The 6th biggest business energy supplier in the UK, Opus supplies 315,000 businesses.
They’re owned by Drax Group, a British electrical power generation company.
Find out more about Opus before you choose your business energy provider, by reading our profile below.
Opus Energy Reviews
- Trustpilot: 1.6 out of 10, based on 93 reviews, rated ‘Bad’ overall.
- Which?: No review available.
- Review Centre: 1.2 out of 5, based on 241 reviews.
- Citizens Advice: Opus Energy came 4th in the Citizens Advice ranking of 15 business energy companies and how well they deal with complaints. No score out of 10 is available.
Opus Energy Business Electricity, Gas & Dual Fuel Tariffs
Tariffs are available for businesses of various sizes, but the tariffs below are aimed at larger businesses.
Electricity
Opus Evolution
- Flexibly priced electricity purchasing for larger businesses.
- Customer can purchase some or all of their electricity before or after their contract starts.
- Choose trading structure (megawatt blocks and shape fee or percentage of volume etc.)
- Group purchasing available
- Account manager who reports on your usage.
- Online portal access.
Opus Fixed
- Fixed energy price for a specific contract.
- Contract length of 12-36 months.
- Can purchase all electricity on one day.
- Group purchasing available.
- Account manager who reports on your usage.
- Can suit your business size, whatever it is.
Gas
- Fixed price gas for small and medium sized businesses.
- Flexible contract durations.
- Dedicated account manager.
For a more specific tariff, you can enter your business’ details at opusenergy.com.
Note the tariff information listed above was correct at the time of writing (22 November 2017), although as noted, prices will vary by post code and subject to change at any time.
Opus Energy Background
Opus established themselves in 2002, when they were called Oxford Power Holdings, and have offices based in Northampton and Oxford. They changed their name to Opus in 2010.
In 2015, Opus broke up ‘The Big Six’s dominance slightly when they snuck into 6th place. They provide the option of 100% renewable electricity, and give customers the ability to purchase electricity wholesale directly from the market.
Opus Energy Smart Meter
Smart meters are available for Opus’ small business customers, larger businesses who buy their energy on a fixed contract wouldn’t benefit from the scheme.
Small businesses will be able to automatically submit readings for the most accurate monthly billing, rather than reading their meter manually. The meter also records usage in real-time, so the user knows how much energy they’re using at a glance.
To get one installed, Opus customers need to request one from customer services. There are some data protection implications of installing a smart meter though, so Opus have put together information on consumption data.
Other Opus Energy Meters
The Opus online account is the easiest way to submit a meter reading manually.
Customers with a gas supply have their consumption logged remotely using AMR (Automatic Meter Readings). This means bills are more accurate and access to the meter doesn’t have to be pre-arranged.
Opus Energy Bills
Bills from Opus will come in the form of an invoice, and there’s a guide to what they look like and how to understand them on their website.
If your business’ bill is higher than usual, it could be because meter readings haven’t been submitted often enough, new equipment has recently been installed and it’s using a lot of power, or a fixed contract has ended.
Opus Energy App
There’s no app available for Opus customers, but there is an online system available on desktop called My Opus Energy. All account holders have access to this and can use it to submit readings, check account details, and check usage.
Switching To Opus Energy
According to their quote page, 1500 businesses switch to Opus every week. It’s not completely clear how long the average switch takes, but the process is divided into three stages:
1. Confirm the contract
Once you’ve confirmed the tariff you want for your business, Opus will send a welcome pack including all the details and terms agreed.
2. Supply set-up
Opus contact the industry’s registration database, who then notify your current supplier. You’ll need to supply a meter reading close to the transfer date.
3. Transfer day
Your site will be supplied with energy from Opus when it switches over on supply day.
Moving locations With Opus Energy
If you’re moving into a premises already powered by Opus and want to stick with them, you can call them to choose a contract length and confirm your details.
If you’re moving out, you can let Opus know online or over the phone. They’ll ask for a list of documents, a meter reading, and a forwarding address for your final invoice.
Opus Energy Fuel Mix
Coal – 2% (8.5% UK average)
Natural gas – 6% (44.1%)
Nuclear – 1% (21.0%)
Renewable – 90% (24.2%)
Other – 1% (2.2%)
Opus Energy Feed-in Tariff
Opus Energy is a voluntary Feed-in Tariff (FIT) licensee. This means you can receive your FIT payments from them (as long as your system is MCS certified) if you are an Opus Energy customer, but they are not obliged to offer this service on an ongoing basis. You can learn more on their website.
Opus Energy In the News
Majority of SMEs suffering from productivity woes
7 Nov 2017, smallbusiness.co.uk
Opus Energy commissioned some research into how SMEs “struggle with efficiency”. 86% of businesses want to be significantly more productive and are making changes to incentivise their staff.
Drax profits go up in smoke as coal assets lose value
19 July 2017, The Telegraph
Opus Energy’s owner experienced a loss at the start of 2017 “after a plunge in the value of its legacy coal assets”.
Brexit prompts the rise of the micro business
2 Oct 2017, City AM
Survey results from Opus are included in a report about how the number of micro businesses “is at a record high” partly thanks to Brexit.
Opus Energy Complaints
The Review Centre and Trustpilot reviews are largely very negative on the whole, but Opus have made an effort to respond to all negative reviews, in some cases resolving the issue and encouraging the review to edit their review. It’s a copy and pasted response for many though, so perhaps not much consolation.
Many reviews are from business owners who feel they were misled by Opus and wouldn’t have switched if they realised what they were committing to.
Contact Phone Numbers & Email
Phone: 0843 227 2377 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
Email: contactus@opusenergy.com
Opus Energy Address
Royal Pavilion, 2 Summerhouse Road, NN3 6BJ
Website: http://www.opusenergy.com
Opus Energy Summary
They’ve invaded ‘The Big Six’ when it comes to business energy, but many customers are unhappy with Opus Energy. It’s hard to judge how fair the prices are without getting a direct quote, so it’s always important to shop around and compare before you commit.
Pros:
- Fuel mix uses lots of renewable.
- Choice of fixed and variable tariffs.
- Citizens Advice rank Opus well for dealing with complaints.
Cons:
- Criticised heavily on the review sites.
- No indication of how long switching takes.
- Some customers claim they were duped into signing up to Opus.