Frequently asked questions

Direct Energy Business is part of a leading energy and energy-related services provider, serving more than 180,000 customers in 21 U.S. markets, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces. Through energy choice and a suite of innovative products and services, we help our customers buy less electricity and natural gas and better manage the impact of energy on their budget and operations. Learn more about us.

At Direct Energy Business, we use our expertise in the energy marketplace to provide straightforward guidance related to your electricity, gas and other energy needs. In addition to providing competitive electricity and natural gas supply plans, we offer businesses valuable energy management solutions to help them buy and use less of what we sell. In addition, with a dedicated team of sales professionals and an in-house customer relations team, you will receive personalized support, from your initial contact with us and throughout the term of your contract.

We provide energy supply and related services to businesses of all sizes (large businesses that spend over $8,000/month and small businesses that spend less than $8,000 per month) and all types, including government entities, schools, commercial real estate, healthcare, manufacturers, retail, and food and beverage. We also work with wholesalers, including utilities, producers, power generators, municipalities, co-ops, and other large wholesale customers.

Both Direct Energy Business and your local utility company supply electricity and/or natural gas to retail customers like you. The difference is that Direct Energy Business, as a competitive retail energy supplier, has more flexibility in purchasing electricity and natural gas in the wholesale energy markets. This flexibility allows us to offer more product choices, and in some cases, more competitive or customized pricing than you would get by taking service from your local utility (sometimes called "utility default service").

In addition, utilities still own the power lines and distribution network for your electricity and natural gas, so outages and meter issues continue to be maintained by your local utility or local distribution company.

We help businesses and organizations of all sizes—from main street shops, to big box retailers, to major manufacturers—employ energy strategies that make sense for them. No matter what your size or need, we can recommend or devise solutions for you. We even have a energy solution assessment to help you get started.

Small Business

• Shop energy plans
• BetterRate Guarantee
• Renew your plan

Large Business

• Electricity supply
• Natural gas supply
• Renewable solutions

Industries

• See the industries we serve

Wholesale

• Wholesale solutions 

You will notice on our site that our products and services are divided into two categories—Small Business and Large Business. To estimate which category your business falls into, simply find your monthly spend for electricity or natural gas on your current energy supply invoice. You're a:

• Large Business – if you spend more than $8,000 per month on your energy bill
• Small Business – if you spend less than $8,000 per month on your energy bill

If you are a small business, you will have the opportunity to shop, select a product and enroll online. If you are a large business, we encourage you to request a call from one of our experienced energy sales professionals. In the meantime, you can visit our energy solution assessment tool to learn more about customized options for your specific needs.

The Public Utility Commission (or other governing body for utilities) in your state or province, and your local utility/local distribution company, support the opportunity for businesses to choose their energy supplier–and they do not penalize those who do switch to a competitive retail energy supplier. We do however encourage you to contact your current energy supplier to verify when your contract with them ends and if there are any cancellation fees or penalties that may apply if you do switch to a new supplier prior to that.

No. There is no need for any physical modifications to your facility or meter to receive electricity/natural gas supply from us. Delivery of your electricity/natural gas will continue through the same transmission and distribution system owned and operated by your local utility.

You should not lose service if you switch to service with us from your utility or another supplier. Direct Energy Business works closely with your local utility or supplier to coordinate the date you begin service with us and when service ends with your utility or supplier. This ensures that you have no disruption in service as you move from one service provider to another.

For businesses that spend less than $8,000 per month on energy, you can:

• Enroll Online
• Contact the Small Business sales team at 1-844-878-4412 (Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 8:00pm ET)

For businesses that spend more than $8,000 per month on energy, you can:

• Request a quote/call-back online
• Contact the Customer Relations team at CustomerRelations@directenergy.com or 1-888-925-9115 (Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm ET)

Government entities:

• Contact our Government sales team to request a bid or to discuss the process.

Wholesalers:

• Contact one of our regional representatives for more information on wholesale products and solutions.

Your Direct Energy Business sales representative will be able to help you determine your start date. The date you sign your contract and your current meter read cycle will factor into what your actual start date will be. Typically, it takes approximately one or two billing cycles from the date you sign a contract for service with us to begin.

Your business deserves to have an energy supplier that’s focused on your specific needs, usage and targets. We use our expertise in the energy marketplace to provide customized products and solutions aligned to the unique needs of your business–from electricity and natural gas supply to ways to increase efficiency and reduce demand. Our goal is to make your business better by helping you buy and use less of what we sell.

We also offer a dedicated team of sales professionals and an in-house customer relations team, so that you receive personalized support from a live individual, beginning with your initial contact with us and throughout the term of your contract. And, our online customer portal provides you with access to all of your account information–and other powerful tools–from any device, anytime.

Register for MyAccount to access all of your account information and find answers to your questions on doing business with us, including:

• Specifics on your product and what to expect
• Details on all of your payment options
• Information about what is on your invoice
• How to file for tax exempt status
• Important forms you may need for relocation, assignment of existing contract, EFT/ACH setup, and consolidated billing
• Detailed FAQs on important topics for doing business

Through MyAccount, you can also:

• Pay your bill online
• Set up paperless billing
• Set up alerts and generate reports for your accounts
• Access helpful market information

Learn more about the features available to you on MyAccount.