A new trade body Energy UK launches today, meant to provide a “strong voice” for the gas and electricity sector. It is formed after a merger of the Association of Electricity Producers (AEP), the Energy Retail Association (ERA) and the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE).

The group now represents around 70 organisations, including ‘Big Six’ firms such as Centrica and EDF Energy, ‘green’ energy firms like Ecotricity and Good Energy, as well as manufacturers, electricity boards and energy consultancies.

David Porter, former head of the AEP and Acting Chief Executive of Energy UK said: “There are critical decisions to be made about the country’s energy future and we intend to be right at the heart of the national debates.”

Boosting “investor confidence in the UK” is top of the list for the new group, said Mr Porter, while at a time when the public opinion of energy firms has taken a battering, he signalled a key priority would be to “improve the reputation of the industry among its customers”.