A survey from Lloyds bank, part of the bailed out bank of RBS, has found that business confidence is at its highest level since 1994, a remarkable comeback from the recently passed recession. Whilst confidence rose across all regions there were some regional divergences, confidence was: Highest in the South West Followed by the North […]
The Fine Times Table
In the second part 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. British Gas are the latest supplier to be fined by Ofgem for misdemeanors […]
Labour Acknowledge Economic Contribution
Since the demise of the New Labour project, ‘business’ has been a dirty word in the Labour movement but now Labour under ‘Red’ Ed Miliband and Ed “not my fault guv” Balls have realized that business plays an important part in the UK economy. Fresh from calling big companies ‘predators’ and demanding state intervention in […]
CVs: What Every Employer Should Know
Lies, deceit and the CV In a startling ruling, the Supreme Court has ruled that it is a breach of human rights for a convicted criminal to have to disclose their past convictions and cautions in any job application. The case that was referred was a relatively petty crime of an individual stealing a pushbike […]
What does the Labour ‘price freeze’ mean for my contract?
In the latest in our series of questions to the boss, we focus on the commonly asked question of: “What does the Labour ‘price freeze’ mean for my contract?” Business Juice: Simply put, in my opinion, it means and will mean nothing at all for a business energy contract. Indeed it’s extremely doubtful whether it […]
British Gas & Sainsbury’s Energy Guilty of Mis-Selling
Another day, another case of energy supplier mis-selling… This time however it is one of the great white knights of recent entrants that has fallen foul of the rules. In recent years, a number of household name businesses have taken the opportunity to exploit their existing customer bases to diversify into the energy supply arena. […]
BBC Watchdog Ann Robinson Discusses Ofgem
Car crash television at its best… BBC Watchdog clearly saved the best until last, in the last episode of the series the host, Ann Robinson questioned “What is the point of Ofgem?” Judging by the performances put in by uSwitch Director Ann Robinson (no relation) and Ofgem’s Dermot Nolan, clearly the energy industry doesn’t do […]
Centrica Partners Qatargas and Petroleum
British Qatari Gas Business They may not be able to host a summer World Cup but the Qataris sure can do energy. As the purveyor of an energy driven economy, Qatar have taken a key role in LNG and now ship their production to all corners of the globe and are becoming increasingly important players […]
MRASCO Fiasco
MRASCO the guardians of the Master Registration Agreement (MRA), the document that governs the rules that enshrine a customer’s ability to transfer energy supplier, have ‘agreed’ with suppliers to severely limit the efficiency of the business energy market. That is the implication of a ruling made by the MRASCO Development Board in response to a […]
Ofgem’s Micro Business Folly
In the latest anomaly of their own making, Ofgem are in the process are redefining a definition that they redefined after defining it in the first place with a defined intent to provide a two-tier level of standards in energy procurement and supply for businesses of varying sizes. Rather than just enshrining a single standard […]