Ofgem under pressure on energy prices
Energy regulator Ofgem is under severe pressure this evening with concerns that it has failed to protect consumers in the UK from ever-increasing gas and electricity prices. The recent cold snap in the UK, together with supply issues regarding the Norwegian pipeline, has seen gas prices rise significantly on the wholesale market of which will in due course filter through to the consumer market.
Despite many warnings and threats in the press from Ofgem it has really failed to introduce any new price regulations or price restrictions on UK energy supplies. Consumer groups are growing more and more concerned that Ofgem talks the talk but fails to walk the walk. The UK government has also been fairly aggressive in its comments regarding the UK energy sector but yet again we have seen little in the way of real action against the powerhouses of the sector.
Whether we will see any activity on the regulatory front in the run-up to the election, in a bid to curry favour with voters, remains to be seen but there is no doubt that more and more UK taxpayers are being dragged into "energy poverty". As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, the UK energy sector is now dominated by overseas giants who maybe do not have the interests of UK consumers at heart.
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