Business Energy for Manufacturing
For most manufacturers energy is a direct input cost, not an overhead. We help UK manufacturing businesses review their electricity and gas contracts, understand their renewal position and compare the options available for their supplies.
Business energy for manufacturing
Manufacturing sites use energy to make things, which changes the nature of the contract entirely. Consumption follows production rather than opening hours, motors and process heat dominate the load, and most sites are on half-hourly metered supplies where capacity, time-of-use and non-commodity charges all form part of the total cost. A change in shift pattern or product mix can move the bill materially.
Motors and drives
Production line motors, pumps and fans typically account for a large share of site electricity use.
Compressed air
Air compressors run continuously in many plants and are one of the most common sources of avoidable waste.
Process heat
Ovens, furnaces, kilns, dryers and steam raising, often gas fired, can dominate the energy bill on thermal processes.
Shift patterns
Single, double or continuous shift working changes the consumption profile and therefore how a supply is priced.
Compressors, chillers and extraction
Process cooling, dust extraction and ventilation run alongside production and add substantially to demand.
Lighting and building services
High-bay lighting across a large production floor, plus offices, welfare and warehousing on the same site.
Electricity and gas requirements
How manufacturing use electricity
- Production machinery, motors, drives and conveyors
- Air compressors and compressed air distribution
- Process chilling, cooling towers and refrigeration
- Dust extraction, LEV and ventilation systems
- High-bay lighting across production and storage areas
- Control systems, robotics and site IT
Where gas is typically used
- Furnaces, ovens, kilns and dryers
- Steam raising boilers for process use
- Space heating across production halls and warehousing
- Hot water for cleaning and welfare facilities
Common energy challenges in this sector
Energy as a cost of production
Where energy forms a real part of unit cost, contract terms feed directly into pricing and margin decisions.
Half-hourly metering and capacity
Larger supplies bring available capacity, reactive power and time-of-use elements that sit outside the headline unit rate.
Non-commodity charges
Network, policy and balancing costs make up a significant portion of an industrial bill and differ in how contracts pass them through.
Production volatility
Order books move, shifts change and consumption follows, which complicates any contract based on a fixed volume assumption.
Long-term budget commitments
Multi-year contracts have to be weighed against uncertainty in output, so term length is a genuine decision.
How Switching Made Simple can help
We are an independent UK business energy broker. For a manufacturer that means a straightforward review of where you are now and a clear picture of what is available when your contract comes up for renewal.
- Review your current energy arrangements, meters and contract end dates
- Explain your renewal options and the timescales involved
- Compare available business gas and electricity contracts across our supplier panel
- Present the options in writing so you can see the terms, not just a headline rate
- Handle the paperwork and manage the transfer once you decide how to proceed
Why review your business energy contract?
On an industrial supply, the structure of the contract matters as much as the rate. Fixed, flexible and pass-through arrangements treat non-commodity costs differently, and comparing them properly requires the same consumption data underneath each quote.
If a business energy contract is left to lapse, the supply usually moves on to out-of-contract or deemed rates, which are set by the supplier rather than negotiated. Reviewing before your end date keeps the decision with you — including the choice of term length and contract structure.
How it works
- 1
Tell us about your manufacturer — your premises, meters and how you operate.
- 2
We review your current energy arrangements, including your contract end dates.
- 3
We compare suitable business gas and electricity options and set them out clearly.
- 4
You choose how you would like to proceed, and we handle the paperwork.
Not sure when your contract ends?
Send us a recent bill and we will confirm your end date, your current terms and what the market looks like for a manufacturer like yours.
Manufacturing energy questions
Related services
Read more about our business gas and electricity service, our step-by-step guide to switching business energy supplier, or explore renewable energy contracts. You can also browse every industry we work with on our business sectors page.
Ready to review your business energy?
Tell us about your manufacturer and we will review your current arrangements and compare the options available — with no obligation to proceed.