We compare business gas and electricity from 20 plus suppliers for poultry and egg units. Typical bills run £5.5k to £126k a year and businesses that switch with us save 40 per cent on average, typically 30 to 50 per cent. The figures on this page are estimates from published UK benchmarks, not quotes.
Get my free proposalFree estimate. No obligation to switch. Delivered by email and WhatsApp.
We do the hard work for you, compare live prices with following trusted UK providers
Still in a contract? Even with 3, 6 or 9 months left, you can lock in today's cheaper rates now, protecting your business from price rises when your current deal ends.
What a typical poultry or egg unit uses and pays across the UK, from published benchmarks.
Figures are estimates from published UK benchmarks priced at 25p/kWh electricity, 7p/kWh gas and about £365 a year in standing charges. They are not quotes. See how we estimate.
Poultry is one of the most energy-intensive farm types in the UK, and Defra's Farm Business Survey puts specialist pig and poultry holdings at the top of the electricity intensity table. Teagasc benchmarks a single 27,000-bird broiler house at around 35,000 kWh of electricity plus 240 to 270 MWh of heat energy a year. Free-range laying units use far less heat but still run ventilation, lighting, manure belts, egg collection and grading all year. Figures are estimates based on Teagasc and Defra benchmarks.
Brooders running at 30C to 32C for the first week of every crop, seven times a year
Tunnel fans you cannot switch off in summer without failing welfare and losing birds
Controlled photoperiod lighting that has to run to the programme, not to the tariff
Pressure washing and heat-drying the house between every single crop
Typical equipment loads across farming and agriculture, with annual kWh and cost bands from published benchmarks.
| Equipment | kWh a year | Cost a year (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Glasshouse Heating Boiler (gas) | 250,000–2,000,000 kWh | £17,500–£140,000 |
| Livestock House Ventilation Fans | 15,000–90,000 kWh | £3,750–£22,500 |
| Grain Drier & Store Ventilation Fans | 10,000–120,000 kWh | £2,500–£30,000 |
| Milk Cooling & Bulk Tank | 12,000–35,000 kWh | £3,000–£8,750 |
| Water Heating & Pressure Washing | 6,000–30,000 kWh | £1,500–£7,500 |
| Yard, Barn & Arena Lighting | 4,000–25,000 kWh | £1,000–£6,250 |
Move brooding to zoned or radiant heat instead of whole-house heating, so you heat the chicks rather than the roof space
Replace incandescent or CFL house lighting with dimmable LED, which cuts poultry lighting energy by around 70% and holds the dimming curve better
Fit inverter drives to ventilation fans and clean fan shutters and cones every crop, because dirty fans lose airflow and pull the same power
Insulate the house properly and seal leaks before you buy a bigger heater, since heat loss is the reason most brooding bills are high
Log your electricity and heat per crop and per bird placed, so you can spot a failing fan or a stuck heater in the numbers before you see it in the birds
Illustrative example
Around 150 milking cows with bulk-tank cooling and a parlour
Milk cooling, water heating and vacuum pumps run twice a day every day of the year.
Illustrative example, not a real customer. Figures are estimates based on published UK benchmarks. See how we estimate. See all worked examples.
Built for owner-run businesses in hospitality, food retail, motor trade, farming, personal care, accommodation, food production, leisure, care homes and laundry
Switching your energy supplier is just the start. Our team can help you reduce consumption too — with expert energy audits, LED lighting upgrades, refrigeration optimisation, and solar PV installations.
Get a comprehensive analysis of your energy consumption with actionable recommendations.
Learn moreCut lighting costs by up to 80% with commercial LED retrofits.
Learn moreGenerate your own electricity and slash daytime energy costs.
Learn moreOptimise your fridges, freezers and cooling systems for maximum efficiency.
Learn moreUpgrade your heating systems with smart controls to reduce waste.
Learn morePart of the Smart Energy group — trusted by businesses like Bargoed YMCA and Treforest Football Club for energy efficiency solutions across Wales and the UK.
Get a tariff matched to how a poultry or egg unit actually uses energy: the equipment, the hours and the fuels on your meters.
