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Octopus Energy has joined a mass Covid testing pilot which will allow its employees across the UK to test themselves and isolate if they are positive. The pilot uses a fast-turnaround lateral flow antigen test and began in the large supplier’s London office last week.
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Eon UK boss Michael Lewis has called for the sector to stamp out the drivers of poor behaviour after recent supplier failures left behind a £300 million "black hole of debt". Lewis was speaking in response to the news that more than £33 million is to be mutualised after suppliers failed to pay their renewables obligation (RO). It is the third year in a row that missed payments have been mutualised.
As chief executive of one of the market’s earliest disruptors, Doug Stewart has seen a lot of change since Green Energy UK came onto the scene in 2001. He talks to Utility Week about his concerns about mutualisation being triggered for the third year in a row in relation to suppliers not meeting their renewables obligations and his disdain at Ofgem’s rebranding of the big six to the "large seven".
A total of 10 energy suppliers owe more than £17.8 million in renewables obligation (RO) payments but will not be pursued by Ofgem because they have either ceased trading or gone into administration. The regulator has also revealed the total amount to be mutualised.
A majority of Unison members who were balloted on whether to accept Centrica’s revised proposals on contract terms and conditions have voted to accept the final offer. In an update Centrica said out of 7,000 front-line office employees, most of which are represented by Unison, 86 per cent voted to accept the final offer. Furthermore, it added, more than three quarters of Unison members voted in favour.
Ovo-backed power supplier Boost Energy took almost 41 minutes on average before answering calls to its customer service line, research by Which? has found. The consumer group's mystery shop investigation found British Gas in second last place, as it grappled to adapt to pandemic conditions. See the full table and reaction from companies featured.
After years of mergers, acquisitions and the strong growth of new entrants, Ofgem finally decided to ditch the term ‘big six’ in November, with suppliers now being ordered by size as small, medium and large. The retirement of the big six term – with all its accompanying baggage – has been long debated. But, with Bulb and Octopus now classed in the same category as British Gas, Adam John asks whether the moniker ‘challenger’ has also had its day.
Claims by energy suppliers regarding the environmental impact of their green tariffs should be audited, either independently or by Ofgem, Good Energy has recommended. The retailer’s proposals to tackle greenwashing have been backed by Ofgem’s former head of future consumers.
Customers of failed power supplier Yorkshire Energy have been transferred to Scottish Power, Ofgem has confirmed. The regulator also further revealed that it is minded to allow Scottish Power to claim a £10.6 million last resort supply payment after it took on the customers of Extra Energy in 2018. This is £3 million less than the supplier's original claim.
Wholesale electricity prices should be set locally instead of nationally, an influential right-of-centre thinktank has urged. The Policy Exchange has also called for reforms of both the Contracts for Difference and Capacity Market regimes.
Conor Maher-McWilliams, head of flexibility at Ovo’s smart technology arm Kaluza, discusses the company’s direct-to-car smart charging trial with Bosch, why some networks are easier to deal with than others, and how it is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to better understand flexibility in heating.
Yorkshire Energy has become the fourth power supplier to enter the supplier of last resort process this year. The retailer, also known as Daisy Energy, had also entered into level two credit default earlier this week.
Business utility provider Verastar Group has appointed a former TalkTalk and Virgin Media director as its new chief executive. Verastar, which achieved a turnover of £183 million in its last financial year, currently provides water to around 110,000 accounts and electricity and gas to 26,000 accounts.
A total of 15 energy retailers representing 70 per cent of the domestic market have voluntarily signed up to Energy UK’s new Vulnerability Commitment. Signatories of the commitment, designed to complement existing licence requirements, agree to adopt a “collaborative, proactive and transparent” approach that will improve both the quality of support provided by them and customer awareness that such support exists.
Ofgem is to extend protections for prepayment meter (PPM) customers who have had their meter installed under warrant, reflecting the extended smart meter rollout deadline.
