Find the account owner and contract
Determine whether the business, landlord or another entity controls each service. Locate the supplier agreement and note the end date and notice provisions. If the business is moving, confirm the new utility and class rather than transfer old assumptions. Avoid authorizing a supplier change until account authority and existing commitments are clear.
Check a representative year of bills
Record kWh, gas quantities, billing days and demand where present. Identify unusual estimates or corrections. A quiet month can make fixed fees look disproportionately expensive, while a busy month can hide them inside a low effective rate. Look at seasonal patterns before comparing offers using a single average quantity.
Choose manageable operational actions
Check closing-time schedules, lighting controls and equipment that runs unnecessarily. Keep safety, ventilation and refrigeration requirements intact. Ask a qualified professional about maintenance or controls outside your expertise. Prioritize actions that staff can repeat consistently, then measure what changes. A product purchase should not be justified by an unsupported guaranteed payback.
Compare written offers with a simple model
Use matching start dates and terms. Include monthly fees, identify pass-throughs and read renewal and termination clauses. Our calculator can show how a fixed fee changes a per-kWh comparison. It cannot decide whether a supplier or agreement suits the business. Request a review with a short description first; private records can be shared through an appropriate process later.
A practical example
Illustrative explanation, not a customer outcome.
At 2,000 kWh per month, a $20 fee adds 1¢/kWh to the effective supply rate. At 10,000 kWh, the same fee adds 0.2¢/kWh. Small accounts should examine fixed fees alongside the advertised rate.
Put the review into practice
| Review step | What to record |
|---|---|
| Define the objective | Separate procurement, consumption, resilience and capital needs. |
| Collect the baseline | Document quantities, operations and the relevant agreements. |
| Test practical cases | Include costs, constraints and a less favorable outcome. |
| Assign responsibility | Record who approves, monitors and maintains the plan. |
Questions worth asking
Can a very small business request a review?
Yes. Describe the utility and question; eligibility and available offers still need confirmation.
Do I need to upload a bill immediately?
No. The initial form deliberately does not accept bills or account numbers.
Continue the comparison
Sources and scope
Reviewed October 15, 2026. Follow the source’s own data period, effective dates and current terms. Examples are hypothetical unless expressly identified as a dated published result. A source is context, not a guarantee of eligibility or a product endorsement.