12 questions to ask before choosing a business energy broker
Ask about commission, panel size, what the letter of authority permits, and who handles problems after the contract goes live. A broker worth using will answer all four without hesitating. The ones that matter most are questions 1, 3 and 11 — if you only ask three, ask those.
Last reviewed 2 September 2026 by Utilities Made Simple · independent, whole-of-market, supplier-paid — how we are paid
Energy brokers are not regulated the way financial advisers are. Most are straightforward; some are not; and the difference is usually visible in the first ten minutes if you ask the right things. Here is the list we would want a customer to put to us.
About money
1. How are you paid, and how much on my contract?
Almost every broker is paid a commission by the supplier, built into the unit rate. That is a normal model and there is nothing wrong with it. What matters is whether they will tell you the number. Ask for the commission in pence per kWh on the specific contract you are being offered. A broker who will not say is telling you something.
2. Is the commission the same whichever supplier I choose?
If a broker earns more from one supplier than another, that is a conflict. It does not automatically mean bad advice, but you are entitled to know it exists before you weigh the recommendation.
3. Will you put your fee in writing before I sign?
Yes or no. This one question filters more than the other eleven combined.
4. Do you charge me anything directly?
Some brokers charge a fee as well as taking commission. That is legitimate if disclosed and priced honestly. It is not legitimate if you find out afterwards.
About the market they can reach
5. How many suppliers do you have agreements with?
A panel of three or four is not a market. Ask how many suppliers they can actually place business with, and whether that includes the challengers and specialists as well as the majors — specialists often win on unusual load shapes and difficult credit.
6. Will you show me every quote you got, or only your recommendation?
You should see the field, not just the winner. Ask for the quotes in writing with rates, standing charges and contract lengths side by side.
7. Do you price gas, water and half-hourly supplies, or only standard electricity?
If they only do the easy meters, the difficult ones stay unpriced and unmanaged, which is usually where the money is.
About what you are signing
8. What exactly does your letter of authority allow you to do?
An LOA should let a broker obtain your data and prices. It should not let them agree a contract on your behalf without your explicit approval, and it should have an end date. Read it. See letters of authority explained.
9. Can I see the supplier contract, in full, before I agree it?
Not a summary, not a rate sheet — the contract. Business energy contracts have no cooling-off period, so the moment to read it is before, not after.
10. What happens if my usage changes materially during the term?
Fixed contracts have tolerance bands. Going well outside them can trigger reconciliation charges or a re-price. Ask what the bands are on the contract you are being offered.
About afterwards
11. Who do I call when there is a billing problem in eighteen months?
This is the question that separates brokers. Plenty will place a contract and vanish. Ask whether you get a named contact, whether they handle billing disputes, meter issues, VAT declarations and change of tenancy, and what that costs.
12. What is your complaints procedure, and can I go to the Energy Ombudsman?
Micro businesses can take a complaint about a broker to the Energy Ombudsman free of charge once it reaches deadlock. A broker should know that and tell you so without being pushed. See how do I complain about an energy broker?
Three answers that should end the conversation
- "We can't disclose commission, it's commercially confidential." You are the customer. It is your contract.
- "This price is only available today, I need a decision now." Prices genuinely do expire the same day — but a broker using that as pressure rather than explanation is selling, not advising.
- "Just sign the LOA and we'll handle everything." Handle what, exactly?
For what it is worth, our answers
The supplier pays us, the commission is included in the unit rates, we tell you how we are paid before you sign, and we will disclose the figure on your contract if you ask. We price across a 57-supplier panel including gas, water and half-hourly. Our letter of authority obtains data and prices and does not let us sign anything. And you get a named person for the life of the contract, not just the sale.
If your current broker's answers do not look like that, it is worth a conversation.
Not sure where you stand? Send us a bill.
Upload a recent bill and a specialist will check your rates, VAT, levies and contract end date against the live market — free, usually the same working day. Prefer email? Send it to info@utilitiesms.co.uk. If your deal is already good, we will tell you to keep it.