Why the energy crisis is set to derail the UK economy in 2022 January 7, 2022 A wave of concern over the swelling cost of living is sweeping across Britain. While households are bracing for higher tax bills and are already being stung by food prices leaping, it is swelling energy costs that will hit hardest in 2022. The UK’s benchmark gas prices have quintupled since January 2021, leaping from £54 [...]
Consumers should brace themselves for runway energy bills as price rises that overwhelmed suppliers in 2021 start to trickle down January 4, 2022 Consumers should brave themselves for runaway household bills this year as the energy sector continues to struggle with soaring gas prices, which consigned a string of energy suppliers to the graveyard in 2021. Energy suppliers had been paying 54p per therm of gas at the beginning of last year. By September 2021, that had reached [...]
Annual spending on ethical products soars past £100bn for first time December 31, 2021 British shoppers spent more than £100bn on ethical products and investments last year, as the twin crises of the pandemic and climate change prompted significant lifestyle changes. Plant-based food, and products, and secondhand clothes, furniture and even cars saw demand surge in the last year with ethical spending rising to £122bn in 2020 – up [...]
Energy crisis: Govt and energy firms agree runaway gas and electricity bills should be avoided in 2022 but they fail to say how December 28, 2021 The government and UK’s largest energy companies agreed late last night that “UK customers have to be protected” from soaring gas and electricity prices in 2022, although it was not clear how they plan to do that. The meeting with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng came after Labour and a boss of a major energy provider [...]
Best of 2021: Forest Green owner Dale Vince on saving the planet, one match at a time December 26, 2021 In this interview from March 2021, pioneering eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince discusses the rise of the football club he owns, Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first vegan and carbon-neutral team, who play on an organic pitch in kits made of recycled coffee beans. With a large green Union Jack behind him and a casually dishevelled appearance, [...]
Octopus Energy expands into India after announcing green energy deal with Sterlite Power December 19, 2021 Octopus Energy will work with Sterlite Power to strengthen India’s renewable infrastructure and help decarbonise the country.
Octopus Energy reaches $5bn valuation with new investment partnership December 10, 2021 Octopus has received a $300m boost from CPP Investments in a new partnership deal, with the energy giant now worth $5bn.
Dogger Bank C: World’s largest offshore wind farm passes last milestone before £9bn construction December 2, 2021 Joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor said this morning that they have reached financial close on Dogger Bank Wind Farm C, the third phase of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete in March 2026. SSE Renewables and Equinor have started constructing the first two phases of the 3.6GW Dogger [...]
Energy crisis: Government sets aside £1.7bn to save ‘too-big-to-fail’ supplier Bulb November 25, 2021 Nearly £1.7bn is set aside by the government to allow Bulb to continue supplying energy to its customers as it tumbled into administration. In court on Wednesday, the company was put into special administration, which will allow it to continue to trade for the time being. The £1.69bn loan will be set aside by Government [...]
Ofgem terminates energy competition probe after PayPoint agrees to cough up £12.5m November 23, 2021 Energy regulator Ofgem has formally accepted commitments from PayPoint to change its ways following an investigation into whether the firm breached competition laws. PayPoint will also hand over £12.5m to the regulator and remove exclusivity clauses from its contracts with energy suppliers for pre-pay customers, who top up their meters using the company’s services. The [...]