Electricity retail

Ofgem suspends supplier charges due to coronavirus

Robin Hood Energy appoints advisors

Council-backed energy supplier Robin Hood Energy has appointed Deloitte to advise the company as part of a strategic review, Utility Week can reveal. The supplier, owned by Nottingham City Council, is the second such retailer to announce it has appointed advisors this week, with Bristol Energy bringing in Ernst and Young.

Ofgem warns of ‘bill shock’ on the horizon

Pure Planet: Perfect time for ‘dash to digital’

As an app-based supplier, Pure Planet is already well-versed in solving customer issues without the need for call centres. The retailer's three co-founders talk to Utility Week about how coronavirus is forcing other suppliers to follow their digital lead. They also share their thoughts on the need for flexibility from networks and how methods of expanding help to vulnerable customers are already staring the industry in the face.

Post-lockdown settlement arrangements approved

Eon and Npower business arms to merge

Eon UK is combining its business retail arm with Npower Business Solutions as part of the merger between the two energy giants. The move will create one of the UK’s largest business energy retailers, with both brands having around 57,000 I and C customers combined.

Suppliers warned of enforcement action over trade sales

Ofgem has written to suppliers outlining what it expects of them when they conduct trade sales, including the way they communicate with the regulator and customers. It has warned that it will consider enforcement action if its guidance is not followed.

Bristol Energy appoints advisors

Market-wide half-hourly settlement to benefit consumers by up to £4.6bn

Australian investment values Octopus Energy at £1bn

Octopus has been valued at £1 billion after a £300 million investment from Australian power supplier Origin Energy. Greg Jackson, Octopus' chief executive, tells Utility Week more about plans for the company to invest in a future energy research centre which will be used to conduct modelling with data collected from Octopus’ real-world tariffs and be made available for governments wishing to invest in green technologies.

Government ‘should subsidise business utilities costs for six months’

Yu Group chief executive Bobby Kalar believes business utility customers need more help from the government to recover following the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to Utility Week Kalar said unprecedented times called for corresponding measures to tackle the economic downturn.

Sharma pays tribute to utilities’ role in lockdown

Business secretary Alok Sharma has praised the utilities sector in what he described as an “unparalleled time” for the nation. Utility Week's Keeping Us Connected campaign will be used to urge the government to officially recognise the vital work the sector is doing during the pandemic.

EDF Energy to furlough around 400 field workers

Eon CEO calls for mechanism to address bad debt

Eon UK chief executive Michael Lewis tells Utility Week that energy retailers should look at how the water sector is dealing with bad debt during the coronavirus pandemic. He insists that if the situation escalates, the energy retail sector “should not have to bear the risk of the non-collection of costs that suppliers collect on behalf of other parts of the industry”.

Jackson: Sector failing to unite on vulnerability

Greg Jackson has expressed disappointment that large suppliers are resorting to “traditional energy industry infighting” instead of coming together to help the most vulnerable customers. The Octopus Energy chief executive said he had proposed a standardised form for assisting vulnerable customers but it had not been adopted by the wider sector.