Crown vs Yu: Business Energy Comparison

This business energy comparison looks at tariffs, contract length, pricing structure, renewable credentials, customer service, smart tech and fees. We looked into both suppliers' own product pages, rate sheets and fuel mix disclosures, plus Trustpilot and the latest Citizens Advice non-domestic supplier table.

Crown vs Yu at a Glance

Which Supplier Offers Better Tariffs?

Neither Crown nor Yu publishes a fixed rate card for new business contracts, because pricing depends on:

• Business location

• Annual consumption

• Industry type

• Meter type

• Contract length

• Credit profile

• Regional distribution charges

Crown keeps its range simple: fixed contracts, optional renewable electricity and biomethane gas blends. Yu has more product types, including prepayment, multi-fuel, multi-site, half-hourly and pass-through plans, and it adds water.

Is Crown the Greener Supplier?

Many business owners assume a supplier's headline green claim covers the whole business. We found the published numbers are more complicated, and they point in Crown's favour with some caveats.

Crown's fuel mix disclosure for April 2025 to March 2026 reports 100% renewable electricity, all from wind. The UK average for the same period was 48%. Yu's latest disclosure on its site covers April 2024 to March 2025. It reports 15.6% renewable overall and just 0.3% for its standard, non-green products. Yu's Pure Green plans are reported as 100% renewable.

It's worth noting that the two sets of figures cover different years, and Yu's 2025/26 disclosure wasn't on its site when we checked. Under fuel mix disclosure rules, a 100% renewable figure usually means the supplier allocated renewable certificates to all of its supplied electricity. Crown's SME electricity page still describes REGO-backed renewable contracts as an option, and says its renewable electricity comes from UK wind, solar and hydro. Its disclosure lists wind only. If the technology matters for your sustainability reporting, ask Crown to confirm in writing what backs your contract.

Gas works differently. Neither supplier's standard gas is green. Crown offers biomethane blends, while Yu's carbon-neutral gas relies on offsetting. Our renewable business energy guide covers how these claims differ.

Crown Tariffs

YouFix

Crown's fixed price plan for electricity, available for both half-hourly and non-half-hourly meters. Crown also offers fixed gas contracts of variable length, with SME contracts for up to 500,000 kWh a year.

Best for:

• Businesses that want budget certainty from a single fixed plan

• SMEs and larger sites that would rather agree a term of up to 5 years than choose from a long product list

Renewable Electricity

REGO-backed electricity, aimed at businesses that want a certificate to show customers or investors. Crown says you receive a REGO certificate to evidence your renewable supply.

Best for:

• Businesses reporting Scope 2 emissions

• Owners who want renewable electricity without changing supplier

Biomethane

A graduated range of green gas. Bio100 is 100% biomethane. Bio50, Bio25 and Bio10 blend biomethane with natural gas, with the natural gas emissions offset through Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard schemes. Crown says biomethane carries a premium, and that supply in the UK is limited, so the blends exist to fit different budgets. It aims to send certificates within three weeks of a contract going live.

Best for:

• Gas-heavy businesses such as restaurants, bakeries and manufacturers

• Businesses that want to cut Scope 1 emissions in steps rather than all at once

Multi-Site and Multi-Meter Supply

Crown says it can supply businesses running multiple sites, with one team handling the contract.

Best for:

• Small chains and landlords with several meters

Yu Tariffs

Fix

Yu's core plan for smaller businesses, with fixed unit rates and standing charges over 1, 2 or 3 years for non-half-hourly meters. Micro businesses using up to 50,000 kWh of electricity a year can get an instant online quote.

Best for:

• Smaller electricity users who want a quote in minutes

• Businesses that want a fixed price for up to 3 years

Multi-Site Fix

The same electricity rate across all of a business's non-half-hourly sites.

Best for:

• Retail and hospitality chains that want one rate across locations

Multi-Fuel Fix

A discount when you switch two or more utilities to Yu at the same time, such as electricity and gas or electricity and water.

Best for:

• Businesses that want one supplier and one contact for several utilities

Pre-Pay

For sites with a conventional non-half-hourly prepayment meter.

Best for:

• Businesses that prefer to pay as they go

Freedom

A rolling plan with no fixed end date. Prices are fixed but reviewed periodically, and it's where you land if a fixed contract ends without a renewal.

Best for:

• Businesses between contracts that accept a higher price in return for flexibility

Half-Hourly Fix and Pass-Through Plans

Half-Hourly Fix has fixed day and night unit rates for half-hourly meters. Yu's three Pass-Through plans are for sites using more than 500,000 kWh a year, where the energy cost is fixed, and some non-energy costs move with actual market cost.

Best for:

• Manufacturers and large multi-site users with an energy buyer

Pure Green and Carbon-Neutral Gas

Pure Green is an optional add-on for fixed electricity plans, backed by REGOs. Carbon-neutral gas is natural gas with emissions offset through Verra's Verified Carbon Standard.

Best for:

• Businesses that want a green electricity option on a fixed contract

Tariff Comparison Table

Winner: Yu for breadth of products, particularly if you want water, prepay or a pass-through plan. Crown wins if you want a fixed term of up to 5 years or a graduated route to greener gas.

How Do Contract Lengths Compare?

Crown Contract Terms

Yu Contract Terms

Contract Length Scorecard

What Do Default Rates Look Like?

This is where the two suppliers differ most sharply. Both publish default rates, and the gap is large.

Yu's Freedom electricity unit rate was about 56% to 70% higher than Crown's non-half-hourly range, and its gas unit rate was nearly double. The two sheets cover different months, and Yu's doesn't say whether VAT is included, so treat the gap as a warning about default rates rather than a like-for-like price comparison.

Crown's default rates also move. Its band 1 gas unit rate rose from 9.130p per kWh in August 2026 to 10.253p in September, about 12% in a month. In our experience, the end-of-contract position is where owners lose the most money with any supplier, so put your end date in the diary at least 90 days ahead, whichever one you choose.

If you're a micro business, Ofgem's rules mean your supplier can't require notice to leave at the end of your contract, and must send renewal terms at least 60 days before it ends. Yu's rules for larger businesses are stricter, as our Yu Energy review explains.

Crown vs Yu Pricing Structure

Business energy quotes typically include:

Unit Rate

The price charged for each kWh you use. Yu offers instant online quotes to smaller electricity users. Crown asks you to complete a quote form, and an account manager then finalises the contract.

Standing Charge

The daily fee covering network connection and administration. This is where Yu's pricing needs care. In our January 2026 price data, Yu's average quoted electricity unit rate of 23.9p was among the lowest we tracked, but its average standing charge of 342.7p a day was the highest. Crown isn't in that dataset, so we can't give a like-for-like average. Its published default rates show a site-specific standing charge that includes an administration charge, and Crown reserves the right to review it if its operating costs rise. Our average business energy prices guide shows the wider market.

Pass-Through Charges

May include:

• Network costs, as explained in our guide to pass-through vs fully fixed energy contracts

• Balancing charges

• Government levies

Yu has added a Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) uplift to electricity standing charges from April 2026, including on some fixed contracts. For either supplier, the question to ask is whether regulated network charges are fixed for the whole term of your quote.

Broker Commission

If you buy through a broker, ask what commission is built into your rates. Crown's FAQs explain that it may pay brokers through an uplift on the unit rate or standing charge. Ofgem's microbusiness rules require the principal terms to show any brokerage costs.

Advance Payments and Credit Checks

Neither supplier publishes a standard deposit requirement in the pages we reviewed. Both run credit checks, so ask about any deposit at quote stage and get it in writing.

VAT

Crown's default rate sheets exclude VAT and the Climate Change Levy. Yu's Freedom sheet doesn't say. Most businesses pay 20% VAT on energy, but those using under 33 kWh of electricity or 145 kWh of gas a day can qualify for the reduced 5% rate with a declaration.

Pricing Transparency Comparison

Winner: Yu, narrowly, for its instant online quote. When we speak to business owners, the pricing surprise is rarely the headline unit rate. It's usually a standing charge or a default rate they didn't check, so compare the total annual cost from at least three quotes.

Which Supplier Has Better Renewable Energy Credentials?

Crown Sustainability Initiatives

Offers:

• REGO-backed renewable electricity, with a REGO certificate you can show customers

• Bio10, Bio25, Bio50 and Bio100 biomethane, traded as Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin

• Operational carbon neutral status under PAS 2060 verification, according to Crown's own news post from December 2024

• ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation logos on its website

Pros

• 100% renewable electricity reported in its 2025/26 fuel mix disclosure

• One of the few suppliers with a graduated biomethane range

• Certificates for biomethane supply, which Crown aims to issue within three weeks of going live

Cons

• Biomethane carries a premium and limited UK supply, as Crown itself says

• Its SME page presents renewable electricity as an option while its disclosure reports 100% renewable, so ask which applies to your contract

• Green gas options apply to gas only

Yu Sustainability Initiatives

Offers:

• Pure Green add-on on fixed electricity plans over 12, 24 or 36 months

• Carbon-neutral gas, offset through Verra's Verified Carbon Standard

• EV charge point installation for business sites

Pros

• Pure Green can be added to any fixed electricity plan

• Yu says Pure Green lets you report zero carbon emissions for your electricity use

Cons

• Standard products were 0.3% renewable in 2024/25, so green supply depends on choosing Pure Green

• We couldn't find a named generation site on its current Pure Green page

• Carbon-neutral gas is still natural gas, with offsetting funding projects elsewhere

Sustainability Comparison

Winner: Crown, on the published figures. It's worth remembering that the two disclosures cover different years, and Yu's 2025/26 figures may change the picture once published.

Customer Service Comparison

Customer support can have a major impact on small businesses when problems arise. We used two independent measures: Trustpilot and the Citizens Advice non-domestic supplier table.

The Citizens Advice table ranks suppliers by weighted complaints escalated to Citizens Advice, its Extra Help Unit and Ombudsman Services: Energy, per 10,000 customers. A lower score is better. In the latest table, published in September 2026, Crown ranked 1st of 16 with a score of 0.0 for April to June 2026, after 11.2 for January to March. Yu ranked 10th, with 721.5 and 638.4 for the same quarters. The measure is per customer, so it adjusts for size, but a smaller customer base can swing more on a few cases.

Crown Support

Channels include:

• Phone and email, with a Greater Manchester-based support team

• Online chat, which several recent reviewers mention

• My Account portal with usage graphs, invoices, contract details and extra users

• An in-house siteworks team for meter and connection work

Strengths

• A Trustpilot rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 226 reviews, with 93% five-star, as of September 2026

• Trustpilot shows Crown replied to 100% of negative reviews

• Recent reviewers regularly name individual staff for quick fixes

• Ranked 1st in the Citizens Advice non-domestic table

Weaknesses

• A much smaller review base than Yu's

• Trustpilot's summary notes some payment tracking errors and estimated bills despite smart meters

• One reviewer described being placed on deemed rates after a problem switch and needing to push for the agreed price

Yu Support

Channels include:

• Phone, live chat and WhatsApp, plus an online contact form

• My Account portal for bills, readings and payments

Strengths

• Positive reviewers praise named advisers and smart meter engineers

• One supplier for gas, electricity and water

Weaknesses

• A Trustpilot rating of 3.7 out of 5 from 7,485 reviews, with 25% one-star, and 43rd of 43 in Trustpilot's energy supplier category as of September 2026

• Reviews describe long phone waits, disputed bills and problems after closing an account

• Ranked 10th of 16 in the Citizens Advice non-domestic table

Customer Service Scorecard

In our experience, billing accuracy after a switch is the issue worth weighing most heavily. When we speak to business owners who've had a poor run with a supplier, disputed balances and slow answers come up far more often than the unit rate. Trustpilot notes that Yu invites customers to review, while Crown had no recent history of doing so, so read the latest month of reviews for both before you sign.

How Do Smart Meters and Tech Compare?

Crown Technology Solutions

• Automated meter reading (AMR) installation arranged through your welcome pack

• My Account portal with monthly and annual usage, invoices and documents

• In-house siteworks for new meters, service alterations, disconnections, EV charging and solar installation

Ideal For:

• Businesses that want meter and connection work handled by the supplier's own team

Yu Technology Solutions

• Free SMETS2 smart meter installation for eligible small businesses through its own installer, Yü Smart

• Yü Analytics and a free Energy Health Check, which benchmark your usage against similar businesses

• EV charge point installation

Ideal For:

• Businesses that want usage benchmarking alongside a multi-utility contract

Technology Comparison

Winner: Draw. Crown for connection and siteworks, Yu for analytics and benchmarking. When we looked into Yu's smart meter terms, the £120 (inc VAT) monthly Smart Default Charge is the detail to act on early.

Business Energy Charges

Additional fees can apply with both suppliers, and Yu publishes far more of them.

Common Charges

Key Consideration

Avoid rolling onto out-of-contract or deemed rates, whichever supplier you choose. Crown's own rate sheet says its out-of-contract rates apply until you sign a new contract or switch. It's worth noting that a non-micro business with Yu can face 12 months on Extended Supply Period rates if it misses the 30-day written notice window.

Pros and Cons of Crown

Advantages

Top Citizens Advice Ranking
1st of 16 in the latest non-domestic complaints table, with a score of 0.0 for April to June 2026.

Strong Independent Reviews
4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 226 reviews, with 93% five-star.

Fully Renewable Reported Mix
100% renewable electricity in its 2025/26 disclosure, plus a biomethane range.

Long Fixed Terms
Contracts of 12 to 60 months.

Lower Published Default Rates
Out-of-contract rates were well below Yu's Freedom rates on the sheets we checked.

Disadvantages

No Instant Online Quote
An account manager contacts you to finalise the contract.

No Water or Prepay
No retail water supply, and no prepayment product published.

Smaller Review Base
226 Trustpilot reviews, so scores move more with each new review.

Green Claims Need Confirming
Its SME page and fuel mix disclosure describe renewable supply differently.

Pros and Cons of Yu

Advantages

Multi-Utility Supply
Gas, electricity and water on one contract, with a Multi-Fuel discount.

Broad Product Range
Prepay, multi-site, half-hourly and pass-through plans.

Instant Online Quotes
Available for smaller electricity users.

Listed Parent Company
Yü Group plc has been listed on AIM since March 2016.

Disadvantages

Higher Standing Charge
An average of 342.7p a day in our January 2026 data.

Weaker Service Record
3.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot and 10th of 16 in the Citizens Advice table.

Expensive Default Rates
Freedom electricity was 63.98p per kWh in August 2026.

Stricter End-of-Contract Rules
Non-micro businesses can face a 12-month Extended Supply Period.

Low Renewable Share by Default
Standard products were 0.3% renewable in 2024/25.

Which Supplier is Better for Which Business Types?

Crown vs Yu: Side-by-Side

Key Questions to Ask Before Deciding

Before signing a business energy contract, compare:

1. Does the supplier serve your business size?

2. What is the standing charge, and how does it affect your total annual cost?

3. Is the price fully fixed, or can charges like TNUoS change during the contract?

4. Is renewable electricity included, and which technologies back it?

5. What is the exit fee, and how is it calculated?

6. What happens at contract end, and what rate will you move onto?

7. How long will smart meter installation take, and what happens if you don't book it?

8. Is there any commission built into your rates if you use a broker?

9. Will your complaint go through the Energy Ombudsman?

10. What do the last 30 days of independent reviews say?

Crown vs Yu FAQs

Is Crown or Yu cheaper for business energy?

Neither is cheaper across the board. Both price each fixed contract by postcode, usage, meter type, contract length and credit profile, and neither publishes fixed rates. Yu's standing charge is high, so it tends to suit higher-usage sites. The only reliable comparison is live quotes for your own site.

Does Crown supply electricity as well as gas?

Yes. Crown started as a gas supplier and now offers fixed electricity contracts for half-hourly and non-half-hourly meters, including optional REGO-backed renewable supply.

Does Yu supply business water?

Yes. Yu supplies business water alongside gas and electricity, and bundling two or more utilities qualifies for its Multi-Fuel discount. Crown's site lists water connections, not retail water supply.

Which has better customer service, Crown or Yu?

Crown, on both independent measures we checked. It has a 4.9 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and ranked 1st in the Citizens Advice non-domestic table, while Yu has 3.7 out of 5 and ranked 10th.

Do Crown and Yu charge exit fees?

Yu does on fixed contracts, with a £420 (inc VAT) Micro Termination Fee, and none on Freedom. We couldn't find a published exit-fee formula for Crown. Ask either supplier for the exact early exit terms in writing before you sign.

What happens when my Crown or Yu contract ends?

Crown moves you onto out-of-contract rates, which reset monthly, until you sign or switch. Yu moves micro businesses onto Freedom rates, and non-micro businesses that haven't given 30 days' written notice can move onto a 12-month Extended Supply Period.

Is Crown's electricity 100% renewable?

Yes. Its 2025/26 fuel mix disclosure says so, reporting 100% renewable electricity from wind. Its SME page describes renewable contracts as optional, so confirm in writing what backs your contract.

Can big companies use Crown or Yu?

Yes, both. Crown's SME contracts cover up to 500,000 kWh a year, and it quotes bespoke above that. Yu's SME plans cover the same range, with half-hourly and pass-through plans above it.

Alternatives to Crown and Yu

• If you want to see how Crown compares with a digital-first supplier, our Octopus vs Crown comparison covers that trade-off.

• If you want more detail on Yu before comparing, read our Yu Energy review.

• If you're weighing Yu against a smaller specialist, our Valda vs Yu comparison looks at two independents built around small businesses.

Verdict: Crown or Yu?

Choose Crown if you want:

• The strongest independent service record of the two

• A fixed term of up to 60 months

• A fully renewable reported electricity mix and a graduated biomethane range

• Lower published out-of-contract rates as a safety net

Choose Yu if you want:

• Gas, electricity and water on one contract

• Multi-site, half-hourly or pass-through plans

• An instant online quote for smaller electricity users

• A listed parent company behind your supplier

For most businesses using up to 500,000 kWh a year, Crown is the more rounded choice. It has a better complaints record, a cleaner reported fuel mix and gentler default rates. Yu's case rests on product breadth and multi-utility supply, and it's a stronger fit for larger and multi-site users than for a low-usage shop or office.

When we speak to business owners weighing these two up, the decision usually comes down to fuel type and size first, and service second. Our advice is to get a live quote from each, compare the total annual cost rather than the unit rate, and diary your contract end date on the day you sign. Our business energy comparison tool can help you set either quote against the wider market.