By Chris Welby – Good Energy’s Commercial Director

In a report this week the energy regulator, Ofgem, predicted that in the 2nd half of this decade there is a reasonable possibility we may be have insufficient energy to meet peak demands.  Whilst it is nice to see the penny dropping amongst the lavish corridors of Ofgem, (where I spend far too much of my life trying to break the cosy world between regulator and the major suppliers), you have to ask, “Why”?

For all the huff & puff in the document, my view is pretty straight forward;  Ofgem and Government have allowed the ‘Big 6’ energy suppliers to live in a cosy, light touch, regulation world where price was the only consideration.  Now we need to make big changes both to protect our fuel security and decarbonise the energy market, and frankly the old Dinosaurs which dominate the market are unable to adapt (although from their press releases, and greenwash, you might be convinced otherwise).

In any other market, they would wither and die and new companies come to the fore (as happened with the airline industry or the growth in online retailers). However, such is the stranglehold of the Big 6 on the market, aided and abetted by our now holier-than-thou regulator, that new and innovative companies like Good Energy struggle to gain ground.  In times of change, ‘Big’ is not beautiful.

Therefore Ofgem’s suggestion of semi-nationalisation into one great imperious beast beggars belief.  We need to change not just how we supply energy, but change the mindset of how we as consumers use it.  The only way to do that is to make way for the new, environmental savvy entrepreneurs; not squeeze them out in order to give more power to the dusty old men in suits.