Michael Dell, Lord Johnson and the ‘gun to the head’ meeting that ended a £15bn AI project Tech In December, billionaire Michael Dell opened an alarming email. “My trust in Mr Bellamy has been undermined by the way he has operated”, the email read, “and I cannot be certain the information he shared with you is accurate or complete”. The mysterious missive was sent by Patrick Hughes, the co-founder of a major new [...]
Ofgem data centre crackdown risks ‘driving AI investors away’ from UK Tech Ofgem’s plans to crack down on speculative data centre projects have prompted warnings that new grid connection fees could make Britain a less attractive destination for AI investment, even as the industry backs efforts to clear stalled schemes from the queue. The regulator has launched a consultation on proposals to free up electricity grid capacity [...]
Ofgem targets speculative AI data centres to free up Britain’s energy grid Tech Ofgem has announced plans to stop speculative AI data centre projects clogging up Britain’s electricity grid, after applications for new power connections more than tripled in less than a year. The energy regulator is consulting on a new upfront commitment fee for large data centre developers, alongside tougher rules requiring projects to prove they are [...]
BT tops FTSE 100 after finding new home for international business with Verizon joint venture June 29, 2026 BT unveiled a new home for its international operations on Monday, in a move the £19.5bn firm called a “milestone”, which sent its shares to the top of the FTSE 100. A joint venture with Verizon of the US will target multinational customers and help the former monopoly concentrate on its domestic market. BT will [...]
The climate quango empire will keep growing until cheap matters more than ideology June 9, 2026 Net Zero has generated an ever-larger bureaucratic apparatus operating at arm’s length from ministers, insulated from accountability and immune to the question of whether it is actually working, says Anne Strickland Ed Miliband frequently claims that net zero is the economic opportunity of the century. A theory that collapses the moment you open your energy [...]
Ovo to cough up £10.4m for exposing vulnerable customers to harm June 3, 2026 Energy supplier Ovo is set to cough up a hefty sum after an investigation by the watchdog concluded that it had left vulnerable customers at risk of harm. The firm – which focuses on smart technology, green energy tariffs, and carbon-reduction goals – will pay £7m into Ofgem’s voluntary redress fund, which is used for [...]
Energy price cap to jump 13 per cent this summer May 27, 2026 UK households will be hit by a sharp £200 rise in energy bills next month, leaving Brits bracing for a painful winter of higher bills off the back of the Iran war. From 1 July to 30 September the annual energy price cap will be £1,862 per year, up from the current cap of £1,641, [...]
Brits set for sharp rise in energy bills in July May 19, 2026 Brits are set to face a sharp hike in energy costs this summer, with household bills forecast to rise by more than £200 a year, as the conflict in the Middle East ripples into the UK market. Energy analyst Cornwall Insight predicts that the annual bill for a typical dual-fuel household will increase to £1,850, [...]
British Gas to cough up £20m for ‘unfair treatment’ of vulnerable customers May 15, 2026 British Gas is set to cough up £20m after the watchdog closed an investigation into the energy giant and found it “fell short in its treatment of an unacceptable number of vulnerable customers”. The investigation looked into British Gas’ treatment of customers who had prepayment meters (PPMs) installed without permission, with consumers set to benefit [...]
Energy price cap: Household bill spike could be lower than originally feared April 17, 2026 The household energy price cap is expected to rise by a lower amount than originally feared despite price volatility caused by the Iran war, according to the latest forecasts. The cap is expected to be £196 lower according to Cornwall Insight, who confirmed its prediction for Ofgem’s cap now stands at £1,837 for a typical [...]