Farms are among millions of businesses that lawyers say have, on average, had their gas and electricity bills falsely inflated by around 10 percent.
Energy firms had secretly added third party broker commissions to customers’ bills, according to law firm Harcus Parker.
Thousands of energy bills have been reviewed as the it progresses its group legal action to recoup up to £2 billion of undisclosed broker fees for businesses across the UK, including farms.
So far, Harcus Parker is representing ten farms but believes there are thousands more who could join. It said some claims for farms would go back ten years in total.
Millions of non-domestic energy customers had their bills inflated for more than a decade when the unit cost of their gas and electricity supply was increased to pay secret third-party broker commissions.
Harcus Parker said its research revealed that energy companies, on average, added a cost of 1.7p to each unit of gas and electricity to pay brokers’ commissions.
The law firm said this additional amount was frequently paid during a time when the cost of energy was only 10p per kWh, or even less.
It found some brokers were allowed by suppliers to add as much as 6p per kWh.
Harcus Parker has so far signed up more than 6,500 businesses and organisations to the claim, with "numbers growing every day".
The company said: "When you hear the energy companies have added 1.7p per unit in third party broker costs it doesn’t sound much.
"But if you’re only paying 10p per unit in total for your energy that’s a hefty percentage. On average, it works out at about ten per cent."
Harcus Parker has urged more farmers to join the actions, with the firm "convinced thousands more must be eligible".
"We’re well aware of the increasing costs that have been faced by farmers and in a time of uncertainty we hope to be able to help them recoup significant sums.
"The claims are fully funded and insured and, as a result, we are able to act for clients who ordinarily would not have the resources to access justice in a claim of this kind, on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis."
