Energy regulation · 4 min read

Ofgem TPI licensing:
what it means for
business energy buyers.

The commercial energy brokerage market is about to change. Ofgem has been consulting on mandatory TPI licensing — a shift from today's voluntary registration to a compulsory regime. Once it's in force, operating as a commercial energy intermediary without a licence won't be legal.

Why it matters

Voluntary registration has let a large number of unlicensed brokers operate with no obligation to follow the TPI Code, disclose fees, or offer an ADR route. Many run high-volume outbound dialling on business energy from call centres. Mandatory licensing will require all TPIs to meet defined standards before they can trade. Those that can't will leave the market.

What it means for businesses

The market will get smaller and, on balance, more trustworthy. The high-volume, low-disclosure cold-call brokers face a genuine barrier to entry. And the line between a regulated TPI and an unregulated one becomes legally enforceable, not merely advisory.

What it means for Telnergy

We've been Ofgem registered since 2002 and sit on the Ofgem TPI Working Group that fed into the consultation. We're DRO enrolled, Energy Institute affiliated, and ISO 50001 certified. We have nothing to fear from licensing — we're looking forward to the market it produces.

Already regulated, already compliant. If you choose BuyEnergyOnline.uk today, you're switching through a TPI that would already pass mandatory licensing requirements — and has the track record to prove it.
Switch through a registered TPI →

Published May 2026 · Telnergy Ltd · Ofgem registered TPI since 2002

Further reading

What is a TPI? → Why businesses overpay → About Telnergy →