It seems, according to a press release from auto-switching company Migrate, that the smart meter rollout is producing a surprising number of consumers who are experts … on smart meters. The company said it recently carried out a survey and found…
Editor’s blog
Where does a Ministry for Climate Change belong?
by New Power • • Comments Off
As the budget approaches, and a potential restructuring of government departments, the question arises: what to do about climate change – or, more specifically, the Department of Climate Change that was absorbed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial…
The long read: How I helped break the power of the Big Six
by New Power • • 1 Comment
Here’s my competitive energy market story For years I am an Npower customer. I switched – I know the basics! – but a while ago. Although it regularly comes low down on price and customer satisfaction rankings, I don’t use…
A penny here and a penny there
by New Power • • Comments Off
Listening to a recording of a recent briefing on the Capacity Market and the coming winter after the event was an is an interesting experience. It was the kind of informal chat all we energy geeks engage in, but it…
Missing from the Conservative Party conference
by New Power • • Comments Off
For many years, energy fringe meetings at the Conservative Party conference were accompanied by a chorus of muttered ‘no’s and the odd loud ‘tut. They came from someone at the back, quivering with rage, waiting for the moment they could…
ATOL v SOLR
by New Power • • Comments Off
Watching the huge effort being put in to manage the thousands of Thomas Cook travellers affected by the company failure, it is probably a good time to compare ATOL, the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing scheme, and energy companies’ supplier of last…
The old question over gas meters revisited
by New Power • • Comments Off
As the nation’s smart meter rollout stutters on, it is time to ask again whether there is any point in installing gas smart meters. The question has been raised from the start of the programme. It is not required under…
When will Ofgem make decisions on National Grid’s IT issues?
by New Power • • Comments Off
When can we expect a decision from Ofgem over National Grid’s continuing struggles with data and IT? It has now been 16 months since the regulator opened a formal investigation into National Grid’s market information. The regulator said that it…
Want to avoid blackouts? Buy an electric vehicle
by New Power • • Comments Off
A detailed inquiry into the backout that affected much of the GB last Friday night is already under way. New Power’s early information was, in short, that two power plants ‘tripped’ within a very short time and there were area…
Has National Grid put another nail in gas’s coffin?
by New Power • • Comments Off
Who would be a gas generator? Despite the ejection of coal plants from the generation stack (and good riddance, I say), gas has got less and less of the wholesale energy supply market. It has been squeezed out between our…