How to generate leads in the energy industry
By Qazi Shahroz
Last updated:
UK energy brokers and suppliers generate leads in five main ways: paid search, comparison-style landing pages, referrals, bought data with outbound calling, and buying ready-made enquiries. Each route trades money against time and control. This guide compares them fairly, including building your own campaigns and buying leads from a provider such as us.
Paid search
Paid search, mainly Google Ads, puts your advert in front of businesses typing phrases such as 'business energy quotes'. It is the most direct route to intent, because the business is searching for exactly what you sell.
The trade-off is cost and skill. Clicks in energy are competitive, so you need tight keyword lists, negative keywords to filter out households, conversion tracking and someone who checks the account every week. A campaign that runs unattended tends to drift towards broad, expensive searches.
You also need somewhere for the click to land. A generic home page rarely converts; a short landing page with a simple form usually does better. Budget for the time to build and test it, not just the ad spend.
Comparison-style landing pages
Many energy enquiries come through comparison-style pages: neutral sites that explain business energy and invite owners to request quotes. They suit brokers who want volume without leading with their own brand.
The page has to be honest about what happens next: that a broker will call with prices. It needs clear consent wording, a record of what each business agreed to, and a privacy notice that matches how you use the data. Getting this wrong costs more than the leads are worth.
Building your own comparison brand takes time to earn trust and search visibility. Organic rankings for energy terms take months, and paid traffic is needed in the meantime.
Referrals and partnerships
Referrals from accountants, landlords, trade bodies and existing clients usually convert best, because the business arrives with a recommendation. They are the cheapest leads you will get, but the hardest to scale.
Partnerships work when the partner sees regular, visible value: a commission share, a co-branded offer, or a service their own clients ask for. Track every referral source in your CRM so you know which partners are worth your time.
Bought data and outbound calling
Outbound teams call business data bought from list providers. It gives you control over volume, but contact rates are lower than with enquiries and the rules are strict.
Under PECR, live calls can't go to numbers on the TPS or CTPS without consent, or to businesses that have objected. Emails to corporate subscribers don't need consent, but you must identify yourself and offer an opt-out; sole traders and some partnerships need specific consent. Screen every list, honour every opt-out, and keep records.
Aged enquiries, older leads sold at a lower price, sit between data and live enquiries. They come from businesses that once asked for quotes, but they are not exclusive and other brokers may already have called.
Buying ready-made enquiries
Buying leads swaps campaign work for a price per lead. A provider runs the adverts and landing pages and sends you the enquiries; you focus on calling and closing.
Prices vary by bill size. Our own real-time leads start at £40 per lead, but compare any provider on the same three questions: how long is the lead exclusive, which fields are included, and what is replaced if a lead is faulty or never answers? Our paid real-time leads go to one client for 30 days, and then may be sold as aged leads.
Ask for a sample before you order, and remember a sample shows contact quality, not the bill band of a paid order.
Choosing the right mix
Most brokerages combine routes: bought or self-generated enquiries for steady volume, referrals for high-quality wins, and outbound only where the team has the capacity to do it properly.
Illustrative example: a two-person desk might buy a small batch of exclusive leads each week, ask every closed client for a referral, and keep an aged-lead list for quiet afternoons. Track cost per signed contract for each route, not cost per lead, and move budget towards what actually closes for your team.