Business Energy

Compare Small Business Electricity Rates & Energy Plans

Name: 97 Options
Telephone: +17133798791
Price range: Free

Compare electricity options for your business based on how you actually use energy,, not a generic residential rate.

97 Options helps eligible small businesses across the United States explore commercial electricity supply options using account-specific information such as location, electricity usage, utility, rate class, contract timing, and other relevant details.

Get a Custom Quote

We currently source custom business energy pricing for eligible accounts in competitive markets including Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Connecticut. Availability depends on your utility territory, account type, and supplier eligibility.

Get a Custom Business Electricity Quote

Have a recent utility bill? That's usually the best place to start.

What Affects Small Business Electricity Pricing?

There isn't one electricity rate that applies to every small business in the USA.

Pricing may depend on several account-specific factors.

Electricity Usage

Your monthly and annual electricity consumption gives suppliers an indication of how much power your business requires.

A small professional office may have a very different energy profile from a restaurant with refrigeration, cooking equipment, ventilation, and extended operating hours.

That's why actual usage data is more useful than choosing an electricity plan based only on an advertised cents-per-kWh figure.

Load Profile

Your total monthly usage tells us how much electricity you use. Your load profile helps show when you use it. Electricity demand and wholesale costs can vary throughout the day and across seasons. The U.S. Energy Information Administration notes that the cost of supplying electricity varies with demand and can be higher during periods of elevated system demand.

A business that uses most of its electricity during weekday business hours can therefore have a different profile from one that operates late into the evening or around the clock.

Peak Demand

Peak demand measures how much power your business draws at a particular time or interval.

For commercial accounts on demand-based utility schedules, the highest measured kW demand during the billing period may affect part of the utility bill.

A short period during which several high-load systems operate simultaneously can therefore matter, even if total monthly kWh consumption does not change dramatically.

Utility and Rate Class

Your local utility and the rate schedule assigned to your meter can also affect the structure of your electricity bill.

Commercial accounts may be categorized differently depending on factors such as service voltage, usage, demand, and the applicable utility tariff.

A recent utility bill can help identify these details.

Location

Electricity markets, utility tariffs, supplier availability, and energy-choice rules vary across the United States.

Your state is important, but your utility service territory may matter too.

Contract Start Date and Term

Commercial electricity offers may be available with different contract periods.

The longest contract is not automatically the cheapest, and the shortest contract is not automatically the best choice.

Market conditions, contract timing, supplier pricing, business plans, and account characteristics can all affect the options available.

A business with two years remaining on a lease may evaluate contract duration differently from a company that owns its building or expects to remain at the same location for many years.

Why Small Business Electricity Quotes Are Account-Specific

You may see a commercial electricity rate advertised online and assume the same rate applies to your business.

Often, that's not how commercial pricing works.

A quoted rate may depend on factors such as:

Business location
Utility company
Utility rate class
Monthly kWh consumption
Annual electricity usage
Peak demand, when applicable
Operating pattern
Contract start date
Contract length
Number of meters
Number of business locations
Current electricity agreement
Supplier eligibility

97 Options therefore uses a custom quote process for small-business accounts rather than presenting one generic rate as though it applies to every business. Our current Business Energy process asks businesses for usage information or a recent utility bill so account-specific supplier options can be sourced.

Small Business Electricity Rates & Energy Plans

Compare Small Business Electricity Plans

Price matters, but it shouldn't be the only number you review.

A business electricity contract can affect your energy costs for months or years, so it's important to understand how the plan works before enrolling.

Fixed-Rate Business Electricity Plans

A fixed-rate plan is designed to provide greater predictability for the electricity supply price or specified pricing components during the contract term.

This can appeal to businesses that want easier budgeting and reduced exposure to short-term changes in energy market pricing.

Before enrolling, review what the contract defines as fixed and whether other charges or regulated utility components remain separate.

Variable-Rate Business Electricity Plans

A variable-rate plan can change according to the pricing method and terms established in the supplier agreement.

This may provide flexibility in some situations, but it can also mean that the supply price changes over time.

Businesses considering variable pricing should understand:

How the rate is determined
How often it can change
Whether there is an introductory period
Contract cancellation terms
What happens if market conditions change

Renewable Energy Options

Some suppliers may offer electricity products with renewable-energy content.

Availability depends on your state, utility territory, supplier, and account.

If renewable energy is part of your company's sustainability goals, include that preference when requesting pricing.

What Should You Compare Besides the Electricity Rate?

A low headline rate can look attractive, but commercial electricity decisions should be based on the complete offer.

Consider these factors when comparing small business electricity plans.

Supply Price

Check the quoted electricity supply price and what components it includes.

Rate Type

Determine whether the pricing is fixed, variable, indexed, or structured another way.

Contract Length

Make sure the term fits your business plans and property lease.

Early Termination Terms

Commercial electricity contracts may include early termination provisions.

Before enrolling, understand whether an early termination fee applies and how it is calculated.

Renewal Terms

Find out what happens when the contract reaches its expiration date.

Review:

1. Renewal notice requirements

2. Automatic-renewal provisions

3. New pricing terms

4. Actions required before expiration

Additional Fees

Check for any supplier fees or other contractual charges that may apply.

Renewable Content

If renewable electricity matters to your organization, compare the renewable-energy terms of available products.

The goal isn't simply to find the smallest number on the page.

It's to understand the total contract you are agreeing to.

Small Business Electricity for Different Types of Businesses

Small businesses don't all consume electricity in the same way.

That's why the type of business can be important when evaluating energy options.

Offices and Professional Services

Professional offices often have relatively predictable weekday schedules.

Electricity use may be driven by:

HVAC
Lighting
Computers
Servers
Office equipment

Predictable operating schedules can make historical consumption easier to evaluate.

Retail Stores

Retail electricity usage can depend on store hours, lighting, air conditioning, signage, refrigeration, and customer traffic.

Businesses with extended opening hours may have a different load profile from traditional offices.

Restaurants and Food Businesses

Restaurants can have more energy-intensive operations because several systems may operate simultaneously, including:

Refrigeration
Freezers
Cooking equipment
Ventilation
HVAC
Lighting

Understanding usage and demand can be particularly useful when evaluating a restaurant electricity account.

Salons and Service Businesses

Salons, spas, repair shops, laundries, and similar service businesses can experience periods of concentrated electricity usage depending on the equipment they operate.

Multi-Location Small Businesses

If your company operates several stores or offices, electricity accounts may need to be reviewed by meter, utility territory, or service location.

Provide the details of each location when requesting your quote so the account structure can be evaluated properly.

Your Electricity Supplier and Utility Have Different Roles

In competitive electricity markets, choosing a retail electricity supplier generally does not mean replacing the local utility. The electricity supplier provides the competitive supply product.

Your local utility generally remains responsible for the distribution system that delivers power to your business. For example, Ohio's official Energy Choice program explains that when an eligible customer selects a different supplier, the local utility continues to deliver electricity and maintain the local infrastructure. This distinction is important when comparing electricity offers.

Supplier: electricity supply and contract terms

Utility: local delivery infrastructure, regulated distribution service, and outage-related responsibilities

The exact billing arrangement and market structure vary by state and utility.

What Information Do I Need for a Small Business Electricity Quote?

The easiest starting point is usually a recent commercial electricity bill.

A utility bill may contain useful information including:

Utility company
Service address
Rate schedule
Current supplier
Billing period
Electricity consumption
Demand information, when applicable
Current supply charges
Meter information

DOE guidance similarly recommends reviewing utility bills when evaluating rate options because bills can contain current consumption, rate information, and peak-demand data.

Don't have the bill with you?

You can still begin with the information you know.

How Our Small Business Electricity Quote Process Works

1. Tell Us About Your Business

Start with your business location, contact details, utilities, and any available electricity usage information.

2. We Review the Account

We review relevant details, including your usage, utility, account characteristics, and contract terms.

3. We Source Applicable Options

For eligible accounts, 97 Options can request commercial pricing from its supplier network based on the information available for your business.

4. Compare the Offers

Review more than the rate.

Compare factors such as:

1. Pricing structure

2. Contract term

3. Early termination provisions

4. Renewal terms

5. Supplier conditions

6. Renewable options, when relevant

5. Choose What Fits Your Business

If an available offer fits your needs, you can decide whether to proceed with enrollment.

There is no reason to select a plan simply because you requested a quote.

Small Business Electricity Markets We Serve

97 Options works with eligible commercial accounts in competitive U.S. energy markets.

Our core business-energy coverage currently includes:

Texas
Illinois
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Ohio
Connecticut

If your business is located in another competitive electricity market, you can still submit your information, and we can determine whether an applicable quote is available.

Electricity choice is not identical throughout the United States. Supplier eligibility can depend on state rules, local utility territory, customer class, and account characteristics. DOE likewise notes that some states offer electric choice and that available provider options depend on the location and utility.

Request a Custom Quote

Find a Small Business Electricity Plan That Fits Your Account

Electricity is an operating expense your business depends on, but comparing commercial plans shouldn't require guessing from a residential rate or a generic online number.

Start with your actual account.

97 Options helps eligible small businesses compare commercial electricity supply opportunities using real business information such as location, utility, usage, and contract requirements.

Whether your business is in Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut, or another eligible U.S. competitive market, start by submitting your account details to see what options may be available.

Get a Custom Small Business Electricity Quote

How Small Business Electricity Rates Work

Small-business electricity pricing can differ from residential pricing.

A household bill is commonly discussed primarily in terms of electricity consumption measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A commercial account may involve additional factors, including the business's utility rate schedule, total consumption, peak demand, operating pattern, and the timing of electricity use.

For some commercial rate structures, electricity costs can include both:

Energy charges based on the amount of electricity consumed in kWh
Demand charges based on the highest level of electricity demand measured in kW during a defined period

The exact structure depends on the utility and rate schedule assigned to the account. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that commercial electricity costs can be affected by both the magnitude and shape of a site's electric load and that some rates include demand charges based on peak kW use.

This is one reason two businesses in the same city — or even in the same shopping center — may not have identical electricity cost structures.

A small office that operates Monday through Friday may use electricity very differently from a restaurant, salon, convenience store, workshop, or retail location that operates longer hours or uses high-demand equipment.

How commercial electricity differs from residential

Small business electricity rates aren't just residential rates with a different label. Even a single-location office or service business is enrolled under a commercial utility tariff, which changes how the rate is calculated and how demand is measured.

Residential pricing is based mostly on kilowatt-hours used in a month. Commercial pricing looks at total usage volume across the year, when during the day you use power, your peak demand in kilowatts, and the utility rate class assigned to your meter. Two neighboring suites can be in different rate classes depending on what equipment they run.

Because those inputs vary account-by-account, small business energy plans are custom-quoted. We use monthly kilowatt-hour figures or a recent utility bill to source pricing from our supplier network — rather than showing a generic per-kilowatt-hour number that may not apply to your rate class or usage.

Straightforward fixed-rate options without a wall of fine print
Contract terms that fit lease length and business planning cycles
Real answers on switching fees, early termination, and renewal notices
A single point of contact for questions after you sign

What happens next: A member of our commercial team reviews your usage, reaches out to our supplier network for competitive pricing, and follows up with options tailored to your account.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How are small business electricity rates determined?

A: Small business electricity pricing can be influenced by your location, utility, electricity consumption, load profile, peak demand where applicable, rate class, contract timing, and the type of offer available for the account. Because those factors vary from business to business, one advertised rate may not accurately represent what another commercial account can receive.

Q: What is the difference between kWh and kW?

A: Kilowatt-hours (kWh) measure the amount of electricity consumed over time. Kilowatts (kW) measure the rate at which electricity is being used. Some commercial utility rate schedules include demand charges based on maximum kW demand in addition to energy charges based on kWh consumption.

Q: Can I submit a utility bill for a small business electricity quote?

A: Yes. A recent electricity bill is generally one of the most useful documents for reviewing a commercial account because it may show your utility, consumption, rate schedule, meter details, and other relevant information. If you don't have a bill available, you can start with approximate monthly usage and your basic business details.

Q: Can my business choose an electricity supplier anywhere in the USA?

A: No. Electricity choice depends on the market. 97 Options currently focuses its business-energy quoting on eligible accounts in Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Connecticut. At the same time, availability in other areas depends on local market and supplier eligibility.

Q: Does switching electricity suppliers interrupt power to my business?

A: In competitive markets, selecting another retail supplier generally does not mean replacing your local utility or its power lines. The utility continues providing distribution service while the competitive supplier handles the supply arrangement, subject to the rules of the applicable market. Ohio's public utility guidance provides a clear example of this supplier-versus-utility structure.

Q: How long does it take to switch business electricity suppliers?

A: There isn't one switching timeline that applies to every U.S. commercial account. Timing may depend on the supplier, utility, account, existing contract, requested start date, and market procedures. If you're currently under contract, review your expiration date and termination conditions before enrolling in another plan.

Q: Are longer business electricity contracts always cheaper?

A: No. A longer contract may offer greater price certainty, but contract duration alone does not determine whether an electricity rate is lower. Compare the complete offer, including pricing structure, market timing, early termination terms, and your future business plans.

Q: Should I choose the lowest small business electricity rate?

A: Not automatically. A lower advertised supply rate can be attractive, but also compare: Contract length, Fixed or variable pricing, Fees, Early termination terms, Renewal provisions, Supplier conditions. A plan should make sense for the way your business operates, not simply have the smallest headline number.

Q: Can 97 Options help if my business has several locations?

A: Multi-location businesses can submit their service information for review. Depending on the accounts, locations may have different utilities, rate classes, contract dates, or supplier eligibility. Providing information for each service address helps create a clearer picture of the business's electricity requirements.