There are two separate things happening in this area and they are routinely reported as one. Commission disclosure is already a licence obligation. Regulation of brokers themselves is a stated government intention that has not yet been legislated.
Verification
- Verified as at:
- Source:
- Ofgem Non-Domestic Market Review decision OFG1163, 5 April 2024; DESNZ, Regulating Third-Party Intermediaries in the Retail Energy Market, Government Response, 23 October 2025
- Last reviewed by:
- Omnium
Figures in this sheet were current at the verification date above. Regulated charges reset each April. If you are relying on a figure, check the source or ask us.
A4 board pack. Cover page, then a running head and foot on every page.
What is already required
Status: LawSince 1 October 2024, energy suppliers must disclose third party costs, meaning broker commission, to all non-domestic customers regardless of size. The disclosure sits inside the contractual principal terms and must also be given on request, expressed in pence per kWh.
This came in through modifications to the standard conditions of all gas and electricity supply licences, following Ofgem’s Non-Domestic Market Review. It previously applied to microbusinesses only.
The practical consequence is that the commission on your contract is available to you today. If you have not seen it, ask your supplier.
What is intended, and is not yet law
Status: ProposedThe government confirmed on 23 October 2025 its intention that Ofgem should regulate third party intermediaries, under a hybrid authorisation model requiring registration and fit and proper person criteria.
The scope is activity-based rather than firm-based: arranging energy supply contracts. Brokers, sub-brokers, aggregators, price comparison websites, auto-switchers, bill splitters and resellers are within it. It is not yet in force and requires legislation.
On the sunrise period
Status: ProposedA transitional period of twelve to eighteen months has been indicated for firms already trading, after which a firm without Ofgem authorisation would have to stop arranging energy contracts.
No end date can be quoted. The clock does not start until legislation passes and Ofgem has built the registration process, neither of which has happened. Anyone quoting you a deadline for this is quoting one that does not exist yet.
Why any of this matters to a customer
The case for regulation rests on findings about how the market currently behaves, drawn from the Energy Ombudsman and cited in the government response: a large majority of complaints about intermediaries relate to sales conduct, and fewer than one in ten intermediaries correctly signpost customers to dispute resolution.
The same response records that most GB businesses are satisfied with the service they receive from intermediaries. Both things are true. A market can work adequately for most customers and still fail badly for a minority, and regulation is usually aimed at the second group.
Where we stand
We show commission on the rate, line by line, on every contract we place. We hold a Level 1 Letter of Authority only, so the client signs every contract. We are registered for alternative dispute resolution and we signpost it.
None of that is a boast about the future regime. It is what we do now, and it is checkable on any contract we have placed.
Related sheets
- Contract types, and how a fixed rate is built
The four business contract types, how a supplier assembles a fixed price, and why the wholesale market is no longer the larger part of an electricity rate.
- Deemed and out of contract rates
What deemed, out of contract and rollover rates are, why they cost more than a contracted supply, and the discipline that keeps a business off them.
- Reading your energy bill
What every line on a commercial gas and electricity bill means, so you can check it is right and see which parts you can influence.
Take this sheet into a meeting
Regulation of energy brokers and consultants exports as an A4 board pack: a cover page carrying the title and the verification date, then the sheet itself with a running head and foot on every page.
If this sheet raises a question about your own sites, speak to us.