Just how important are energy consultants?
As the TELCA awards loom on the horizon and I get ready to put my judging hat on, it’s a timely question to ask – just how important are energy consultants? Given the ever-spiralling costs of energy, carbon and pass-through charges, I’d say the services of a good consultant are absolutely essential for everyone with ...
E.ON limits back-billing to a year for business customers
Energy supplier E.ON is scrapping back-dated bills longer than a year as part of some “major changes” to the way it deals with business customers which kick in this week. The firm has 670,000 SME customers in the UK and says it will also put contract end dates on bills to let them know exactly ...
SSE launches cheapest energy plan
The ‘Big Six’ suppliers in the UK are “fighting back” as SSE launched a new energy deal, believed to be the cheapest on the market. According to price comparison site uSwitch.com, SSE’s new ‘Discount Energy Bonus April 2015’ plan costs £1,134 a year, making it cheaper than First Utility’s ‘iSave v14’ at £1,150 a year. ...
SSE chief Ian Marchant stepping down
The outspoken head of Scottish energy supplier SSE, Ian Marchant is stepping down in the summer. SSE’s Deputy Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies will take his place on 1 July, the firm announced today, while Finance Director Gregor Alexander will work to support the role. It is ten years since Mr Marchant took the helm at ...
Energy giants rated worst for customer service
Small energy suppliers have come out on top again for customer satisfaction while the biggest energy companies have been rated the worst. That’s according to a new survey by consumer group Which? in their “biggest ever” energy company satisfaction survey, where more than 10,000 people were asked about their experiences with their suppliers. Green energy ...
Ofgem approves £38.2 billion spending on electricity and gas networks
17 December 2012 Ofgem approves £38.2 billion spending on electricity and gas networks Ofgem has approved £24.2 billion to upgrade and renew Britain’s electricity and gas networks over the next eight years, the regulator announced today. That represents a £7 billion cut to the network companies’ original spending plans. Of the allowance made under new ...
Two UK tidal schemes win European NER300 funds but CCS loses out
18 December 2012 Two UK tidal schemes win European NER300 funds but CCS loses out Two UK tidal power projects have been named among the 23 European renewables schemes to win a share of £1 billion (€1.2 billion) from the NER300 funding programme. Kyle Rhea, an 8MW array of tidal turbines between the Isle of ...
Scottish Government denies independence would damage electricity market
19 December 2012 Scottish Government denies independence would damage electricity market The Scottish Government has hit back at suggestions from Westminster that Scottish independence would damage the integrated single electricity market. The rest of the UK needs Scotland’s electricity to meet its renewables targets and meet demand, a spokeswoman said. She highlighted Ofgem’s prediction that ...
Npower fined over abandoned calls
6 December 2012 Npower fined over abandoned calls Npower has been fined £60,000 by Ofcom for breaching rules on abandoned calls. The energy supplier was found to have made 1,756 abandoned calls to UK consumers and played 1,906 messages containing marketing content during abandoned calls over a seven week period. The telecoms regulator said Npower ...
Government urged to form distributed generation plan to boost renewables
5 December 2012 Government urged to form distributed generation plan to boost renewables The government has been urged to establish a clear vision for distributed generation to help solve the UK’s energy trilemma of sustainability, affordability and security, and to increase the capacity of renewables. The call came from think-tank Carbon Connect in a report ...