Since the Fukushima earthquake in 2011 Japan, a perennial energy exporter, mining and monetizing its abundant natural resources has experienced a fundamental change in its world energy status. In response to the earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear accident, 50 reactors were and continue to be shut down. Those 50 reactors across nine regionalized utility companies […]
Banks and Business Energy
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and hamburger fan, George Osborne has pushed the banking sector to accelerate their lending rate to SMEs. Only last week new lending figures were released that showed that in the first quarter of 2014 lending under the ‘Funding for Lending Scheme’ which was launched in July 2012 and designed to stimulate […]
Publish Tariffs to Help Business Energy, Say Small Businesses
Would published tariffs be of benefit to the business gas and electricity market? The Federation of Small Businesses, in their latest energy survey, put exactly this question to their members. 18% responded, a total of 1,434 small businesses, and their conclusions were a surprise, to us at least. Nearly half (49%) of businesses believe publishing tariffs […]
National Grid – Budgets & Blackouts
Against a backdrop of supply capacity becoming thinner, plants being mothballed as commercial terms prompt closure and government policies driving obsolescence in our energy network the virtues of the recent mild winter are clear for all to see. The bullet being dodged in winter 2013/14 does not mean complacency has set in however. National Grid, […]
Business Juice Introduce Energy Guides for Companies
Business Juice is a specialist energy broker, helping companies to save thousands of pounds on electricity and gas bills. Their comprehensive series of Energy Guides has been introduced to help companies understand the market and to demystify the process of switching gas and electricity. As a leading UK energy broker, Business Juice work closely with […]
Nuclear Industry Fall-Out
The nuclear industry has had a horrible few years, having to contend with the cooling of popular and political attitudes towards nuclear power that followed the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011. Since then, Germany decided to phase out nuclear power, Italy scrapped its planned nuclear programme and president François Hollande said he would reduce […]
Ofgem’s Non-DD Penalty Under Fire
Ofgem – making a positive difference for customers (as long as you pay by direct debit) Ofgem aren’t having an auspicious time at the moment, under fire for their proposal for a unilateral code in the business energy market that allows suppliers to continue to miss-sell, belatedly fining BGB £5.6m for repeated misdemeanours over half […]
Centrica Profit Warning and Price Freeze
Apocalypse on Planet Centrica Centrica, the owner of British Gas Business has announced a profit warning and a freezing of prices as they attempt to ‘shore up’ their business. In the light of a forecast downgrade statement from Moody’s (as we reported recently) Centrica has blamed the unseasonably mild winter for depressing usage as well as […]
FSB Survey Confirms Unfair Energy Market for Small Businesses
Latest FSB reveal survey results showing the shocking lack of interaction of their members with the energy market. The Federation of Small Businesses has published its latest energy survey from its ‘Voice of Small Business’ Panel. Despite 63% of those businesses that had switched found the process easy, and 61% said it had a positive […]
E.ON Fined for Mis-Selling Energy
E.ON are the latest supplier to be fined for mis-selling but Ofgem’s proposals for a universal code of conduct don’t cover suppliers’ sales interactions. Go figure. Ofgem have ordered E.ON to repay to its customers a total of £12m for those affected by their mis-selling activities. This represents the largest ever penalty imposed by the […]