Reclaim

Our Team have recovered tens of millions of £s

Reclaim up to 4 years of overpayments and reduce future energy expenses.

Oak Advisory has extensive experience supporting care providers.

Over the past few years, we’ve helped numerous care homes recover overpaid VAT and reduce future energy expenses.

If your premises is a fully residential property, you may be entitled to a VAT reduction from 20% to 5% on your gas and electricity bills.

Many energy providers do not classify businesses correctly, which means:

You're likely paying 20% VAT instead of 5%

You're being charged a Climate Change Levy (CCL)—an extra fee of around 5%—which you may be exempt from.

You could be eligible to reclaim overpaid VAT and CCL going back up to 4 years

You could be paying more than you should

How does it work?

Free Energy Bill Audit

We review your past utility bills - ideally from the last 4 years - at no cost to you.

1

Reduce & Reclaim

We identify if you've been overpaying and calculate how much you're owed.

We also assist in updating your VAT classification code so you pay only 5% VAT going forward.

2

Recovery Process

We handle the recovery process.

Our team works directly with your suppliers to reclaim overpaid VAT and CCL charges.

3

No Win, No Fee

If we don’t recover any money, you owe us nothing.

Our fee is based on a percentage of the successful claim amount.

4

Fill out our form for a FREE Energy Audit

Who can qualify for CCL exemption & reduced VAT?

Unsure If You Qualify for the VAT Reduction?

This is a guidance list. If you’re unsure, our experts can help advise you.

    • Hospices

    • Patient and Family Support Charities

    • Children’s Charities

    • Elderly Care Charities

    • Disease & Disorder Charities

    • Medical Services & Treatment

    • Medical Research Charities

    • Carer Support Charities

    • Wildlife Conservation Organizations

    • Pet and Animal Welfare Organizations

    • Hunting & Fishing Conservation Groups

    • Zoos and Aquariums

    • Museums & Art Galleries

    • Historic Buildings

    • Performing Arts

    • Libraries & Historical Societies

    • Public Broadcasting and Media

    • Nurseries

    • Academies

    • Universities and Colleges

    • Environmental Conservation & Protection

    • Parks and Nature Centres

  • If you operate a sports or recreational group for your community and believe you might be eligible for a VAT reduction, but your organization type is not listed below, please contact us directly.

    • Sports Clubs

    • Community Fitness Centres

    • Arts & Crafts Clubs

    • Community Gyms

    • Women’s Institutes

    • Bowling Clubs

    • Drama Clubs

    • Freemasons

    • Singing & Choir Clubs

    • Scout & Girlguiding

  • If you run a community organization and think you may qualify but do not see your specific type listed below, please contact us directly.

    • Leisure Centres

    • Village Halls

    • Youth Clubs

    • Community Centres

    • Community Cooperatives

    • Free Schools or Academies

    • Libraries

    • Care Homes

    • Religious Groups

    • Student Accommodation

    • Community-Focused Groups

    • Monasteries/Nunneries

    • Churches (also free schools or academies)

    • Housing and Homeless Support

    • Other Non-profits

FAQs

  • Most businesses are charged the standard VAT rate of 20% on energy. However, if your organisation qualifies as charitable, residential, or non-profit, or if at least 60% of your energy use is for non-business purposes, you may be eligible for a reduced rate of 5% — or even exemption in some cases.

  • You may qualify for reduced VAT if:

    • You are a registered charity

    • You operate a care home, hospice, or residential accommodation

    • You provide student accommodation

    • At least 60% of your energy usage is for non-business or domestic purposes

  • It’s not always obvious. Many energy providers apply the standard 20% rate by default. We analyse your usage and billing structure to determine if your account has been misclassified and whether you're due a refund.

  • We really don’t need lots of information, we take up as little of your time as possible & do the leg work for you. What we will need is 4 years statements from your Gas & Electricity providers. From that, we can gather most of the information we need.

    We may need proof of charitable or residential status if applicable, and just a few contact detail questions.

  • You can typically reclaim overpaid VAT for up to 4 years from the date of the overpayment. Oak Advisory can assess this for you and manage the full reclaim process.

  • To get a refund from your energy provider, it can be as little as 12 working days. However, this is dependent on your provider, and their timeframes apply. Once we know who your provider is, we can give a more specific timeframe on this.

  • Not at all. VAT relief is based on your eligibility, not your supplier. We can help secure the reduced rate or exemption with your current provider.

  • The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a UK government environmental tax designed to encourage businesses to improve their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.  CCL is a tax added to the energy bills of businesses and public sector organisations in the UK. It applies to the supply of electricity, gas, and solid fuels (like coal) that are not for domestic or charitable use.

    It was introduced in 2001 as part of the UK’s strategy to combat climate change and reduce energy use in the commercial sector.

    However, charities and some residential uses (like care homes or student housing) may be partially or fully exempt from CCL, depending on their circumstances. As part of our reclaim process in regards to VAT reduction, we can also get you a refund for this.

  • At Oak Advisory, we:

    • Review your energy bills to identify if you’ve been overcharged CCL

    • Determine if you're eligible for relief

    • Handle the full reclaim process with suppliers and HMRC

    • Help you secure ongoing exemption if applicable

  • We work on a no win no fee basis. If no money is refunded to yourselves, we charge nothing.

    If your reclaim is successful, our fee is 25% +VAT.