Smart Energy Insights
Energy Insights
Thomas McGlynn • 13 October 2026

British Gas Business Out-of-Contract & Deemed Rates

British Gas Business Electricity & gas

Check your rates.
Plan your
next contract.

Deemed, Variable Price Plan or Standard Variable? Check the right British Gas schedule, estimate what it costs, then compare your next contract with Smart Energy.

I’m out of contract My contract ends soon

No obligation to accept a quote · Commission explained before agreement

Published supplier rates Checked 13 Oct 2026

Taking supply without an agreed contract, often after moving into premises. These are the October 2026 deemed schedules; check any specific notice for your account.

Electricity Whole current · all profile classes
41.95p /kWh + 214.94p a day
Gas Small non-daily meter · AQ below 73,200 kWh
13.09p /kWh + 182.99p a day
Selected schedule effective from 1 October 2026 · Deemed
Electricity PDF ↗ Gas PDF ↗

Supplier rates exclude VAT and Climate Change Levy.
Only the calculator adds tax to the estimated costs.

Prepared by Smart Energy Company Last checked Independent guide · confirm the tariff on your bill
01 / UNDERSTAND THE RATES

Three schedules.
Know which applies.

British Gas Standard Variable rates and its Variable Price Plan are different. Deemed is a third arrangement. The name on your bill, your contract terms and the supply details determine which price applies. These are published default schedules, not tariffs you can simply choose between.

Deemed

Usually no contract has been agreed for the supply, often after a move. The latest linked prices took effect on 1 October 2026.

Variable Price Plan

Used when a fixed plan ends without a replacement. The downloadable prices currently sit under British Gas Lite; other Business VPP prices are confirmed for the site in writing.

Standard Variable

Separate prices for the circumstances in the supplier’s schedule, including expired large/corporate contracts. Small-business terms use it only exceptionally.

Headline examples · all rates before VAT and CCL
Published schedule Electricity unit / standing Gas unit / standing Effective from
Deemed rates 41.95p/kWh + 214.94p/day
Whole current · all profile classes 		13.09p/kWh + 182.99p/day
Small non-daily meter · AQ below 73,200 kWh 		1 October 2026
Variable Price Plan · published Lite schedule 40.65p/kWh + 203.88p/day
Whole current · published Lite VPP schedule 		10.54p/kWh + 182.60p/day
Published Lite VPP · AQ 0–73,199 kWh 		24 May 2026
Standard Variable rates 27.98p/kWh + 333.54p/day
Non-HH · profile classes 01–04 		7.63p/kWh + 552.46p/day
Small non-daily meter · AQ below 732,000 kWh 		24 May 2026

These examples use the simplest listed electricity categories and the lowest gas AQ band. Your meter type, TCR band, region or daily-meter registration may change the result. Standing charges above are pence per day, not pounds. Prices are not a personalised quote.

Important for VPP customers: the linked Lite PDFs are shown transparently here. If your account is British Gas Business rather than Lite, match your written VPP price notice before relying on those figures. Supplier’s plan labels ↗
See every published electricity rate, including TCR and regional charges

Deemed rates · effective 1 October 2026. Electricity source PDF ↗

Whole current · all profile classes
TCR band Unit p/kWh Standing p/day Capacity p/kVA/day
All published bands 41.95 214.94 Not applicable
Low voltage network (LVN)
TCR band Unit p/kWh Standing p/day Capacity p/kVA/day
0 39.94 215.85 8.41
1 39.94 881.83 8.41
2 39.94 1534.67 8.41
3 39.94 1927.16 8.41
4 39.94 4645.67 8.41
Low voltage substation (LVS)
TCR band Unit p/kWh Standing p/day Capacity p/kVA/day
0 38.55 227.27 8.75
1 38.55 893.25 8.75
2 38.55 1546.09 8.75
3 38.55 1938.58 8.75
4 38.55 4657.09 8.75
High voltage network (HVN)
TCR band Unit p/kWh Standing p/day Capacity p/kVA/day
0 37.96 424.15 8.99
1 37.96 4055.76 8.99
2 37.96 13652.27 8.99
3 37.96 22142.39 8.99
4 37.96 60549.34 8.99
High voltage substation / extra high voltage
TCR band Unit p/kWh Standing p/day Capacity p/kVA/day
All published bands 37.96 129235.35 3.12
Unmetered supply (UMS)
TCR band Unit p/kWh Standing p/day Capacity p/kVA/day
Not applicable 44.61 0.00 Not applicable

All prices exclude VAT and CCL. Capacity charges apply to your agreed import capacity. Excess capacity, reactive power and any separately billed site charges are additional where applicable. No amount is invented for unpublished charges.

See the gas bands and daily-meter prices
Deemed rates · gas · effective 1 October 2026
Meter / annual quantity (AQ) Unit p/kWh Standing p/day
Small non-daily meter · AQ below 73,200 kWh 13.09 182.99
Large non-daily meter · AQ at least 73,200 kWh 8.49 844.84
Daily metered · any AQ 7.56 53504.92

Gas source PDF ↗ · Daily-meter status depends on the meter registration; it is not determined by this calculator’s usage figure.

The AQ used for the band is the quantity recorded with the gas transporter. Deemed uses a 73,200 kWh threshold; Standard Variable uses 732,000 kWh. Do not transfer the threshold from one plan to another.

What about British Gas Plus or a different account-specific price?

British Gas Plus, Lite and Business have separate contractual documents. This guide covers the schedules linked from the British Gas Business pages stated in our sources. It does not claim to price every legacy, Plus or individually notified arrangement. Send us the bill or price notice if its tariff name, effective date or charges differ.

02 / PUT A NUMBER ON IT

What could these
rates cost you?

Use your bill to choose the right schedule and supply details. Energy, standing charges, published capacity charges and tax are shown separately.

Taking supply without an agreed contract, often after moving into premises. These are the October 2026 deemed schedules; check any specific notice for your account.

Could a lower tax rate apply?

Qualifying use includes charitable non-business activities, residential use and eligible small quantities. Charity status alone is not enough. In Great Britain, qualifying electricity has temporary 0% VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027; qualifying gas has 5% VAT. These qualifying supplies have no CCL.

Small quantities are assessed over the billing period, not simply from annual usage. Only choose relief if the whole supply qualifies. Mixed use and Climate Change Agreement discounts need a separate check. HMRC eligibility guidance ↗

kWh per year

Examples are not business-size classifications. Check your actual supply category and price notice.

Annualised at the checked tariff and tax rates: usage × unit price + 365 standing charges + applicable capacity charges + CCL, then VAT. VAT applies to CCL too. Average month = annual total ÷ 12. This is not a forecast of the next 12 months. Excludes excess capacity, reactive power and separately billed site charges; rates and tax can change.

Deemed · electricity

Whole current · all profile classes

£2,216.00 / average month

£26,592.04 annualised · includes 20% VAT + CCL

50,000 kWh × 41.95p £20,975.00
365 days × 214.94p £784.53
Energy + fixed charges, before tax £21,759.53
CCL · 0.801p/kWh £400.50
VAT · 20% (including CCL) £4,432.01
Annualised total £26,592.04
Get quotes for my supply

A tariff cost estimate, not an offer or a savings promise. We’ll obtain quotes for your actual supply.

Already have a renewal offer? We can compare the whole cost. Check my offer ↗
03 / KNOW WHERE YOU STAND

Do you need to
send a termination?

Deemed supply and qualifying microbusiness out-of-contract arrangements have switching-notice protections. “SME” alone does not tell you which rules apply.

A supplier’s notice before changing a price is different from a customer’s notice to leave. A 30-day price-change notice does not automatically mean you must give 30 days to switch.

Check my contract position ↗

Deemed contracts

Ofgem’s licence conditions prohibit a fixed term, termination fee or switching-notice requirement for deemed contracts. You still owe charges for energy used until the supply transfers.

Microbusiness contracts

No separate notice is required to switch at the end of a fixed term or from a qualifying out-of-contract or rollover arrangement. A genuine evergreen contract can be different; these protections do not grant a general right to end an unexpired fixed term early.

Check the actual British Gas terms

The currently linked Business VPP PDF includes 30-day leaving-notice wording. The linked Lite VPP terms allow termination at any time, subject to their switching provisions. Neither overrides an applicable Ofgem protection. For larger businesses and other contract types, check the agreed terms before setting a start date.

Ofgem conditions 7 and 7A ↗ · British Gas terms ↗. We check the account, contract dates and any permitted objection rather than promising an immediate switch.

Step 1 of 3

First, where are you now?

Choose the closest match. We’ll check the details with you.

05 / THE PRACTICAL DETAILS

Good questions.
Clear answers.

A guide to the published rates and your next step. Ask us about your supply →

Are Standard Variable rates the same as a Variable Price Plan?
No. British Gas publishes them as different schedules. Its Standard Variable PDFs say small-business accounts normally move to a Variable Price Plan after a fixed plan ends, while Standard Variable applies only exceptionally under small-business terms. For large/corporate terms, the Standard Variable schedule can apply after expiry. Check the tariff and terms on your own bill or renewal notice; you cannot assume the lowest rate here applies to your account.
Why is the Variable Price Plan labelled “published Lite schedule”?
British Gas’s current variable-plan page ↗ places those downloadable VPP prices under British Gas Lite. Separate British Gas Business VPP terms say your site’s prices are confirmed in writing. We show the available Lite figures with that qualification, rather than presenting them as one universal British Gas Business VPP price.
Which rates and dates have been checked?
The currently linked deemed electricity and gas PDFs are effective 1 October 2026. The linked Standard Variable and Lite VPP PDFs are effective 24 May 2026. We checked the links and documents on 13 October 2026. An account-specific notice or a newer schedule may change what applies to your supply.
Why does the gas standing charge change so much?
Meter classification and the transporter’s annual quantity (AQ) determine the band. Deemed gas changes band at 73,200 kWh; Standard Variable gas changes at 732,000 kWh. Daily metered supplies have a separate schedule. The calculator lets you enter AQ separately from expected annual usage so the band is not silently changed by a consumption estimate.
Do the rates include VAT and Climate Change Levy?
All displayed unit rates, standing charges and rate tables exclude VAT and CCL. Only the calculator adds tax: standard business mode uses 20% VAT and CCL of 0.801p/kWh. It also offers qualifying-use relief and a before-tax view. VAT is applied after CCL. Tax settings are a snapshot as at the check date; no automatic relief is assumed from annual usage alone.
Can we stay with British Gas Business?
Yes, tell us if that is your preference. Smart Energy can include available British Gas Business offers alongside other supplier options. We explain prices, terms and commission, and you decide. We have no preference about which supplier you choose. Your enquiry comes to Smart Energy Company, an independent consultancy; requesting prices does not create an energy contract.
Can I get quotes before my contract ends?
Yes. Choose “Contract ending soon” and add the relevant gas and electricity end dates if you know them. We can compare offers for your intended start date and check the contract position. You can also ask us to review an existing renewal offer.
Do all SMEs have the same switching-notice protection?
No. The microbusiness category is specific: one qualification route is no more than 100,000 kWh/year of electricity or 293,000 kWh/year of gas for the relevant fuel; a separate employee and financial-size test also exists. A business can qualify for one fuel but not the other. Deemed contracts have their own switching protections. Ask us to check your circumstances.
Sources & checking dates

Current supplier links, source PDFs and tax guidance checked 13 October 2026. Confirm the schedule and any account-specific notice before relying on a price. The source date is separate from its effective date.

Deemed electricity ↗ Effective 1 October 2026; all published meter/TCR categories.
Deemed gas ↗ Effective 1 October 2026; non-daily and daily meters.
Variable Price Plan electricity ↗ Effective 24 May 2026; linked under British Gas Lite.
Variable Price Plan gas ↗ Effective 24 May 2026; linked under British Gas Lite.
Standard Variable electricity ↗ Effective 24 May 2026; profile, region, voltage and TCR tables.
Standard Variable gas ↗ Effective 24 May 2026; gas band threshold 732,000 kWh.
British Gas variable-plan index ↗ Used to identify the current VPP and Standard Variable links.
British Gas contract terms ↗ Plan-specific terms, including separate Business and Lite documents.
HMRC Climate Change Levy ↗ 0.801p/kWh from 1 April 2026; 0.827p/kWh scheduled from 1 April 2027.
HMRC fuel and power VAT ↗ Qualifying-use rules and temporary GB electricity relief.
Ofgem electricity supply licence conditions ↗ Conditions 7 and 7A; published consolidation to 1 August 2025.
Ofgem Microbusiness Strategic Review ↗ Decision explaining the October 2022 notice changes.

Smart Energy Company · Independent business energy consultancy.
Your enquiry is handled by Smart Energy. Published rates exclude VAT and CCL; calculator tax follows your selection. The guide covers the linked schedules, including the clearly identified Lite VPP PDFs, and is not an account-specific quotation.

All supplier rate guides ↗
Out of contract or renewing? See your available options. Get quotes ↗

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