It has been appointed administrator for the entire US energy group and total fees are expected to amount to about UKpound 100 million.

Enron collapsed beneath $30 billion (UKpound 21 billion) of debts, and insolvency experts believe the administration will be one of the most profitable ever recorded. Enron Direct is one of the simplest of its parent's offshoots and the business was sold within days of PwC's appointment.

The firm moved into the company on 29 November and the sale of its electricity and gas operations was arranged by 4 December.

Fees of UKpound 302,000 have already been paid to lawyers and the UKpound 5 million charge for overseeing the company will be shared among PwC and its various advisers.

Creditors of ED are owed up to UKpound 170 million and could receive half to three-quarters of their money back, following the sale of the business to Centrica for UKpound 95.2 million.

Enron Direct sold energy to businesses around the country, mainly through commission agents.

-- by Joanne Hart