Calculator predicts impact of electric cars

Scientists have created a ‘calculator’ to predict the impact of electric carson the country’s power supplies. The experts at Northumbria University developed the ‘grid capacity calculator’with a formula to see how electric vehicles (EVs) will affect the national grid. It measures an area’s existing energy consumption and then works out the likely future effect of […]

Ken Livingstone proposes Energy Co-Op

London Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone wants to set up an Energy Co-Operative for the capital city, which he claims could save Londoners £120. His campaign literature claims the London Energy Purchasing Co-operative “will be able to purchase energy on the wholesale markets, giving Londoners a cheaper alternative to rip-off energy suppliers”. It would do this […]

Consumers want a call back from energy suppliers, says Ofgem

Energy suppliers fail to call back when resolving customer complaints, says Ofgem. In their research called ‘Customer Complaints Handling’, Ofgem found suppliers failed to notify about complaints being resolved and only a third received any communication of apology or compensation. Some customers have ‘given up’ contacting suppliers regarding complaints. The regulator claims power companies need […]

E.ON face customer trust issue

An E.ON bigwig has admitted power firms face a real challenge in regaining customer trust. Sara Vaughan told an audience it was imperative for firms to get consumers on board before prices rose too levels that were too high. E.ON’s Director of Group Regulatory and Sustainable Development told an audience at Marketforce’s Smart Utilities Forum: […]

Energy debt on the up as a result of increasing fuel bills

Energy debt is on the up, according to consumer action group uSwitch. An annual study shows that customers owe more this year than last, at £131 on average. Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch said: “With households still struggling to absorb last year’s price hikes, energy debt is on the rise again. “Although […]

Power cable thefts on the rise

ELN investigates the worrying rise in power cable theft in the UK and what the energy sector and police can do to stop it.

E.ON fourth most sustainable company in Germany

E.ON has become the highest rated energy company in Germany, in terms of how sustainable it is. Scoring 77.7 out of a 100, E.ON trails three companies from the automotive and consumer goods industries (BMW, Henkel and Volkswagen). The company climbed 16 places from the last analysis completed in 2009 by investment services provider, Sustainalytics, […]

Do Brits care where their energy comes from?

Two-thirds (71%) of consumers are concerned about fuel sources for their electricity, according to an energy supplier. Good Energy claims almost half of British consumers are unaware the majority of fuel used to generate electricity in the UK is imported. Its report suggests the UK imports fuel from nearly 40 countries including Australia, Russia and […]

EU-wide smart grid links could help UK’s electricity demands

Connecting smart grids in EU countries could help high electricity demands in the UK, a new report suggests. The research by ReportsnReports claims interlinking the smart grids between the UK and EU could make full use of renewable resources in Europe. Smart grids send information about energy use between suppliers, distributors and consumers. Electricity produced […]

Pensioner? EDF wants to give you cheaper bills

EDF Energy has announced a new scheme which it claims could give nearly 150,000 elderly customers lower energy bills. The launch of the ‘Customer Commitments’ scheme today claims to deliver “Fair Value, Better Service and Simplicity” for customers. The energy company says customers the government identifies as “most in need” will automatically get its cheapest […]