01342 332057
info@utilityweek.co.uk
EDF has acquired the more than 190,000 customer accounts of iSupply Energy from the Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall. It means Vattenfall will now exit the UK retail market and that the 250 iSupply employees are at risk of redundancy.
5 years ago
Mark Sussex, head of international, illion Digital Tech Solutions, discusses how smaller suppliers can differentiate themselves through the way they handle customers experiencing payment difficulties. Sussex argues that harnessing technology to assess affordability is key.
Ofgem has confirmed the opening of a compliance case into Scottish Power’s complaints procedures and has warned the company could face enforcement action if it does not improve. The regulator added that it has been “increasingly concerned” about the volume of Scottish Power’s referrals to consumer bodies.
Ofgem’s new chief executive Jonathan Brearley is planning a restructure of the regulator, Utility Week understands. An Ofgem spokesperson confirmed rumours that a reshuffle was being looked at. Details are not yet clear but it is thought Brearley will aim for a new structure designed to deliver his decarbonisation plan. Meanwhile, chairman Martin Cave revealed that a data specialist is set to join the board imminently.
Tonik Energy will use an additional £11 million investment from Japanese firm Mitsui to fund renewable energy technology including EV chargers. This is the second investment from the Tokyo-based firm, which invested £10.3 million in early 2019.
Regulation is needed for third-party intermediaries (TPIs), such as autoswitching services, Citizens Advice has claimed. A report from the charity has found fewer than 15 out of around 70 energy suppliers are being offered by some autoswitching services claiming to cover the entire market.
Our latest summary from the national papers includes a report accusing Scottish Power of "cruel harassment" after a number of non-customers claimed they were billed for large debts by the energy supplier. Also in Scotland, calls have been made for an inquiry into the collapse of an energy company backed by the Scottish government. Meanwhile Anglian Water co-owner First State Investments wants to buy the UK arm of an energy company that converts waste into power, according to City sources.
New software technology promises to bring clarity and simplicity to what can be a minefield of regulatory compliance rules.
A “social discount” or tariff should be introduced for vulnerable energy customers to improve affordability of bills for the lowest income households. A new report from charity Christians Against Poverty found more than half of pre-payment meter customers it helps show signs of self-disconnection, prompting calls for a number of recommendations to help the vulnerable.
Ofgem director Neil Barnes sets out the regulator's vision for achieving net zero at the lowest cost. This includes the priority to accelerate innovation and create products and services that help consumers support decarbonisation through their energy use.
Centrica-owned British Gas installed the 4 millionth second-generation smart meter (SMETS2) in Kent. Last month a record 138 million messages were sent between SMETS2 meters.
Four out of the five participants in a hybrid heating trial conducted by the Energy Systems Catapult have expressed willingness to remove their gas boiler and rely entirely on a heat pump if they could buy heat as a service. They said fixing the costs of their heating would give them the confidence to leave their heating on for the longer periods of time a heat pump would need to warm their home.
From auto-switching services to heat networks and electric vehicles (EVs), Matthew Vickers, chief executive at the Energy Ombudsman, highlights how the consumer relationship with energy and the energy market is changing. Vickers sets out his guiding principles to handling complaints following a merger or acquisition.
Portsmouth Council’s energy supplier will finally have its supply licences revoked more than a year since it was scrapped at a cost of at least £2.5 million.
