The Warm Home Discount Scheme explained
Find out who gets the Warm Home Discount automatically, who needs to apply and how to do it. Plus more tips for saving on your energy bills.
Read more…Business energy statistics
We look at the energy consumption of UK businesses and what the average business utility bill is
We’ve compiled all the latest business energy statistics below to show you how UK businesses have consumed energy and what the average utility bill is for different sized businesses.
If you’re a company that feels it has overspent on energy, be sure to compare suppliers regularly to see how much money you could save and keep on top of your cash flow with business banking options.
The latest stats
How is the UK using energy? In 2018, UK energy consumption rose by 0.8% to 151,000 ktoe (kilotonnes of oil equivalent). Transport and Domestic sectors use the most energy, at over 55% of total energy consumption combined. Explore the chart and table below to find out more.
| Sector | Usage |
|---|---|
| Transport | 56,954 ktoe |
| Domestic | 41,250 ktoe |
| Other industries | 21,857 ktoe |
| Other Final Users | 21,805 ktoe |
| Commercial | 13,225 ktoe |
| Non-energy use | 8,541 ktoe |
| Public administration | 5,647 ktoe |
| Agriculture | 1,584 ktoe |
| Miscellaneous | 1,349 ktoe |
| Iron and steel | 858 ktoe |
What is a ktoe?
A tonne of oil equivalent – also called a “toe” – is a unit of energy. It’s a common unit of measurement that enables different fuels to be compared and aggregated. There are a few different multiples of a toe, including a thousand tonnes of oil equivalent (or a kilotonne of oil equivalent), which is called a “ktoe” for short.How much does it cost to run a typical office?
Electricity is a necessity for running an office, but what might surprise you is which appliances are costing you the most. We created three hypothetical model offices and calculated the cost of running it. An office with 100 people (7,500 – 9,500 sq ft) in would cost a total of £34,854 per year, with air-con costing as much as £10,100 a year. A 30 person office (2,250 – 2,850 sq ft) office costs a total of £10,423 a year, while a 5 person office (375 – 475 sq ft) would set a business back around £3,103 on energy bills alone.
| Office | Size | Estimated Energy Bill (yearly) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 person | 7,500-9,500 sq ft | £34,854 |
| 30 person | 2,250-2,850 sq ft | £10,423 |
| 5 person | 375-475 sq ft | £3,103 |
Take a look at the graphic below to see how much each appliance contributed to the total cost, or click on the list tab to see a more detailed breakdown. The below figures are based on a standard variable business tariff (c. 18p pkWh).
| Appliance | Percentage of total electricity bill |
|---|---|
| Air con | 29.15% |
| Light fittings | 26.12% |
| Computers | 10.91% |
| Vending Machine | 6.05% |
| Water Cooler | 6.05% |
| Kettles | 4.66% |
| Fridge | 3.33% |
| Printers | 3.02% |
| Hand dryers | 2.59% |
| Microwaves | 1.73% |
| TV screens | 1.71% |
| Laptops | 1.27% |
| Dishwasher | 1.04% |
| Toasters | 1.04% |
| Coffee machine | 0.86% |
| Desk fans | 0.48% |
Office size energy usage
The cost of running an office is dependant on many factors. For example, many industrial businesses work around the clock, while other businesses can actually make savings by just making sure that computers and lights are properly turned off over the weekend. Additionally, installing A-grade energy appliances like lamp bulbs or a new smart meter can also put a dent in your bill. Find out the average energy use for different size businesses below.
Working from home heavily reduce these prices, which might be why many companies, like Twitter, now opt for having their employees work from home. For some perspective, the average household uses 8.5-10kWh of electricity and 33-38kWh of gas per day.
Find out the average energy use for different size businesses below:
| Business type | Electric (kWh) | Gas (kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Micro businesses (1-9 employees) | 7,500 | 5,000 |
| Small businesses (10-49 employees) | 20,000 | 15,000 |
| Medium businesses (50-250 employees) | 35,000 | 35,000 |
| Large businesses (over 250 employees) | 90,000 | 75,000 |
| Industrial businesses | 250,000 | 500,000 |
Green energy statistics
2018 saw the UK kick on with green energy initiatives, including an emphasis on renewable energy production. The EU goal was to make 20% of all energy via renewable resources such as wind and solar power by 2020, but as the UK has already met this goal, it will most likely change it to 30%. In 2020, the UK also managed to last 67 days without coal-fired power. This was the longest streak since the industrial revolution.
£1.4 billion
The amount that the smart meter initiative is predicted to save in energy by 2030 in non-domestic customers.
46%
How much of the average business’s total energy consumption is consumed outside of 8am-6pm, as found by British Gas. This highlights a need for improved energy efficiency, such as ensuring computers are turned off at the end of the day and on weekends.
Solar energy records broken
In the first quarter of 2020, 47% of UK’s energy was powered by solar energy.
How does your business energy provider stack up?
The table below ranks non-domestic energy suppliers on how they handled complaints between January and March 2020, from best to worst – as ranked by the citizen’s advice bureau. How does your energy provider fare?
Contract Natural Gas had the most happy customers during the first quarter of 2020, and a close second is E.On.
| Jan-Mar 2020 rank | Supplier |
|---|---|
| 1 | Contract Natural Gas |
| 2 | E.On |
| 3 | SSE |
| 4 | Haven Power |
| 5 | Utility Warehouse |
| 6 | EDF |
| 7 | Total Gas & Power |
| 8 | British Gas |
| 9 | Opus Energy |
| 10 | Gazprom |
| 11 | Dual Energy |
| 12 | Scottish Power |
| 13 | nPower |
| 14 | Utilita |
| 15 | Business Energy Solutions |
| 16 | Corona |
| 15 | Business Energy Solutions |
| 16 | Corona |
Sources used
- Citizens Advice
- Gov.uk
- Solar Trade Association
- Make It Cheaper
- SmarterBusiness
Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact
Matt Mckenna
Head of UK communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806
Head of UK communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806
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