Sign Up
Log in

Energy Reset

Utility Week's latest campaign sets out a vision for reforming the energy retail market.

Editor's picks

Utility Week launches Energy Reset
Utility Week launches a new campaign aimed at ensuring the current focus on the energy retail market results in real reform, not more tinkering at the edges. Energy Reset seeks meaningful protection for consumers, an end to the damaging obsession with auto-switching and steps towards long-term relationships between retailers and their customers to drive forward the energy transition.
Analysis
Customers should get winter ‘break’ from levies on energy bills
The government should give energy customers a “break” by taking levies off their bills for the winter, the co-author of the 2019 Conservatives’ election-winning manifesto has said. Rachel Woolf told a fringe event at the Tory conference in Manchester on Tuesday (5 October) that temporary relief from policy costs could help households struggling to cope with rising prices.
News
Price cap predicted to rise to almost £1,660
Ofgem’s price cap on energy tariffs is on track to rise to £1,659 in April in next year due to continued increases in wholesale gas and electricity price, Cornwall Insight has predicted. This would represent an increase of £382 – or 35 per cent – on the current level of £1,227 which came into effect at the beginning of October.
News

Latest in Energy Reset

Profitability versus affordability – time for an energy reset
The UK energy industry has been going through one of the most tumultuous periods since privatisation. Shocking energy price rises compounded by a not-fit-for-purpose price cap, has forced 12 retail suppliers out of business in 2021 impacting more than 2.2 million households. Even the regulator Ofgem has said its time for a review.
Downloads
Daligas becomes 15th energy supplier to fail in 2021
Gas-only retailer, Daligas, has confirmed it is ceasing to trade, blaming “the unprecedented energy market conditions, the record high wholesale prices and the current energy cap". A total of almost 2.4 million customers have now seen their energy supplier exit the market in 2021.
News
Pure Planet ceases trading
The founders of Pure Planet have hit out at the government’s “illogical” failure to support the energy retail sector, as they confirmed the supplier was exiting the market. Andrew Ralston, Chris Alliott and Steven Day confirmed that BP, which owns 24 per cent of the company, had withdrawn its support because of the “increasing risks and large potential losses” faced. Ofgem also confirmed that Colorado Energy has ceased trading.
News
Penrose: We need to take a long, hard look at auto-switching
As part of the Energy Reset campaign, Utility Week speaks to the MP who spearheaded calls for an energy price cap. John Penrose discusses his vision for the cap, his fear of of losing the “dynamism” now inherent in the retail market, why green levies should be phased out "not moved around" and that the future of auto-switching needs “careful consideration” in the light of recent events.
Interviews
Call for temporary VAT cut to mitigate rising energy bills
The Energy and Utilities Alliance has implored the government to temporarily remove VAT on energy to provide relief to consumers facing soaring bills. The trade association for manufacturers of heating equipment acknowledged that it is not a “perfect solution” but said it is only way to head off a “catastrophe” this winter.
News
Time to reshape energy retail
As part of Utility Week’s Energy Reset campaign, Laura Sandys discusses how the current energy crisis can provide a “smouldering platform” for a root-and-branch review of the retail market. Here, she presents some key areas for reform and examines what lessons can be learnt from other industries.
Opinion
Suppliers block switches from Omni Energy
Two energy suppliers are understood to have blocked at least 1,600 switches from Omni Energy after the small supplier confirmed it was seeking to offload customers. Supplier licence conditions stipulate that retailers cannot switch consumers without their consent, unless the supplier sells some or all of its customer book to another as part of a trade sale.
News
SoLR process may leave some PPM customers without power
Prepayment meter (PPM) customers without a smart meter may be left without power following the supplier of last resort (SoLR) process due to compatibility issues, a charity has warned. Peter Smith, director of policy and advocacy at National Energy Action (NEA), was responding to concerns raised by PPM specialist Omni Energy about the impact of the SoLR process on PPM customers.
News
Customers in debt may face ‘unintended risks’ following SoLR process
A lack of regulatory clarity over how consumers in debt are treated when their supplier fails could lead them to face “unintended risks”, a former Labour shadow chancellor has warned. Chris Leslie, who is current chief executive of the Credit Services Association trade body, has written to Ofgem boss Jonathan Brearley calling on the regulator to issue guidance on how the administrators of failed suppliers should deal with customers in debt.
News
Omni Energy warns it is ‘highly likely’ to cease trading
Omni Energy has told its customers that without a significant change to the cost of wholesale energy or a government intervention, it is “highly likely to cease trading” before the end of November. The disruptor brand, which specialises in serving prepayment meter (PPM) customers, said in an email that it has lined up a “switching partner” that is ready to transfer them to another supplier.
News
Close
Clear
Close

Request a call back