IGEM Institution of Gas Engineers and Manage : Gas crisis could force smaller energy suppliers out of business

Thursday, January 04, 2018

The fate of Britain's new breed of upstart energy suppliers hangs in the balance after a series of gas supply disruptions ripped through energy markets.

In the aftermath of the UK's most explosive gas price shock in five years, the price of gas for the coldest months of winter remains a third higher than this time last year.

Already one new market entrant, Toto Energy, has announced a 50 per cent price hike for its customers, including those on fixed-rate contracts.

The Brighton-based supplier emailed its customers to explain that it is a 'seasonal' plan.

Senior energy bosses told The Sunday Telegraph that the industry was braced for smaller suppliers to go bust because many offer rock-bottom rates without the financial backing to absorb a market shock.

Aspokesman for the industry regulator said it is monitoring the market for wider financial risks to suppliers, including market price increases, and is also closely monitoring individual suppliers with a focus on financial indicators.

The UK gas market rose dramatically after the emergency shutdown of the North Sea's most important pipeline amid technical issues in Norwegian waters. Prices reached five-year highs the next day in the wake of a deadly explosion at a key European gas hub.

Read more at The Telegraph