Some of this was unsurprising given the febrile atmosphere in the run-up to Saturday’s air strikes on suspected chemical weapons facilities in Syria. When the threat of World War III is the subject of uneasy jokes on panel shows, it’s a bit hard to focus on next year’s gas bill.
The lack of attention may also reflect the technical nature of the proposed remedies outlined in the green paper, except for the eye-catching “sector scorecard” that would enable customers to compare utility suppliers on issues such as consumer engagement and service quality as well as price.
From the perspective of energy companies though, the price cap legislation going through parliament is likely to be a bigger game changer than any of the measures outlined.
It may be telling that the prime minister wasn’t personally associated with last week’s launch, which was handled by business secretary Greg Clark. It looks like that initial heady commitment to restore power imbalances between business and consumers has dropped down the agenda.