Homelessness: ‘Perfect storm’ for 5.3m renters as gas prices jump, furlough ends and Universal Credit is cut September 26, 2021 With energy prices rising, the furlough scheme due to end on Thursday and Universal Credit being cut a week later, a “perfect storm for homelessness” is looming for struggling renters. More than a quarter of renters already struggle to heat their homes in winter. A survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of housing charity [...]
Gas crisis: Octopus Energy eyes takeover bid of rival Bulb September 25, 2021 Octopus Energy is reportedly eyeing a takeover of energy challenger rival Bulb, amid the UK’s gas crisis which has drained supplier’s finances. The energy supplier is among the parties which have requested access to data from Bulb’s financial advisers as it attempts to bag fresh funding, Sky News’ Mark Kleinman first reported. The takeover would [...]
Boss of collapsed Avro Energy used firm to pump cash into family accounts September 24, 2021 The boss of Avro Energy reportedly used the recently collapsed energy firm to pump more than £3m into his family’s other businesses and accounts. The firm’s collapse has led to around 580,000 families fearing higher bills this winter and is the biggest failure of a household supplier so far amid the UK’s gas crisis. Jake [...]
Government denies there is shortage of fuel amid BP and Esso closing gas stations September 24, 2021 The government is urging Brits “buy fuel as normal”, after the ongoing lorry driver shortage issue reached gas stations yesterday. BP said a number of its filling stations are closed due to a lack of fuel available, while Esso owner ExxonMobil also said a “small number” of its Tesco Alliance petrol forecourts have been impacted. [...]
Drill, baby, drill: Arctic set for £230bn oil and gas bonanza with JPMorgan, Barclays and Citi piling in September 23, 2021 Oil and gas companies are set to ramp up production in the Arctic by 20 per cent in the next five years, according to a new report shared with City A.M. this morning. The main Arctic expansionists – Gazprom, Total and ConocoPhillips – are backed by hundreds of billions of pounds from dozens of City [...]
Energy crisis: Ofgem and Kwasi Kwarteng resist pressure and agree price cap is not going anywhere September 21, 2021 Kwasi Kwarteng and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley have confirmed they had taken a unified position over the price ceiling continuing. The energy regulator and the Business Secretary agreed the energy price cap must “remain in place” during crunch talks to find a solution to record gas costs. Kwarteng held a crisis meeting with the [...]
Perfect energy storm: Do the gas price hikes mean your bills will rise? September 20, 2021 Government ministers and energy companies are in crisis talks today, as the price of gas has soared in recent weeks, putting several energy suppliers out of business and forcing some factories to stop production altogether. The price of wholesale gas has surged by 250 per cent since the beginning of the year and added 70 [...]
UK energy provider Bulb seeks emergency fund injection September 19, 2021 The UK’s sixth largest energy company, Bulb, is racing to secure an emergency cash injection to avoid collapse as a record spike in energy prices uproots the sector. The energy startup, which supplies electricity and gas to 1.7m customers in the UK, is seeking advice from investment bank Lazard in an attempt to shore up [...]
Gas price surge forces industrial sites to close September 17, 2021 Two industrial sites that produce a combined 40 per cent of the UK’s fertiliser have been forced to halt operations due to recent record gas prices. The Times reported that CF Industries had shuttered its plants at Billingham in Teesside and Ince in Cheshire as a direct result of the price spikes. The closures came [...]
Power cable fire sends electricity prices higher again September 16, 2021 UK energy prices have continued to surge after a fire yesterday knocked out a crucial power cable that can supply electricity to 1.4m homes. Day-ahead power prices climbed 19 per cent on the back of the incident, with the “interconnector” not expected to be repaired until March. Gas prices closed in on £2 a therm, [...]