energy suppliers

More than one in five households are now being supplied by small and medium sized energy firms. That has moved the Big Six suppliers’ combined market share to a record low of 79% for electricity and 78% for gas – down from 84% for both gas and electricity at the end of 2016. Ofgem’s latest […]

The number of customers switching energy suppliers has increased by 14% this year. Latest figures from Energy UK reveal nearly 400,000 customers switched in January 2018, out of which a quarter represented customers gained by small and mid-tier suppliers. It follows a record 5.5 million number of switches last year. Confidence in switching is also […]

Details of people receiving certain state benefits could be given to energy suppliers to protect them from high gas and electricity bills. Under the UK Government’s new proposals, data sharing would be allowed between specified public authorities and suppliers in a bid to tackle fuel poverty. Ofgem would set a safeguard tariff for vulnerable customers […]

The Big Six energy suppliers have all been rated among the 10 lowest-scoring firms for customer satisfaction. Which?’s annual energy satisfaction survey of nearly 9,000 consumers suggests small and medium-sized energy companies are making their customers happier than their larger competitors. These smaller suppliers include Flow Energy, PFP Energy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse and in […]

A lack of switching options is costing energy customers across Northern Ireland around £82 million per year. That’s according to Echo Managed Services, which suggests only 28% of consumers have switched suppliers in the last year, compared to around 38% across the rest of the UK. It estimates this could be costing up to £145 […]

The Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has written to Greg Clark to press him on government efforts to help vulnerable energy customers. Rachel Reeves’ letter demands answers on the government’s plans to remove legal barriers to energy suppliers identifying vulnerable customers – Ofgem has said current restrictions on data-sharing mean […]

Big Six companies SSE and npower are in talks about merging their businesses to create a giant energy supplier in the UK. German utility innogy, parent company of npower, and SSE are in “advanced exclusive discussions” about combining their gas and electricity supply business in Britain. Such a deal would possibly see the Big Six […]

A new guide to help energy suppliers identify and support vulnerable consumers has been launched. Set up by The Money Advice Trust and Energy UK, the initiative aims to help the public deal with problems such as mental illness and learning difficulties, as well as provide practical tools for frontline staff to use with consumers. […]

A new platform through which small businesses can switch energy suppliers has been launched. Switching Energy’s app enables firms to review live quotes in real-time for their energy supply contract. They will be able to accept the prices and move to a different supplier in one transaction using an e-signature. Founder Jon Davies said: “Having […]

Consumers should visit more than one price comparison site before switching energy suppliers. The advice from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) follows a year-long study into those sites and other apps in various sectors. Companies often pay to appear on the lists of comparison sites, which may receive commission when consumers switch providers. They […]