Adam John

Ombudsman to spread costs from failed retailers among suppliers

Failed energy suppliers left the market owing the Energy Ombudsman more than £1.6 million in 2019. A letter seen by Utility Week has confirmed plans to recover some of the costs through mutualisation.

Smart Metering Systems hits 1.2m installations

Smart Metering Systems says the proposed introduction of compulsory annual installation targets for energy suppliers will help more “evenly spread” the smart meter rollout. In a trading update, the smart meter installer and manager revealed its portfolio grew by 44 per cent to 1.2 million during 2019.

‘Reckless’ Ovo displayed ‘poor attitude’ towards regulation

A report by Ofgem has issued a damning verdict on challenger brand Ovo Energy. The firm was found to be in breach of 10 licence requirements concerning the way it had previously billed its customers. Adam John takes a closer look at what went wrong at the supplier, which has recently been allowed to take on 3.5 million customers from SSE Energy.

Energy UK announces new chief executive

Emma Pinchbeck will begin on a part-time basis in July before taking up the role on a full-time basis in September. She has been deputy chief executive of Renewable UK since 2016.

Utility Warehouse to pay £650,000 after customers overcharged

Utility Warehouse overcharged warm home discount customers above the correct level of the price cap. Ofgem said the supplier quickly 'self-reported' the issue.

Ofgem fines Ovo after thousands of customers incorrectly billed

Ovo Energy has agreed to pay almost £9 million into the regulator's voluntary redress fund after over legacy communications and billing issues.

Yu Group confident it has ‘weathered the storm’

Energy sector needs 400,000 recruits by 2050 to hit net-zero target

A new report from National Grid says that 117,000 more jobs are needed in the industry over the next decade alone. The report lists a number of workforce challenges including the “baby boomer retirement crunch” and competition from other sectors, with 40 per cent of physics graduates currently opting for careers in banking and finance.

Ovo Energy makes three senior appointments

Ovo has appointed a new chief operating officer, chief finance officer and chief people officer for its retail business. The company made the appointments following the completion of the £500 million deal to acquire SSE's retail arm.

Challenger brands dominate Which? annual satisfaction survey

Three brands were named as Which? recommended providers this year. More than 8,000 people were asked to rate their supplier on a number of criteria including value for money, customer service, bill accuracy and digital tools.