What Boxfish does

Boxfish is a Glasgow-based utility and sustainability consultancy operating as Business Cost Consultants Limited (SC294893), serving UK SME, mid-market and corporate clients since 1995 with a 15-person team of consultants, account managers, billing analysts and sustainability specialists. The firm is positioned as an independent, impartial alternative to commission-embedded energy brokers, deriving its offering from three integrated pillars: utility management (invoice validation, supplier liaison, contract optimisation, query resolution), commercial energy procurement (gas, electricity and water tendering supported by daily market data analytics), and sustainability management (carbon reporting, net-zero strategy, ESG advisory). Under these pillars, Boxfish operates a deep legislative compliance practice covering ESOS Phase 4, SECR, UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS), CSRD and Climate Change Agreements, with the team including a designated ESOS Lead Assessor and the firm having completed more than 300 ESOS and SECR submissions across UK clients and tracked 154,825 tonnes of carbon saved.

Commercially, Boxfish runs a sales-led direct distribution model with no channel partners, using a low-friction no-obligation utility review as an entry point and converting clients to fixed-fee annual management subscriptions and project-based engagements billed upfront. All pricing is transparently published on the website, distinguishing the firm from commission-based brokers, and ancillary fees include procurement tender refreshes (up to £750) and debt recovery administration (£100 per reminder). Customer reach spans hospitality (Apex Hotels, McKever Hotels, Stobo Castle), housing associations (Caledonia, Grampian, Abertay), sports (Celtic FC, Rangers FC), manufacturing (McLaren Packaging, Ettrick Yarn Dyers), large corporates (Aegon UK, Trespass, The Ballymore Group, VPS Group) and charities (Alzheimer Scotland, Shelter, Cyrenians), with reference customers dating back to at least 2014 and loyalty periods exceeding a decade in several cases. The firm uses no proprietary technology platform, relying instead on industry-standard methodologies, internal CRM and externally sourced market data, and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom from its Glasgow headquarters at 1 West Regent Street.

Name

Boxfish

Legal name

Business Cost Consultants Limited

Website

https://weareboxfish.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boxfish is a Glasgow-based independent utility and sustainability consultancy serving UK SMEs and corporates with fixed-fee energy procurement, utility management, and legislative compliance services covering ESOS, SECR, UK SRS and CSRD.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Boxfish charges fixed fees for utility management, procurement, and sustainability consulting services. Their model is explicitly described as NOT commission-based, differentiating them from traditional energy brokers who embed commissions into tariffs. Fees are agreed upfront with full transparency. The company also charges for procurement tender refreshes (up to £750 per refresh) and debt recovery administration fees (£100 per reminder letter).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Boxfish is a UK-based utility and sustainability consultancy that delivers independent utility management, commercial energy procurement, sustainability strategy, and legislative compliance services (ESOS, SECR, UK SRS, CSRD, Climate Change Agreements) for SMEs and corporate clients. The firm reduces utility costs through expert procurement, manages day-to-day utility administration, and supports clients with carbon reporting and net-zero planning to ensure compliance with UK energy and sustainability regulations.

Product overview

Boxfish is a utility and sustainability consultancy offering a comprehensive suite of services focused on reducing costs, minimising carbon, and maximising sustainability for SME and corporate clients. The core offerings include Utility Management (back-office support, invoice validation, portfolio administration), Commercial Energy Procurement (independent procurement consulting), and Sustainability Management. These are supported by specialised Legislative Compliance services including ESOS, SECR, Carbon Baseline Reporting, UK SRS, CSRD, and Climate Change Agreements. The company also provides Net-Zero Strategy development, Utility Dispute Resolution, and sector-specific solutions across industries including hospitality, housing associations, manufacturing, and charities. Boxfish operates as a consultancy rather than a software platform, delivering services through expert human consultants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Utility Management

Quantifiable outcome

• 36% reduction in overall utility costs for Apex Hotels within months
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers51 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PrimeGlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoxfish is a PrimeGlobal Alliance Partner. PrimeGlobal is an international association of independent accounting and consulting firms. Through this partnership, Boxfish receives referrals for specialist energy compliance work from member firms and can provide specialist utility and sustainability expertise to PrimeGlobal's client base. The relationship enables Boxfish to support accounting firms' clients with ESOS, SECR, and other energy compliance matters.
• Business Energy ScotlandminorOthersBusiness Energy Scotland is referenced in Boxfish's website footer as a partner organisation, suggesting a referral or information-sharing relationship within the Scottish energy advisory ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SSE Energy Solutions: Business energy and sustainability services arm of SSE, providing procurement, energy management and net-zero advisory to UK corporates. Direct functional overlap with Boxfish on procurement and sustainability, but augmented by SSE's energy generation, supply and smart-grid capabilities.
• Engie UK: UK arm of global utility and energy services group, offering energy management, decarbonisation and energy supply to corporate clients. Comparable to Boxfish on energy procurement and sustainability consulting, but competes from a position of integrated energy supply, larger consultancy teams, and international footprint.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification firm with a sizeable UK sustainability and energy compliance practice (ESOS lead assessor support, SECR verification, CSRD assurance). Competes with Boxfish on regulated energy audits and reporting, particularly for enterprise and listed-company clients, but as part of a much wider TIC portfolio.
• Centrica Business Solutions: Energy services arm of British Gas parent Centrica, providing energy procurement, energy management, and decarbonisation services to large UK and European enterprises. Overlaps with Boxfish across procurement and energy management but operates at much greater scale, with bundled energy supply and technology offerings beyond Boxfish's advisory scope.

Emerging players

• Anthesis Group: Global sustainability consultancy providing carbon accounting, climate strategy and ESG advisory. Overlaps with Boxfish's SECR/ESOS/CSRD and net-zero strategy services, particularly for corporate and mid-market clients, but with international scope and a stronger software/digital tooling orientation.
• Pure Leapfrog: UK-based non-profit energy consultancy supporting third-sector and SME clients with energy efficiency, renewable energy and net-zero advisory. Functionally overlaps with Boxfish's sustainability and ESOS work for charities and housing associations, though positioned as a non-profit rather than a commercial consultancy.

Direct peers

• Utility Aid: UK utility broker and management consultancy specialising in the charity and not-for-profit sector. Overlaps directly with Boxfish on procurement, invoice validation and bill management, and shares the charity-segment focus (e.g., Alzheimer Scotland, Shelter, Cyrenians). Smaller and more niche but the most direct functional peer in Boxfish's third-sector practice.
• Carbon Trust: UK-based advisory body helping organisations reduce carbon emissions, with services spanning carbon baselining, SECR/ESOS support, and net-zero strategy. Direct overlap with Boxfish's sustainability management and legislative compliance offerings; differentiated by government-linked status and larger scale.
• Inspired Energy: One of the largest UK energy and utilities consultancies, providing independent procurement, energy management and carbon/sustainability advisory to corporate clients. Directly comparable to Boxfish across core service lines (procurement, compliance, net-zero strategy) and customer base (UK corporates and housing associations), but at materially greater scale.
• Smarter Business UK: Independent UK energy and utilities consultancy offering energy procurement, utility management and sustainability services to SMEs and corporates. Closely mirrors Boxfish's horizontal segmentation model, fixed-fee advisor approach and UK-wide focus, serving a near-identical customer profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/boxfishutilities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boxfish