In a surprise announcement, Ofgem has revealed that nPower met it’s first set of targets in August and as a result will be allowed to continue with its outbound telephone sales activity. As recently as June Ofgem had said: “Failure to meet monthly targets will result in nPower ceasing all proactive telesales to […]
Al Gore Invests in OVO Energy
Ovo Energy, fresh from its bizarre battle with UK energy regulator Ofgem has proven it has friends in high places after all after it was revealed that former US vice president and climate change campaigner Al Gore invested £8m in the business run by Stephen Fitzpatrick in January this year. The mezzanine finance deal made […]
Jail Time Beckons for Energy Market Fixers
Under new laws first proposed last October by Ed Davey Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change it will soon be a criminal offence to fix the price of energy at an artificial level or to use insider information to buy or sell energy on the wholesale market. In addition it would be an […]
The UK Energy Market, a Year in Words, from Miliband to CMA
12 months ago… It’s 24th September 2013 and Ed Miliband, leader of the Opposition Labour party is addressing his Brighton party conference; he announces his intention to invoke a “20 month freeze on household energy bills” if his party triumphs in the 2015 General Election. Cue some memorable and polarised quotes, a history making investigation […]
Labour Calls for Tougher Fracking Measures
With support for fracking falling once again the labour party are calling for tougher measures on controlling excessive shale gas drilling activity in tabling a series of amendments to the controversial infrastructure bill. According to the latest public opinion tracker from DECC support for fracking has dropped to just 24% (level with positive support) with […]
Electricity Costs the Biggest Concern for Small Business
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. […]