Gorilla launches pre-billing layer for energy retailers

Gorilla has launched a pre-billing calculation layer for complex industrial and commercial energy contracts, aimed at B2B energy retailers.

The Antwerp-based company said the software sits upstream of billing systems and automates contract logic often handled outside them. It is designed for calculations tied to blended rates, pass-through adjustments and Take-or-Pay clauses in industrial and commercial, or I&C, contracts.

Billing platforms in energy retail commonly handle simple rate and volume calculations, but more complex contract terms often require separate processes. In many cases, retailers rely on spreadsheets and scripts to rebuild the underlying logic for individual customers, slowing billing runs and making invoice disputes harder to investigate.

Gorilla's new layer is intended to address that gap by turning those calculations into a configured workflow before invoice creation. The billing system still issues the invoice, while the new software prepares the billable outputs and supporting calculation trail.

Contract logic

The software can calculate blended rates using trade data, residual volume handling and fees, and produce billable rates with itemised breakdowns. It can also process regulatory or industry updates by calculating deltas against published rates and changing only affected cost components.

A third use case covers Take-or-Pay arrangements, where customers commit to certain volumes and may face penalties or rewards depending on usage. Gorilla said the calculation layer applies threshold logic and creates an audit trail for those outcomes.

The launch reflects a persistent operational issue for B2B energy retailers, particularly those serving commercial and industrial customers across several markets. Product teams may be able to design more flexible tariff structures, but those structures can become difficult to bill accurately if the billing platform cannot directly support the contract terms.

That disconnect can create financial risk. When retailers reconstruct contract logic outside the main billing system, errors in data fields, cost pass-throughs or rate treatments can feed through into invoices and margins.

"In complex C&I portfolios, small errors - a pass-through applied inconsistently, a wrong meter attribute - can turn contracts loss-making. Gorilla's pre-billing calculation layer systemises the logic behind the invoice, so outputs are consistent, traceable and aligned to contracted intent, ultimately reducing margin leakage," said Ruben Van den Bossche, Chief Executive Officer at Gorilla.

Scaling issue

Gorilla said the software is intended to help retailers introduce new contract types and enter additional markets without expanding manual processes at the same rate. By configuring the billing logic once and reusing it across portfolios, retailers can avoid maintaining separate spreadsheet models for each market or customer segment.

The company also argued that a more structured calculation process should reduce disputes by giving retailers a clearer breakdown when customers challenge a bill. For energy suppliers, invoice accuracy is tied not only to cash collection but also to customer retention and regulatory scrutiny.

Gorilla operates in a market where retailers face pressure to manage thin margins while offering more tailored energy products to business customers. Complex energy procurement arrangements, regulatory changes and large-volume commitments can all alter the amount a customer should be charged, increasing the burden on billing and finance teams.

Its platform is used by retailers in the UK, Europe and Australia. Customers include EDF, ESB, Centrica, SEFE, Scottish Power, Shell Energy, Norlys and EnergyAustralia.

According to Gorilla, one customer had been running the same calculation processes for four countries through separate spreadsheets and scripts before moving to a more automated setup. The example illustrates how cross-border B2B energy retail can still depend on fragmented operational tools.

"One customer was running the same calculations for four countries across separate spreadsheets and scripts. Each run took most of a day, and any error meant starting again. We systemised the process, and they now process 1,000 connections in under a minute," said Joris Van Genechten, Vice President of Product & Engineering at Gorilla.