Speaking at the Talk Power 2013 conference today, Rivaz said it is “vital” to have large-scale players with both retail and generation businesses because they can help design the whole system “with a view to the final customer.”
He added: “A world without companies working on both generation and customers is a fragmented world.
“Where each of the market players fights his corner with no one caring if the whole will add up for customers.
“A more complex and less simple world. As a result, a world of higher costs.”
Rivaz went on to say: “In fact, combining generation and supply helps so much to deliver the secure energy supplies that customers demand.
“It is good for our customers, good for UK plc, and good for us as a business.”
He then explained that half of the energy bill increases over the last decade has been due to increasing wholesale costs, money required to upgrade the transmission and distribution networks, and to fund government policies, such as fuel poverty and energy efficiency.