An Open Invitation to Citizens Advice In a finding that will surprise precisely nobody Citizens Advice, which until April 2014 was Consumer Futures, and before that was Consumer Focus and before that Energywatch have taken time out of their busy rebranding schedule to update their understanding of the pressures that small businesses face. In a […]
Is CMA Energy Investigation ‘Independent’?
In the latest in our series of questions to the bosses, we look at a very topical question: “How independent will the CMA investigation into the energy market really be?” Business Juice: Firstly there is the prevalence of Big 6 energy company secondments into the regulator Ofgem. Secondly there is the right enshrined in the Memorandum […]
Fine Times Table #3
In the third instalment of our Fine Times Table series we again look at the energy market since our 2009 inception and more particularly the number of times, and amount, the Big 6 energy suppliers have been fined for various market misdemeanours. EDF Energy has become the latest supplier to be censured by Ofgem for misdemeanours in […]
Smart Meter Roll-Out – a Warning from History
In April 2009, the Government introduced a new licence condition requiring business energy suppliers to roll out advanced gas and electricity meters to larger business consumers by 6 April 2014. The energy suppliers provided final reports of their performance to Ofgem, the energy regulator, in May. As a precursor to the mandated roll out of […]
Winter Energy Shortage Fears Increase
In an announcement that will not surprise anyone with experience of the maintenance of nuclear generation facilities, EDF Energy have admitted that they will have to delay the full return of its Heysham-1 and Hartlepool nuclear power plants until December, and in doing so reducing the UK’s already tight supply margins for the coming winter. […]
Frack to the Future – A Brave New Scotland?
Fracking is the latest gambit being used by the Scottish Government, Alex Salmond and the Yes campaign to persuade Scotland that an independent future offers the best outcome of the referendum later this month, with the much maligned energy ‘holy grail’ becoming the nationalists new poster child. Following on from Sir Ian Wood’s attack on […]
Scottish Independence and Energy Bills
We’ve already talked in these pages about the thoughts of the business community on an independent Scotland but with the poll nearing and the result too close to call our attentions turn to the impact a yes vote could have on energy bills north of the border. This isn’t mere rhetoric, whatever Alex Salmond would […]
Wind Energy News: A Bad Week
In a bad news week for wind power claims of inefficiency and profligate costs of current wind energy policy have been laid bare, apparently further justifying the government’s anti onshore wind policy. In the first instance, Professor David Mackay the former Chief Scientific Advisor of DECC has presented evidence that a wind farm would require […]
Labour Promises a Fit for Purpose Energy Regulator
One thing that we have learnt since Red Ed’s appointment is that sensible energy policy and the Labour party don’t make regular bedfellows, however the opposition may be turning a corner. Labour has long promised a “new energy regulator”, we for one believe this cannot come soon enough given the utter disarray and disrepute that […]
SSEs National Network Energy Charging
As part of SSEs response to the CMA investigation into the UK energy markets, the Big 6 energy supplier has proposed a controversial solution to the regional differences between energy prices. A common misconception, peddled not least by the energy regulator Ofgem, is that the Big 6 energy suppliers who operate ‘in area’ in their […]