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Ofgem has today announced the members of a newly-created independent body, the Enforcement Decision Panel (EDP).
The EDP will make decisions in contested enforcement cases on behalf of Ofgem. These decisions can involve imposing financial penalties on energy companies when they break regulatory rules.
The EDP’s chair has been named as senior competition lawyer John Swift.
David Gray, Ofgem chairman said: “Enforcement is central to Ofgem’s work in protecting consumers. We have a strong track record of dealing with enforcement cases.”
Ofgem has imposed more than £85m of penalties and redress since 2010 on energy companies.
“Our investigations help to secure robust decisions and act as a strong deterrent to prevent future poor behaviour,” added Gray.
The appointment of the EDP follows Ofgem’s recent review of how it conducts its enforcement activities.
Described as a “toothless tiger” by Labour last year, the watchdog intends to place a greater emphasis on deterrence when imposing penalties. Ofgem says this is likely to mean a substantial increase in fines for energy companies.
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