Wholesale gas rose 24.7 per cent in September. Wholesale electricity, which normally follows it, fell 0.5 per cent.
With last October set at 100, electricity closed September at 178, roughly three quarters higher than a year ago. September was the first month since June not to add to that climb.
Gas closed at 240 on the same base, more than double where it started. It has risen in each of the last three months, and September was the steepest.
Both charts track the wholesale market, not what a business pays. A delivered price also carries network charges, levies and supplier costs, and it is fixed on the day a contract is signed.
Why electricity did not follow gas
Gas power stations usually set the electricity price, because one of them is often the last plant needed to meet demand. That is what keeps the two fuels moving together.
September gave gas fewer chances to set the price. Wind supplied 37.9 per cent of generation, up from 27.5 per cent in August, while gas fell from 26.0 to 24.0 per cent. There were also 69 half hours when prices went below zero.
One windy month is not a trend, and no single month has a single cause. Over twelve months, both fuels are well above where they started.
Should I fix my business energy now?
A market average cannot answer that. It is a question about your contract, not about the market: when it ends, what you pay now and how much you use. Two businesses reading these figures will sensibly do opposite things.
For an expert conversation about the options for your business, ring us on 01709 874506, or get a quote to see what your usage prices at today.
If your contract is near its end date, what happens when your energy contract ends covers the mechanics, and business gas and electricity explains how we work.
