How energy brokers find new restaurant and pub customers before they open

A new restaurant needs an energy contract before it trades, and most new owners don't know it. When a business moves into premises without agreeing a contract, it is put on a deemed contract automatically, and Ofgem says deemed rates "are usually higher than negotiated contract rates". The best time for a broker to call is between the owner taking on the site and the first month of trading. This guide covers how to find those sites and how to approach them.

When the decision gets made

Registration falls in the middle of this window, which is what makes the council register useful.

Who you're talking to

Many new independent venues are run by sole traders or partnerships, not companies. OpenSoon shows which is which, and that matters for three reasons:

• Channels. Under PECR, you can't send marketing emails or texts to sole traders or partnerships (other than Scottish partnerships and LLPs) without their consent. Limited companies are different: you can email them, as long as you say who you are and give a way to opt out. Post and visits are open for everyone.
• Credit. A sole trader with no trading history and a brand-new company look alike to a supplier's credit check. Set expectations about deposits early.
• The decision-maker. In an independent, the owner decides, usually alone and usually on site during the fit-out.

Where new sites show up

• The council food register. This is the first public record of almost every new venue, at least 28 days before it trades. It isn't a list of what's new, though: it's split across more than 350 councils and mixes restaurants with childminders and care homes. Our guide on finding newly opened restaurants explains why it's hard to use directly.
• Companies House. New companies appear here, but most independents are sole traders, and the address is usually an accountant's, not the site.
• Licensing notices. In England and Wales, a new premises licence application must be advertised. It only catches venues that serve alcohol, and each council publishes separately.
• "Coming soon" and "To let" boards. Walking a high street works for one dense patch, not a whole region.

What OpenSoon gives you

OpenSoon checks every UK council register daily and sends a list every Monday of venues that have registered, opened or closed that week. For brokers, the useful fields are the company and its incorporation date where we match one, the stage (registered, open), any earlier food business at the same address, and the address for post or a visit. See what the file contains for energy brokers.

How to approach a new venue

By post works for every legal form and arrives during the fit-out. Address it to the owner of the trading name, at the venue's address:

Congratulations on your new [type of venue] at [street]. When a business moves into premises without a contract, the supplier puts it on deemed rates, which Ofgem says are usually higher than contract rates. I can find out who supplies [street] now and get you three quotes before you open, at no cost to you; I'm paid by the supplier you choose. Call me on [number], or I'll drop by during the week of [date].

In person, during the fit-out, when the owner is on site. Bring the quote comparison, not a brochure.

By phone, once you have a number. Check it against both the TPS and the CTPS first.

By email, only to limited companies and LLPs, or to anyone who has given consent.

Say how you're paid. Most brokers are paid commission by the supplier, and Ofgem tells businesses to ask about it. Brokers paid by a supplier must belong to an approved redress scheme, so name yours.

Three mistakes

1. Pitching chains. Group venues usually buy energy centrally. If the file marks a site as a chain, skip it.
2. Waiting for the first inspection. By the time a hygiene rating is published, most venues have been trading for weeks and have signed something.
3. Assuming the landlord supplies it. Most restaurants and cafés have their own meters, but some shopping-centre units are supplied by the landlord. Ask before you quote.