Ofgem names suppliers who failed to make RO payments

Ofgem has released the names of all suppliers who failed to pay their renewables obligation (RO) by the 31 October late payment deadline along with details of the amounts each company owes.

The regulator said it has today (30 November) redistributed the late payment fund of £44,571,252 to suppliers who presented Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) this year.

Suppliers received £5.42 per ROC presented after the redistribution of the buy-out fund.

From the redistribution of the late payment fund, they have received an extra 43p per ROC. This means that the final recycle value for 2017-18 is £5.85.

In total 34 suppliers failed to meet their obligation by the 1 September deadline.

Of those, 20 have fully discharged their obligation by the late payment deadline of 31 October.

The total shortfall as a result of the failure to pay was £58.6 million, distributed across the schemes:

RO: £53,415,375.40

RO Scotland (ROS): £4,418,135.49

Northern Ireland RO (NIRO): £816,702.44

The remaining 14 suppliers did not meet their obligation in full. These include:

Supplier Obligation Amount owed (inc. interest) as of 31 Oct
Ampoweruk Limited ROS £368.14
Brilliant Energy Supply Ltd RO £77,445.67
Click Energy NIRO £824,550.61
Economy Energy RO/ROS £15,650,999.63/ £1,413,304.97
Electraphase Ltd RO/ROS £192,907.48/ £6,764.65
Eversmart Energy Ltd RO £367,149.82
Extra Energy Supply Limited RO/ROS £14,281,485.35/ £1,367,215.64
Future Energy Utilities Ltd RO/ROS  £637,073.26/ £322.13
GEN4U Ltd RO/ROS £19,143.49/ £782.31
Iresa Limited RO/ROS £8,926,986.78/ £641,076.83
Planet 9 Energy Limited RO £1.18
Snowdrop Energy Supply Limited RO/ROS £162,627.63/ £736.29
Spark Energy Supply Limited RO/ROS £13,399,568.73/ £1,030,021.01
URE Energy Limited RO £209,013.78

 

As a relevant shortfall has been reached, mutualisation has been triggered for the first time ever for both RO and ROS.

In line with the RO orders, suppliers who discharged part of their obligation will be contacted to make quarterly payments to make up the shortfall, in proportion to their obligation.

Of the suppliers who still owe outstanding payments, Ofgem has commenced investigations into Economy Energy and Spark Energy, with the latter having ceased trading and subsequently acquired by Ovo Energy.

Two other non-compliant suppliers, URE Energy and Eversmart, have been ordered to deliver all outstanding payments by 31 March 2019 through monthly instalments.

If a supplier makes a payment after the late payment deadline, they will remain non-compliant and the mutualisation amount is based on the amount owing on 31 October 2018.

Since the announcement both Extra Energy and Spark Energy have ceased trading and had their licences revoked meaning the regulator is unable to pursue enforcement action against them.

Similarly, Future Energy Utilities, GEN4U and Iresa ceased trading earlier this year and have had their supply licences revoked during the obligation period.

Electraphase and Snowdrop are also in the process of exiting the market.

Ofgem says it will seek to recover outstanding payments through the organisations’ administrators where appropriate.

As Click Energy is a Northern Ireland supplier Ofgem has referred the case to The Utility Regulator, which is responsible for regulating the electricity, gas, water and sewerage industries in Northern Ireland.