The influence of the flexoelectric polarization on the nematic surface energy is analyzed. It is shown that if the dielectric constant of the substrate is lower than a critical value the undistorted orientation is no more the one corresponding to lowest energy. The presence of a conducting substrate is also considered. In this case it is shown that by changing the thickness of the dielectric material deposited over the conducting material, a surface order transition is expected. Furthermore, the influence of a finite anchoring energy between nematic and substrate on the critical value of the dielectric constant is discussed.