Home / Energy broker / Energy broker vs comparison siteLast reviewed June 2026
Energy broker vs comparison site
Both help you find a business energy deal, but they differ on the prices you see, who does the work, and what happens once you have signed.
- You want the comparing, paperwork and switch handled for you, whether it is one site or many
- You would rather someone stayed with the account and flagged the renewal
- Your supply is multi-site, half-hourly or non-standard
- You are on a single, standard meter
- You are happy to contact the supplier and manage the switch yourself
- You just want a quick feel for the market in a couple of minutes
At first glance a comparison site and a broker look like they do the same job, finding you a better deal on your business energy. In practice they work quite differently. A comparison site hands you a list of prices and leaves the rest to you. A broker goes to the market on your behalf and handles the whole contract, from the quote through to the switch. Which one suits you comes down to how much you want to do yourself and how straightforward your supply is.
Quick snapshot
- A comparison site shows you prices to act on yourself, while a broker compares the market and arranges the contract for you.
- Neither is usually free to you, and how each is paid varies from one provider to the next, so it is worth asking how much sits in your rate.
- As of 2026, it is unlikely that any broker or comparison service reaches the entire market, so it is worth asking either one how wide their panel of suppliers is.
- A broker will handle a single meter just as readily as a multi-site or non-standard supply, while a comparison site suits a simple supply you are happy to manage yourself.
- The real difference shows up after you sign. A broker stays with the account, while a comparison site is done at the click.
What a broker does
A broker goes to the market on your behalf, gets quotes for a business like yours, and arranges the contract from start to finish. It does the comparing too, but it does not stop at a list.
The difference is the work that comes after the price. A broker reads the small print, lines up the start date so nothing rolls over, handles the supplier paperwork, and stays with the account through to renewal, and it does that whether you have one meter or fifty. We have set out the full job in our guide on what a business energy broker does.
What a comparison site does
A comparison site pulls in prices from a range of suppliers and lays them out for you to pick from. You enter your postcode, your usage and a few details, and it returns a list of tariffs you can sort by price. For a simple supply it gives you a feel for the market in a couple of minutes.
The catch is that the list is usually where its job ends. Once you have chosen, the switch, the paperwork and the timing are yours to manage, and the prices you see are limited to the suppliers the site has signed up.
Some comparison sites use a broker anyway
Not every site that looks like a comparison tool is running the comparison itself. Some display live prices for you to pick from, while others work more like a broker behind the scenes, taking your details through an online form and then arranging the switch for you. It is not always obvious which kind you have landed on, so it is worth checking how a particular site actually works.
Either way, you can end up dealing with a broker without having picked one yourself. Going to a broker directly gives you more say over who arranges your contract, how they are paid, and whether anyone stays with the account afterwards.
How wide a market you actually see
Neither a comparison site nor a broker always shows you every supplier. Both tend to work from a panel, the set of suppliers they have a relationship with. The question worth asking either one is how wide that panel is, and whether it includes the suppliers that actually quote for business energy rather than just the household names.
It helps to be realistic about coverage. As of 2026, it is unlikely that any broker or comparison service reaches the entire energy market. Part of that is commercial and logistical, because keeping live pricing with every supplier is hard to maintain. On top of that, some suppliers choose to deal only with the business buying the energy, and will not quote through a broker or a comparison site at all. So whichever route you take, you are seeing part of the market rather than all of it, and the honest question is how wide that part is.
A broker can also request a bespoke quote for an unusual supply, where a comparison site tends to show you only what is already loaded into it. For a standard small business that distinction may not matter. For a larger or non-standard site it can change the price meaningfully.
Who handles the paperwork and the switch
This is the clearest split between the two. With a comparison site, you are the one who contacts the supplier, signs the contract, gives the meter reading and keeps an eye on the switch going through.
With a broker, that is their job. They submit the agreement, deal with the supplier and the wholesaler behind the scenes, and chase anything that stalls. If you have the time and a simple supply, doing it yourself is perfectly manageable. If you would rather it was handled, that is what a broker is for, on a single site or across many.
What happens after you sign
With most comparison sites, the job is done the moment you click through. There is usually no one keeping an eye on your renewal date afterwards, and often no account or contact to go back to if a bill looks wrong.
A broker keeps the relationship going. A good one flags your renewal before the window opens, helps if a charge does not add up, and is there at the next contract rather than leaving you to start from scratch. Whether that ongoing presence is worth the commission depends on how much your business actually wants it.
How each one is funded
Neither service is usually free to you, though exactly how it is paid varies from one provider to the next, so it is worth asking. A comparison site does not tend to send you an invoice, but it often earns a referral fee from the supplier when you sign through it, and that cost can be built into the rate you end up on. Brokers are usually paid in a similar way, through a small uplift on your unit rate.
With both, the cost more often sits inside the contract than on a separate bill, but the only way to know for sure is to ask how they are paid and how much. We are upfront about that on our how we make our money page, and it is a fair question to ask anyone you are thinking of using.
Broker vs comparison site at a glance
| Energy broker | Comparison site | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Compares the market and arranges the contract | Lists prices for you to act on |
| Market coverage | A panel, plus bespoke quotes on request | Whatever suppliers are loaded into it |
| Who does the work | The broker handles it end to end | You do, after the click |
| Cost to you | A commission built into your rate | Usually a referral fee built into your rate |
| After you sign | Stays with the account to renewal | Job ends at the click |
| Best suited to | Any size, from a single site to multi-site | Simple single-meter supplies |
Working out which one you need
If you run a single shop or office on one meter and you are happy doing the admin, a comparison site can get you a sensible price in minutes. But do not assume a broker is only for big or complicated supplies. A broker will handle a single meter just as readily, do the comparing and the paperwork for you, and you would not normally pay a separate fee for it because the cost sits in the rate either way, so it is usually worth a quick conversation before you settle for doing it all yourself.
Where a broker really earns its place is the moment things get less standard, like multiple sites, a half-hourly meter, an unusual load or a history of bills you do not fully trust. If you are weighing up providers, it is worth reading how to choose a business energy broker first, and you can always compare business energy prices with us to see where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
Can a broker or comparison site compare the whole energy market?
In practice, very few reach all of it. As of 2026, it is unlikely that a broker or comparison service covers the entire business energy market. It is partly commercial and logistical, because keeping live pricing with every supplier is difficult to maintain, and partly because some suppliers will only deal directly with the business buying the energy and do not quote through brokers or comparison sites. Whichever route you take, you are seeing part of the market, so it is worth asking how wide that coverage is.
Is a comparison site cheaper than a broker?
Not usually, though it varies by provider so it is worth checking. Neither is really free to you, because both are typically paid through the supplier and the cost tends to be built into your rate, so price is rarely the deciding factor. What changes the price more is how wide a market each one reaches and whether your supply is standard enough to be quoted online.
Do comparison sites use brokers?
Sometimes. Some sites display live prices for you to choose from, while others work more like a broker behind an online form, taking your details and then arranging the switch. It means you can end up dealing with a broker either way, so going to one directly gives you more say over who arranges your contract and how they are paid.
Do comparison sites cover business energy?
Some do, but many are built for household energy, where the market works differently. Business contracts are bespoke and often need a tailored quote, which is why a lot of business supplies are handled by brokers rather than off-the-shelf comparison.
Does a comparison site handle the switch for me?
No. A comparison site shows you the prices, and contacting the supplier, signing and managing the switch is down to you. A broker does that part on your behalf, whether you have one site or several.
Will a broker only deal with large or multi-site businesses?
No. A broker will handle a single, standard meter just as readily as a multi-site or non-standard supply, and there is no separate charge to you, so it is worth asking even if your supply is simple.
Which is better for a small business?
Both can work. A comparison site is fine if you are on a single standard meter and happy to do the admin yourself. But a broker will handle a single site too, at no separate charge, and stays with the account afterwards, so plenty of small businesses still prefer to let a broker do it.
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