Energy retail

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Suppliers paid £348m through WHD last year

More than two million vulnerable customers received a rebate on the energy bills last winter under the Warm Home Discount. A record 19 suppliers participated in 2019/20 with the number up to 25 for this winter.

5 years ago

Partnerships can open doors closed to utilities

5 years ago

Hackers steal 400,000 energy customers’ data

5 years ago

Suppliers issued with warning over incorrect backbilling

Energy retailers have been issued a warning after various consumer bodies found a number of suppliers are incorrectly charging customers for unbilled usage beyond the 12-month cut off point.

5 years ago

Electricity switching down 6.5 per cent on 2019

5 years ago

Covid pushes 600,000 more energy customers into debt

There has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of people behind on their energy bills, with 600,000 more currently in debt to their supplier than February. Citizens Advice found that, as of September, 2.1 million energy customers were in arrears, with the average amount owed at £760 for electricity and £605 for gas. A quarter of all energy customers worry they will not be able to pay this winter.

5 years ago

Call waiting times rose following lockdown

Average call waiting times for energy retailers in the period after lockdown increased, with the worst performing supplier coming in at just under 12 minutes. New statistics also show suppliers took more than two working days to responded to a third of emails.

5 years ago

Ofgem backs fixed balancing charges on consumers

5 years ago

Auto-switching proposals could lead to ‘unintended consequences’

Proposals to reform roll-over tariff arrangements could have the unintended consequence of reducing engagement in the energy sector, a fuel poverty expert has warned. The Energy White Paper proposes customers who do not opt-out could be automatically switched to a new, cheaper contract instead of being rolled over onto a default tariff when their deal ends.

5 years ago

Weekend press round-up: White paper to propose automatic switching plan

In our latest review of sector coverage across the national newspapers, key policies from the Energy White Paper – predicted to be published today – are assessed. These include plans to automatically switch energy customers to a cheaper tariff at the end of their contract and progress on the Sizewell C project.

5 years ago

Octopus joins mass Covid testing pilot

5 years ago

Eon boss laments £300m ‘black hole’ left by failed suppliers

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.

5 years ago

Utility Week Awards finalists unveiled

5 years ago

Fixing a broken retail market

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".

5 years ago

Eon launches smart installation service to wider market

5 years ago

Ovo links smart meters and thermostats

5 years ago

Ofgem unable to pursue 10 failed suppliers owing £17.8m in RO

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.

5 years ago

Unison and Unite back Centrica’s revised contract proposals

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.

5 years ago

Ovo-backed supplier had 40 minutes average call waiting time

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.

5 years ago

A new challenge for the challengers

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.

5 years ago