1. What happened
Most businesses used a broker to arrange their gas or electricity contract. Many of those brokers were paid by adding a few pence to every unit of energy you used, without telling you. That uplift is the hidden commission.
It was often 1.5p to 3.5p per kWh. It sounds small. It is not: a business using 100,000 kWh a year with 2p hidden on the rate paid £2,000 a year in commission it never agreed to, every year of the contract.
Worked example
A restaurant using 120,000 kWh of electricity a year on a three-year contract. Hidden commission of 2.5p per kWh. That is £3,000 a year, £9,000 over the contract, paid to a broker the owner thought was free.
2. Why you may be able to claim it back
Where a broker was paid through your unit rate and that payment was not properly explained to you, the law may allow the business to recover it. Each case depends on what you were told and what the contract says.
In August 2025 the Supreme Court (Johnson v FirstRand) set out how courts look at undisclosed commission in motor finance. That case did not decide business energy claims. Since 1 October 2022, Ofgem rules have required suppliers to show smaller business customers the broker costs in their contract terms. That is why the review covers contracts signed before that date. More detail on how the commission worked.
3. Who qualifies
- A broker arranged the contract. If you went direct to the supplier, there is no broker commission to claim.
- The contract was signed before 1 October 2022. Older contracts can also be reviewed. Time limits may apply.
- It is business energy. Any business, from a corner shop to a factory. Bigger bills mean bigger claims. We focus on businesses spending £300 or more a month on energy.
Not sure? Use the calculator for a rough idea of what it could be worth, or read who can claim.
4. The timeline
From the moment you check, this is what happens and roughly when.
5. What it costs and what you could get
Nothing upfront. There is no fee to enquire, to sign a Letter of Authority or to have your case reviewed.
If a claim is taken on and succeeds, the solicitor takes a percentage of what is recovered and you keep the rest. The exact percentage is set out in the agreement you are shown before anything is pursued, so there are no surprises. There’s nothing to pay to enquire, sign a Letter of Authority or have your contracts checked.
How much you could get depends on your usage, the size of the hidden commission and how long the contract ran. The calculator gives a range; the review gives a real figure. Fees and outcomes in full.
6. What we will never do
- Contact your supplier without your written authority. Nothing is requested until you have signed a Letter of Authority.
- Share your documents beyond the solicitor. Your files are stored privately and used only for your case.
- Pressure you. You can stop at any point before the claim is pursued, and we will tell you plainly if we think there is no claim.
- Promise a result. Every case is reviewed individually. A review does not guarantee a claim or compensation.
