End of Financial Year Energy Checklist: 5 Things Every UK Business Should Do Before 5 April

The 5th of April is closer than it looks. If you haven’t reviewed your energy position before the financial year closes, you’re leaving money on the table — and walking into the new year blind.

Here’s what every UK business should tick off before the end of this financial year.

1. Review Your Consumption Data Against Budget

Pull your gas and electricity consumption figures for the full year and stack them against what you budgeted. If you’re significantly over or under, you need to understand why before April.

Operational changes, new equipment, a mild winter, hybrid working — all of it affects consumption. If your actuals have drifted, your budget for FY2026/27 will be wrong from day one unless you correct the baseline now.

Request your consumption data directly from your supplier or via your half-hourly data agent if applicable. Don’t rely on estimated reads.

2. Check Your Contract Renewal Dates

One of the most expensive mistakes a business can make on energy is rolling onto a deemed or out-of-contract rate. Suppliers apply significant uplifts — sometimes 40–60% above contracted rates — the moment your fixed term expires.

Check your current contract end dates for both gas and electricity now. If you’re renewing within the next 12 months, the procurement window is already open. Waiting until your contract expires to start the process puts you in a weak negotiating position.

If you don’t have your contract end dates to hand, your supplier is legally obliged to provide them on request.

3. Check Your Eligibility for CCL Exemptions and VAT Relief

The Climate Change Levy (CCL) adds a measurable cost to most business energy bills. But qualifying businesses can access partial or full exemptions — and many simply don’t claim them.

If your business has signed a Climate Change Agreement (CCA) with the Environment Agency, you may be entitled to a 92% discount on CCL for electricity and 81% for gas. Businesses that generate and consume their own renewable electricity on-site may also qualify for CCL exemption on that self-generated power.

Separately, businesses that qualify as low-use domestic-equivalent consumers, or that operate in certain charitable or industrial categories, may be eligible to pay 5% VAT rather than the standard 20% on energy bills. If you’re currently paying 20% and haven’t confirmed your eligibility in writing with your supplier, it’s worth reviewing before year end.

4. Request Your Half-Hourly Data If You’re Over 100kVA

If your site’s maximum demand exceeds 100kVA, you are mandatory half-hourly (MHH) metered and half-hourly (HH) settled. That means your supplier holds detailed consumption data for every 30-minute interval across the year.

Request a full HH data export for the financial year. This data is invaluable — it shows peak demand periods, load profiles, overnight consumption, and weekend usage. It’s the foundation for any serious procurement exercise, demand management strategy, or energy efficiency project.

5. Request a Market Comparison From Your Energy Consultant

Energy markets move. The rate you locked in two years ago may look very different against today’s forward curve — or the market may have softened enough that locking in now makes sense.

Either way, you should know where you stand. Ask your consultant to run a live market comparison against your current contracted rates. If you’re out of contract or approaching renewal, this is essential. If you’re mid-contract, it informs your budget and flags whether any break or blend-and-extend options are worth exploring.

A 10-minute conversation at this point can save thousands in the year ahead.

Get Your End of Financial Year Energy Review Done

At Telnergy, we work with UK businesses to make sure nothing falls through the gaps at year end — contracts, compliance, consumption, and cost.

If you’d like us to run through this checklist with you before 5 April, get in touch with the team. No hard sell — just straight answers.