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Lower wholesale costs have seen a £17 reduction in both the default and pre-payment meter (PPM) caps, Ofgem has announced. The energy regulator has also provided a breakdown of how the cap is calculated.
4 years ago
The government has unveiled proposals to extend the powers of heat network developers, allowing them to carry out certain development and highways works. The publication of the consultation paper has been tied with the award of £40 million for seven heat networks
Utility Week policy correspondent, David Blackman, gives his weekly insight into what’s happening in the corridors of power.
Ofgem has announced it is minded to allow SSE to claim a last resort supply payment of up to £711,000 for costs incurred when it took on the customers of failed supplier Brilliant Energy. The claim is, among other things, to cover the cost of customer credit balances.
Utility Week magazine editor Suzanne Heneghan looks at what's in the in-tray for Ofgem's new chief executive and how his decarbonisation plan may be a signal of intent.
Scottish Water will move into a longer term regulatory cycle from 2021, with investment plans that will have a knock-on effect for bills. The company's 25-year strategic plan sets out its goals to achieve carbon neutrality, invest in its assets and safeguard resources against climate change.
Ofgem says it is pushing back a consultation on its plans to demand suppliers protect a minimum of 50 per cent of customer credit balances. Other measures as part of a wider supplier licensing review will go to consultation in the Spring as planned. One industry source described the review as a detailed way to "lock the regulatory stable door well after the irresponsible small supplier horse has bolted".
Citizens Advice has set out a number of options for a potential successor to the default price cap in energy. They include mass opt-out collective switching, the creation of a backstop supplier for disengaged customers and the implementation of a “price to beat”
The government is consulting on proposals to widen the scope for inclusion in the Capacity Market. The consultation comes as the latest Capacity Market auction cleared at £6.44 per kilowatt per year – the lowest price yet
Reports on the fall-out of the sacking of Claire Perry O’Neill as COP26 chair and government plans to accelerate the EV rollout featured in this weekend’s papers. There is also a profile of the local grid project while Scottish Water’s CEO gives his view on how the industry should respond to the challenges of climate change.
Failed energy suppliers left the market owing the Energy Ombudsman more than £1.6 million in 2019. A letter seen by Utility Week has confirmed plans to recover some of the costs through mutualisation.
Smart Metering Systems says the proposed introduction of compulsory annual installation targets for energy suppliers will help more “evenly spread” the smart meter rollout. In a trading update, the smart meter installer and manager revealed its portfolio grew by 44 per cent to 1.2 million during 2019.
Sarah McMath, CEO of non-domestic water market operator, MOSL, said she had strived to be” honest in my reflection of what is needed to make this market work for customers” and to tackle various legacy challenges within the £11.2 million budget programme for the year.
Ovo announced its dramatic ascension to the top tier of UK energy retailers with great fanfare - with promises to bring its disruptor values to the mainstream. However, a damning report by Ofgem this week shows the company struggled with the basics of communication and billing over a five-year period. James Wallin reflects on what this means for the company and the wider perception of the challenger brands.