It’s finally here; the most eagerly anticipated Winter Outlook Report ever. Admittedly there is a short list of competition but there is no doubt that this latest report from National Grid – the owners of the main pipes and wires network that keeps the UK’s energy supply running – is a crucial one. With the […]
Ofgem Turn Market Forecaster, Badly
In a surprising prediction, “principles and not prescription” based regulator Ofgem have claimed, despite damning evidence to the contrary, that energy prices will fall in the future. The leftfield observation was made by Rachel Fletcher, Senior Partner at Ofgem who said: “There’s room for price cuts and you wouldn’t be expecting [energy] prices to go […]
Carbon Capture Storage Finally Arrives
Before the rise of fracking, and the renewed commitment to nuclear generation, the big white hope of the energy market was carbon capture and storage. For years it was rumoured as the next big thing, and now it is a reality. SaskPower the Canadian power company has opened the first large scale coal fired power […]
Fracking in the UK- Over Before it Started?
Oil prices are collapsing and in turn are pushing down linked commodity prices on the continent and prices at the pump closer to home but we’re unlikely to see short, medium or long-term downward pressure on energy prices in the UK. Not only do we in the UK not benefit from oil index linked gas […]
Cable Promises Small Business Lending Revolution
The much-vaunted proposal of Vince Cable, the Business Secretary in the coalition government to get the major banks to lend more to small business is faltering with no signs of life to suggest this is bedding in inertia. Cable explained: “The route of using big institutions as a lever didn’t work” and the government’s view […]
Virgin’s Holiday Revolution – Another Headache for SMEs
Every day is a holiday down Virgin way When is a policy not a policy? When it’s a Virgin non-policy. Sir Richard Branson has announced a small-scale experiment with his direct office of 170 personal staff in the UK and US (who manage his fortune) to take as much holiday as they like, when they […]
The Smart Meter Roll Out Debacle
2015 marks the planned commencement of the roll out of 53m smart meters to homes and businesses across the UK. Few of those in the know expect it to be a walk in the park, even fewer expects the 2020 final delivery date to be set in stone. These concerns have been exacerbated by the […]
Blackouts: Scottish Power vs. GDF Suez, a tale of two approaches
The last thing the UK energy market needs ahead of Winter 2014/15 is another disruption to the supply of energy. With the system under critical strain through the loss of the Heysham & Hartlepool nuclear reactors and the fires at Ferrybridge and Didcot gas stations more bad news has raised it head. This time it […]
Energy a Critical Issue
Siemens, the engineering conglomerate, has revealed in its latest business survey that fully 79% of the UK’s manufacturing sector report energy as a “business critical issue” with 65% of those surveyed confirming that they were taking measures to reduce costs by investing in embedded generation and energy management services over the next 12 months. Steve […]
Pressure grows on price comparison websites
The pressure is telling already. With a threat from Ed Davey, Secretary of State for energy and climate change, that a non-profit switching site was “actually something we’re looking at” business models across the UK are suddenly being defended, vehemently. On the eve of an election year and with a government desperately in need of […]