% |
The last three years, quarter by quarter
Prices including the Climate Change Levy, pence per kWh.
| Quarter | Very Small | Small | Medium | All businesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 (p) | 38.36 | 28.59 | 25.17 | 24.51 |
| 2026 Q1 | 35.02 | 28.76 | 25.00 | 24.14 |
| 2025 Q4 | 36.11 | 29.57 | 25.36 | 23.99 |
| 2025 Q3 | 37.36 | 28.56 | 24.81 | 23.35 |
| 2025 Q2 | 37.07 | 28.63 | 25.81 | 24.03 |
| 2025 Q1 | 32.85 | 29.44 | 27.28 | 25.74 |
| 2024 Q4 | 34.18 | 30.06 | 26.77 | 25.35 |
| 2024 Q3 | 32.62 | 27.72 | 28.13 | 25.67 |
| 2024 Q2 | 31.02 | 29.84 | 28.85 | 25.99 |
| 2024 Q1 | 32.22 | 32.09 | 30.79 | 27.84 |
| 2023 Q4 | 32.21 | 34.57 | 30.62 | 28.39 |
| 2023 Q3 | 32.49 | 34.35 | 30.97 | 28.32 |
Yearly averages
| Year | Very Small | Small | Medium | All businesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.93 | 29.09 | 25.91 | 24.34 |
| 2024 | 32.33 | 29.79 | 28.74 | 26.29 |
| 2023 | 32.28 | 32.76 | 29.04 | 27.20 |
| 2022 | 23.84 | 20.09 | 20.21 | 20.86 |
| 2021 | 17.99 | 16.25 | 14.30 | 15.08 |
| 2020 | 17.17 | 15.47 | 13.27 | 13.76 |
| 2019 | 16.71 | 14.89 | 12.56 | 12.90 |
| 2018 | 15.48 | 13.72 | 11.53 | 11.73 |
| 2017 | 14.00 | 12.60 | 10.49 | 10.92 |
| 2016 | 12.75 | 12.08 | 10.01 | 10.54 |
What this means for solar, batteries and chargers
- Each kWh your own solar panels supply on site replaces a kWh you would buy, so its value is your unit price. For a small business, that was about 28.59p in 2026 Q2.
- A battery adds value when it moves cheap or solar power into the hours you would otherwise pay the full price.
- If you sell charging, your margin per kWh is your price to drivers minus what you pay for the electricity.
- Check your site's solar and charging figures
- Work out charging income and payback
- Compare home, public and rapid charging costs
About these figures
- DESNZ describes these as fully delivered prices, including all elements except VAT. Table 3.4.2 includes the Climate Change Levy; table 3.4.1 does not.
- Each band's price is the total paid by businesses in that band divided by the electricity they bought, so your own contract can be well above or below it.
- The latest quarter is provisional and may be revised. Next update: 17/12/2026.
- These are statistics, not a quote or advice on which contract to choose.
Source
Prices of fuels purchased by non-domestic consumers in the United Kingdom (QEP 3.4.1 and 3.4.2), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Open Government Licence v3.0).