Which? and the Federation of Small Businesses Unlikely bedfellows Richard Lloyd, Executive Director of Which? the consumer watchdog turned price comparison website and the Federation of Small Businesses, have called for the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the Big 6 energy companies to go ahead, claiming that 90% of consumers would support the move. […]
Lessons from the Budget: The Carbon Floor Price
The Coal Switching Price (CSP) and Carbon Price Floor (CPF) In George Osborne’s latest budget last week a key feature was his action on UK competitiveness by addressing the much-debated issue of the carbon floor price. In an attempt to stem one of the component drivers of the ever rising cost of electricity, Osborne announced […]
Big 6 vs. Competition and Markets Authority
An alternative to the big fight between Froch and Groves, but you can bet this one is going to go more than 12 rounds. Depending on to whom you talk to the UK energy market is either perfection personified or a corrupt cartel. We happen to believe neither is true. However, the government, regulator and […]
LNG: Yesterday’s Saviour, Today’s Problem
In a bleak outlook for UK energy self sufficiency and security, the Chief Executive of Centrica, owner of British Gas Business, Sam Laidlaw warned: “UK’s production of gas is falling rapidly. “North Sea oil and gas output has fallen by 38pc over the last three years. By 2020 we will be reliant on imports to […]
Laidlaw lays into Miliband
Sam Laidlaw, Chief Executive of Centrica, parent company of British Gas Business, has called for sanity in the increasingly tribal energy debate. Laidlaw said: “Political uncertainty is the enemy of investment. As a result, investment in new UK generating capacity has virtually ground to a halt “No country or company controls global events or markets, […]
How Russia and Ukraine Affect UK Gas Prices
What Russia’s latest excursion into the Ukraine means for the gas prices for UK businesses. The backdrop may be different, with a greater intensity and a potential war footing seemingly inevitable but the energy politics remain the same. Back in 2005 as Ukraine’s pro-western government continued to gain momentum, was the subject of a nigh […]
EDF’s New Start Product Review
Energy revolution for start-up businesses? Late last year EDF became the first supplier to launch a dedicated tariff for start-ups businesses, called New Start. EDF says it “offers the energy industry’s most flexible and simple agreement to help new businesses succeed”. All of us have at some time been a start up and we all […]
When Is Your Energy Contract End Date?
Do you know your current contract end date for your gas and electricity supplies for your business? If not, you could run the risk of ‘rollover’, which means your energy supplier automatically renews you into a fixed term contract that you must fulfil. At present, this is a perfectly legal and standard activity within the energy […]
How Much does Business Energy Have to Rise?
How much would business energy prices have to rise before you’d act? In our Business Energy Barometer survey, we asked business how much their energy prices would have to go up by before they’d take action to cut their bills back down to size. Encouragingly, 49% said that prices would have to go up by 10% or […]
The Future Of Energy Resourcing In The UK
Who really knows what The Future Of Energy Resourcing In The UK looks like? Answer: No one really. There are so many drivers within the energy industry that impact the future of energy resourcing, generation and transmission within the UK, not too mention the wealth of usually conflicting expert opinion, that it is very difficult […]