Energy sits behind almost everything a business does. Most of the time, it goes unnoticed. The lights are on, buildings are warm, operations run as expected. Energy only really enters the conversation when the bill arrives.

That moment matters more than it should. For many businesses, energy costs now shape whether they can plan confidently, invest in growth, or even maintain current operations. To understand how widespread that pressure has become, we spoke to 500 British businesses about their energy costs and expectations for the year ahead.

The picture that emerged is sobering. Nearly half of UK businesses told us they have had to raise prices because of electricity costs, while one in four said they had scaled back operations altogether.

These are not abstract concerns. They are decisions made under financial pressure, often without clarity over what is driving costs or how much control businesses really have.

What businesses understand about their bills, and what they don’t

When we asked businesses to break down their energy bills, most said they only recognise around half of what they pay as the actual cost of electricity. The rest is made up of charges they struggle to explain or trace back to a clear purpose. The true cost of electricity is actually less than half, but that’s a topic for another day.

That lack of visibility creates frustration and, over time, erodes confidence. If you cannot see what you are paying for, it is almost impossible to feel in control of it. In our research, 45% of small and medium-sized businesses believe they are paying unfair prices, even when they cannot easily identify where things have gone wrong.

The energy system is complex, and few people expect it to be simple behind the scenes. But complexity should not automatically mean opacity. Right now, many businesses feel they are being asked to accept costs rather than understand them, and that gap is where trust begins to break down.

Trust, proof, and why belief is no longer enough

Trust has been a fragile part of the energy market for a long time. Today, businesses are no longer satisfied with assurances or broad claims. They want evidence they can stand behind.

In our report, 73% of businesses said they want clear, verifiable proof that their electricity is renewable. At the same time, 78% do not believe they are buying directly from renewable sources. This disconnect is not driven by scepticism alone. It is driven by the fact that the transaction itself is difficult to see.

When people cannot trust where their energy comes from or how their money moves through the system, sustainability starts to feel abstract. Over time, it stops feeling like an active choice and begins to feel like something taken on faith.

Generators feel the effects of this, too. Almost all told us that predictable sales, simple terms, and reliable payment matter more to them than short-term price gains. They depend on stable relationships with the businesses buying their power. When those businesses cannot make sense of their own bills, that shared understanding disappears.

Proof of what moves from generator to business, and on what terms, is what restores balance.

Why predictability is starting to matter more than price

For years, energy buying was dominated by a single question: What is the cheapest rate? That logic made sense in a more stable market. Today, volatility has changed the calculation.

In our survey, 40% of businesses said stable prices now matter more than low ones. The reason is straightforward. Planning becomes impossible when costs swing unexpectedly. Every surprise bill makes it harder to invest, hire, or commit to long-term decisions.

Predictability does not come from locking in the lowest number at any cost. It comes from transparency, clear contracts, and a shared understanding of what drives pricing. Businesses want to know what they are paying for, why they are paying it, and what to expect next. Hidden charges and shifting structures undermine that confidence.

Change is happening, but not where people expected

Energy and policy are closely linked, yet confidence in top-down reform is low. In our research, 84% of businesses said they do not believe there is a credible government plan to fix the energy system in a way that works for them.

That scepticism has not led to inaction. Instead, it is pushing businesses and generators to look elsewhere. Eighty-seven percent believe the system has to change, and many are already moving toward solutions that simplify pricing and create clearer relationships without waiting for policy to catch up.

The businesses and generators we surveyed are choosing more direct renewable relationships and clearer billing structures. These shifts are not driven by announcements or policy papers. They are happening quietly, through practical decisions about how energy is bought, sold, and accounted for.

What transparency actually changes

When businesses can understand every line on their bill, the relationship with energy changes fundamentally. Energy stops being something that happens to them and becomes something they can plan around.

Transparency makes long-term thinking possible again. It allows businesses to budget with confidence and enables generators to build predictable, lasting relationships with their customers. On both sides, clarity replaces guesswork.

A fairer energy system is not defined by complexity or constant intervention. It is defined by clear pricing, direct relationships, and shared understanding on both sides of the transaction.

Where this leads

The message from this research is consistent. Businesses want clarity. Generators want predictability. Both want a system they can trust.

The people in this report are already moving in that direction, choosing transparency over obscurity and stability over volatility. Not because it sounds better, but because it works better.

This is what power, as it should be, starts to look like: energy that is understandable, accountable, and built around the people who rely on it every day.

If you want to explore the findings in more detail, you can download the full report.