Enosi unveils Rapid Start service for UK exempt supply

Enosi has launched a Rapid Start Exempt Supply Notification Agent (ESNA) service for the UK, giving energy suppliers a packaged route into licence-exempt supply arrangements for industrial and commercial customers under the updated exempt supply framework.

The service is built on Enosi's Powertracer software and is certified by Elexon, which oversees parts of the Balancing and Settlement Code. The launch comes as suppliers and corporate energy buyers look for lower-cost renewable electricity options outside standard wholesale purchasing.

UK households have seen bill relief linked to government interventions, but many businesses continue to face elevated electricity costs. Industrial and commercial buyers have also had fewer ways to buy power directly from smaller renewable generators than those available for large-scale generation.

Regulatory context

A key recent change is the P442 modification, ratified by Ofgem and Elexon. It formalises processes that allow certain direct trades between smaller generators and end users, provided they meet defined conditions for measurement and settlement.

Under the updated framework, small-scale renewable generators-including community solar projects and small wind schemes-can supply power directly to business customers through licence-exempt arrangements. The model sits alongside existing retail supply, with standard contracts used to balance volumes that do not match.

Exempt supply has existed in the UK for more than two decades, but uptake has been limited. Settlement requirements and manual processes increased cost and complexity, restricting use to narrow, bespoke cases.

What Rapid Start does

Rapid Start ESNA automates the operational steps required for exempt supply. It links time-stamped generation data with customer demand and produces settlement outputs consistent with Balancing and Settlement Code processes.

Powertracer supports many-to-many matching, allowing a portfolio of generators to be matched against a portfolio of business sites. This suits suppliers serving customers with multiple meters and multi-site operations.

The service also covers reporting and reconciliation, which are central to exempt supply arrangements that rely on accurate time matching. P442 includes a sub-5MW threshold for qualifying arrangements and measurement requirements designed to support auditable transactions.

Enosi positions the service as a way for suppliers to offer direct access to small-scale renewables while remaining compliant with settlement rules. It also says the structure can improve pricing by avoiding certain charges applied in traditional wholesale-based contracting.

"Energy for businesses has been largely overlooked by current policy settings-households are seeing bills lower, but businesses aren't. We developed Rapid Start ESNA precisely because recent regulatory changes, including Ofgem and Elexon's P442 ruling, enable a market-ready solution for a real need. As one of the first certified ESNAs, we're giving UK suppliers a practical, cost-effective way to contract cleaner, cheaper power from small generators matched to their business customer loads," said Steve Hoy, Enosi CEO.

Economics and settlement

Exempt supply arrangements can change the economics for both sides of a transaction. Enosi cites potential savings of up to £60/MWh when deals are structured to avoid certain market charges.

In that structure, generators can achieve a higher realised price than some options available to smaller projects, while business buyers can secure a lower delivered cost than standard tariffs. The pricing impact depends on customer load shape, generator output profile, metering, and the terms agreed between parties.

Settlement remains central. Exempt supply depends on accurate, time-matched records of when electricity is generated and consumed. Any unmatched volumes still flow through existing retail supply arrangements, with normal balancing and settlement processes applying to those residual volumes.

Powertracer automates matching and produces settlement outputs that integrate with Elexon systems. Enosi says this reduces the overhead that previously limited scaling, particularly for suppliers offering products across multiple generators and customer sites.

Supplier market

Enosi is targeting UK suppliers that serve industrial and commercial customers and want to add a structured option for local, small-scale renewable supply. The model may also appeal to suppliers seeking a clearer audit trail for customer claims about renewable sourcing, based on time-stamped matching records.

It highlighted suppliers it believes are well positioned to use this approach, from smaller challengers such as Ecotricity, Good Energy, Utilita Energy and AO Energy to larger participants including Drax Group and SSE.

Similar time-matched models operate in other markets, including Australia, Singapore and Italy, according to Enosi. It pointed to an example in Sydney where EG Funds used a Matched Energy Supply Agreement that time-matched solar output to building loads in 30-minute intervals, structured within a standard energy supply agreement.

"Exempt supply has been in the market for more than twenty years, and can now be automated under the Elexon P442 ruling. We're spearheading a certified SaaS product that can be easily adopted and meets a clear commercial need: better pricing, cleaner supply, matched to specific solar and wind generation sources," Hoy added.

Enosi expects broader use of exempt supply as suppliers integrate automated matching and settlement into mainstream industrial and commercial offerings.