Unify Energy: A B2B Energy Supplier, but Always Confused as a Broker

In the commercial energy space, definitions matter. But they don’t always land the way they should. At Unify Energy, we’ve experienced this firsthand. Although we’re a licensed B2B energy supplier with full ownership of our billing and infrastructure, we’re often mistaken for a broker.

We get it. The market’s a mess. Labels blur, and customer experiences vary wildly depending on who’s managing what. But this confusion says less about Unify Energy and more about how fragmented and misunderstood the energy ecosystem has become. So it’s time to set the record straight.

This isn’t about being pedantic. It’s about giving businesses a clear picture of who does what in the supply chain, and how that impacts their costs, contracts and energy strategy.

What’s the Difference Between a Supplier and a Broker?

• A supplier is licensed to purchase energy directly from the wholesale market. We carry portfolio risk, hold compliance responsibility, invoice end users, and maintain the infrastructure that delivers energy to your meter. Our name appears on your bill, not just on your contract.

• A broker works differently. Brokers support customers by sourcing tariffs, comparing quotes across the market and managing procurement. Many are deeply experienced in negotiation and market navigation, and act as a trusted partner at the point of contract. But they don’t typically manage supply or billing. Once a deal is signed, the handover to the supplier begins.

This distinction matters. Suppliers are accountable for delivering energy and managing the lifecycle of the customer relationship. Brokers play a key role in helping businesses find the right deal and navigate a complex market.

Here’s the catch: Unify Energy is not a broker. We are a licensed supplier, with a billing engine, compliance responsibilities, direct market access, and a product stack designed to serve complex, multi-site commercial operations. Brokers don’t have the infrastructure of a supplier.

So, Why Do People Confuse Us with Brokers?

Because we don’t look like a traditional supplier either.

Most suppliers come across as inflexible and slow, with legacy systems, standardised pricing and minimal focus on customer-specific challenges. That’s not us.

We built Unify Energy to challenge that model, bringing the capabilities of a licensed supplier but delivering them with the agility and customer-first attitude often associated with consultancies or tech providers. That’s where the confusion creeps in.

We’re different. We offer:

• Custom contracts

• Tenant-level billing

• Data insights

• Automated metering

• Clear breakdowns of non-commodity costs

And we talk in human terms, not jargon. That sometimes gets us lumped into the "consultant" or "broker" bucket.

Also, many brokers use white-label supplier services or act as the customer’s main point of contact. Because we offer direct service with a digital, flexible front-end, which makes us look like a broker. But again, the key difference: we own the supply license, take on the balancing risk, and manage every aspect of delivery and billing.

The Venn Diagram of Confusion

To really get under the skin of this, we made a visual.

• Traditional Suppliers - like British Gas, Shell, SEFE, large, licensed, but typically slow to innovate.

• Brokers - Inspire, INTEB, Stadia, Inenco, commercial consultants and price negotiators.

• Rechargers/Platforms - platforms that rebill tenants or manage sub-metering (often without holding a supply license).

Unify Energy sits at the intersection: we supply the energy, manage the site and tenant data, automate the rebilling, and deliver it all in a digital-first platform.

We aren’t just crossing categories, we’re redefining them.

Why does it matter to the customers?

The traditional split between broker and supplier has worked well for many businesses. But as portfolios get more complex and the demands of net zero, on-site generation and data reporting increase, fragmentation becomes a problem.

Brokers may source the right deal, but can’t always follow through on implementation. Suppliers may manage delivery, but lack the systems or service models to handle things like sub-metering or landlord-tenant splits.

Unify Energy brings those pieces together. That’s not to replace brokers, but to enhance the overall experience and create space for new kinds of partnerships.

What We Do That Brokers and Suppliers Alone Can’t

We’ve built Unify Energy to deliver what modern commercial operators actually need:

1. Smart Supply

We’re licensed to supply energy, and we do it smartly. That means flexible contracts, market access, and hedging strategies that evolve with your risk appetite, not boilerplate offers.

We balance supply with demand, avoid imbalance charges, and actively manage peak exposures, something most brokers can’t touch.

2. Site and Tenant Recharging

For landlords, operators, and facilities managers, splitting energy use between tenants is a nightmare. Most suppliers don’t help with it. Brokers don’t touch it. We solve it.

Our platform maps meters to tenants, allocates usage fairly and generates rebill-ready invoices, integrated directly with the primary supply contract.

No spreadsheets. No chasing. No double-charging.

3. Data-Driven Billing

We integrate with half-hourly meters and BMS platforms to provide live insights, not just monthly summaries. That means we can detect anomalies, identify inefficiencies and support better energy planning. We also decode the bill. DUoS, TNUoS, BSUoS and other pass-through charges aren’t just dumped into a line item. They’re itemised, tracked and explained.

• We’ll show when to reduce capacity

• We can share how solar generation impacts your import rate

• We can split usage by floor, sub-meter or time of day

4. Transparent Non-Commodity Cost Management

You’d be surprised how many businesses have no clue what they’re really paying for energy. It’s not just the p/kWh, it’s 15+ other charges like TNUoS, BSUoS, DUoS, RO, FiT, CfD and more.

We break these down, track trends (like solar cannibalisation), and help customers make smarter moves, whether that’s shifting load, installing generation, or reclassifying capacity.

5. We Don’t Replace Brokers. We Work With Them.

Some of our best relationships are with brokers and consultants who know their customers inside out. We value their insights, transparency and their ability to bridge the gap between energy products and business needs.

Our model is designed to complement theirs. By providing supply and billing through a single platform, we give brokers the tools to deliver more value to their customers, not less. There’s no white-labelling. No smoke and mirrors. Just shared goals, shared data and shared impact.

If a broker wants to manage the customer relationship, we support that. The key is clarity and transparency. Everyone knows their role and delivers it well.