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☆ UK inflation rate surprises with rise to 4%, led by alcohol and tobacco
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Andresr | E+ | Getty ImagesLONDON — U.K. inflation unexpectedly nudged upwards to 4% year-on-year in December, fueled by a rise in alcohol and tobacco prices. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a modest decline in the annual headline CPI to 3.8%, after November's sharper-than-expected fall to 3.9%. The closely watched core CPI figure — which excludes volatile food, energy, alcohol and tobacco prices — came in at an annual 5.1%, above a 4.9% Reuters forecast and unchanged from November. "This unexpected rise in inflation is a timely reminder that the struggle against soaring inflation is not yet over, particularly given stubbornly high core and services inflation," said Suren Thiru, economics director at ICAEW. "While inflation may rise again in January, following the increase in Ofgem's energy price cap, it should fall at a decent pace thereafter, aided by the expected drop in energy bills from April and lower food inflation."

Persons: Jeremy Hunt Organizations: Reuters, National Statistics, British, Bank of England Locations: U.S, France, Germany

☆ Drax project for controversial ‘carbon negative’ power plant gets UK government green light
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The UK government approved a £2 billion (around $2.5 billion) project on Tuesday to create a “carbon negative” wood-burning power plant. Energy secretary Claire Coutinho’s decision greenlights a plan to bolt carbon capture units onto two generators at a power station in Yorkshire, northern England, run by Drax. Once the most polluting power station in western Europe, Drax switched from burning coal to burning biomass — mostly wood pellets — in 2019. The power station in Yorkshire, which produces around 4% of the UK’s power, mostly burns wood imported from North America. Some scientists have cast doubt on the climate credentials of burning biomass.

Persons: Claire Coutinho’s, Drax, “, ”, Tomos Harrison, Ofgem, ” Drax, Laith Whitwham, Ember, BECCS “, ” Will Gardiner, Gardiner Organizations: CNN, Energy, European Academies Science Advisory, Drax Group Locations: Yorkshire, England, Europe, North America, Canada

☆ Shell to sell home energy business in UK, Germany to Octopus Energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Susanna Twidale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of British multinational oil and gas company Shell is displayed during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Shell (SHEL.L) said on Friday it would sell its home energy business in the UK and Germany to British energy supplier Octopus Energy Group as part of a deal in which the two companies explore a partnership on EV charging. “This agreement follows the announcement during our Capital Markets Day to divest our home energy retail business in Europe,” said Shell Executive Vice-President Steve Hill. Shell Energy Retail Limited in the UK and Shell Energy Retail GmbH in Germany provide domestic gas, power and broadband services to about two million customers and operate under the Shell Energy brand. Shell and Octopus have also signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a potential international partnership over electric vehicles (EV) charging, including for Shell Recharge subscribers, Shell said.

Persons: Chris Helgren, ”, Steve Hill, Shell, Susanna Twidale, Radhika Anilkumar, Savio D'Souza, Chizu Organizations: Shell, REUTERS, Octopus Energy, EV, Shell Energy Retail Limited, Shell Energy Retail GmbH, Shell Energy, Gas, Shell Energy Retail, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Germany, British, Europe, Britain, London, Bengaluru

☆ UK headline inflation rate drops sharply to 6.8% in July, in line with expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In August, the Bank of England increased interest rates for the 14th time in a row. LONDON — U.K. headline inflation cooled sharply in July to an annual 6.8%, but the core consumer price index remained unchanged, posing a potential headache for the Bank of England. Analysts noted that the participation rate broadly held steady, while the employment rate declined, signaling a weakening in labor demand. U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said the drop in headline inflation showed the government's action to tackle inflation is "working," but "we're not at the finish line." Cost-of-living crisis 'far from over'With headline inflation falling to 6.8% and wages growing at record pace, the U.K.'s prolonged cost-of-living crisis may be showing signs of abating, said David Henry, investment manager at Quilter Cheviot.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, David Henry, Henry, Suren, Thiru Organizations: Bank of England, LONDON, Reuters, National Statistics, Monetary, Analysts, Office, Finance, Institute of Chartered Accountants Locations: CPIH, Cheviot, England, Wales

☆ Britain's Centrica hikes dividend as profits at British Gas soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Susanna Twidale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 27 (Reuters) - Britain's Centrica (CNA.L) proposed a 33% increase in its interim dividend on Thursday after posting a jump in first-half profits, buoyed by higher returns from its British Gas supply business. The British Gas Energy supply division posted adjusted profits of 969 million pounds ($1.25 billion) compared with 98 million the same period last year. Centrica said some 500 million pounds of this related to changes to the regulator's price cap which allowed the company to recoup previously lost costs. The company also announced plans to invest 4 billion pounds by 2028 on security of supply, energy flexibility and renewable power. Overall Centrica's adjusted operating profit for the first six months of 2023 rose to 2.08 billion pounds up from 1.34 billion pounds a year earlier.

Persons: Centrica, Susanna Twidale, Prerna Bedi, Varun, Sharon Singleton Organizations: British Gas, British Gas Energy, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, Bengaluru

☆ Centrica hikes dividend as profits at British Gas soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Centrica announced bumper returns for shareholders on Thursday after its first-half profits surged on an almost ten-fold increase at its British Gas supply business. Centrica has doubled its support package for struggling customers to 100 million pounds ($130 million), it added. The British Gas Energy supply division posted adjusted profits of 969 million pounds versus 98 million a year earlier. The firm said it would invest 4 billion pounds by 2028 on security of supply, energy flexibility and renewable power. Overall, Centrica's adjusted operating profit for the first six months of 2023 rose to 2.08 billion pounds from 1.34 billion pounds a year earlier.

Persons: Britain's Centrica, Chris O'Shea, Centrica, O'Shea Organizations: British Gas, British Gas Energy, EDF's Locations: Ukraine

☆ UK firms most upbeat in 10 months despite economic headwinds, survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - British companies were the most upbeat about their trading prospects in 10 months in June and their hiring plans increased again but rising interest rates could prompt consumers to rein in spending, according to a survey published on Sunday. Trade body Make UK and accountants BDO said their measure of business optimism hit its highest since August 2022, helped by the survey's gauge of inflation pressure dropping to its lowest in nearly two years. The survey's employment index posted its fifth consecutive monthly increase with rises in the number of self-employed and part-time workers, despite a slowdown in output growth with manufacturers seeing the worst output reading since May 2020. The Bank of England, which is trying to curb the highest inflation rate among the world's big rich countries, is worried about long-term price pressures in the labour market and it is widely expected to continue raising interest rates. Reporting by Suban Abdulla Editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Suban Abdulla, William Schomberg Organizations: ., BDO, BDO LLP, The Bank of England, Thomson

☆ Britain planning to overhaul planning to meet net zero targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Britain is planning to overhaul the country's planning system to make it easier to install overhead cables and pylons, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said on Sunday, a move to help the government reach its net zero targets. A spokesperson for the department said the government had increased the amount of renewable energy capacity connected to the grid by 500% since 2010 but wanted to do more. "We want to go further as part of our plans to power up Britain with cleaner, cheaper and more secure homegrown energy. Last month, the Climate Change Committee of legislators said Britain had lost its position as a global leader on climate action and was not doing enough to meet its mid-century net zero target. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elizabeth Piper, David Holmes Organizations: Department for Energy Security, Sunday Telegraph, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ London's solar street thrives on people power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Natalie Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Roofers install solar panels on the roof of renegade artists Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell's house in London, Britain, June 6, 2023. Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell raise funds to install solar panels on the rooftops of all the houses on their street. After raising 113,000 pounds ($141,000), partly through crowd-funding publicised by sleeping on their roof for three cold, winter weeks, artist couple Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell have arranged for solar panels to be installed on dozens of houses on their street. Households powered by solar panel-derived electricity draw less power from the national grid, cutting energy bills, and they can also sell any excess energy back. Industry analysts say community projects tend to be more efficient than individual solar installations as costs fall with scale.

Persons: Dan Edelstyn, Hilary Powell's, Hilary Powell, Anna Gordon LONDON, Powell, Ejaz Hussein, It's, Rebecca Dibb, Ofgem, Edelstyn, Sachin Ravikumar, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Industry, Octopus Energy, Community Energy, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Waltham Forest

☆ UK energy company forecasts higher profit from retail business
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - British Gas owner Centrica (CNA.L) expects its retail business to generate significantly higher first-half adjusted operating profit than in previous years, it said on Tuesday, citing reduced debt-related costs. UK energy regulator Ofgem's price cap provides an allowance to account for debt on energy bills that cannot be recovered by suppliers and is ultimately written off. In a statement ahead of its annual general meeting on Tuesday, the company said its performance over the first five months of the year has been strong overall. It expects its full-year group adjusted earnings per share to come near the top end of a predicted range between 16.5 and 24.7 pence per share. Reporting by Nina Chestney in London and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nina Chestney, Eva Mathews, David Goodman Organizations: British Gas, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

☆ More than 94,000 prepayment meters forcibly installed in Britain in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - More than 94,000 prepayment meters were installed in homes in Britain using warrants and without customer consent in 2022, the government said on Monday, adding that British Gas, Scottish Power and OVO Energy accounted for 70% of them. Prepayment meters allow customers to pay for gas and electricity on a pay-as-you-go basis. British Gas, Scottish Power and OVO Energy forcibly installed 66,187 prepayment metres under warrant last year, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said. Scottish Power was the worst offender when taking its customer base into account, force-fitting more than 24,300 meters, BEIS said. The company is not currently installing prepayment meters or recovering debt from those customers on new prepayment meters unless requested by the customer, the spokesperson added.

REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - British energy regulator Ofgem on Monday lowered its price cap on household energy bills from April, but it will offer little relief to consumers as costs continue to rise. The cap sets a maximum price suppliers can charge consumers for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy they use, but it has been superseded by a government-backed energy price guarantee (EPG) that limits the maximum costs of energy. "Although wholesale prices have fallen, the price cap has not yet fallen below the planned level of the Energy Price Guarantee. If wholesale prices continue to fall, the price cap could be lowered again in July, potentially reducing bills, the regulator said. British Gas owner Centrica (CNA.L) this month posted record annual profit of 3.3 billion pounds on soaring energy prices and production.

☆ For one energy company, digital transformation was the catalyst for positive social impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Lenovo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Gas distributor SGN uses Lenovo's suite of products to help vulnerable customers out in the field. This human-centered approach honors Lenovo's commitment to innovation, while ensuring that SGN makes a positive social impact. The gas distributor uses Lenovo's whole ecosystem of products, including its moto g31 smartphones and ThinkPad X13 devices, to access digital resources to help vulnerable customers in the field. In turn, using Lenovo's products helps SGN to have a positive impact. Using a variety of Lenovo equipment plus Microsoft Teams software has enabled the company to achieve excellence when it comes to digital transformation.

☆ UK household energy subsidies could hit zero later this year -Cornwall Insight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The government has guaranteed to keep average household energy bills below 2,500 pounds ($3,086) a year until the end of April and below 3,000 pounds until March 31, 2024. Following the wholesale price slump analysts at Cornwall Insight forecast average annual energy bills, under a cap set by regulator Ofgem, will fall to around 2,201 pounds a year in July and reach 2,241 pounds a year in October. Prices however remain historically high, meaning consumers are unlikely to feel much better off. "The cap predictions for April remain nearly three times what a typical household was paying pre-pandemic,” Craig Lowrey, Principal Consultant at Cornwall Insight said. ($1 = 0.8102 pounds)Reporting By Susanna Twidale; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The current six-month programme of energy support that will expire at the end of March was predicted to cost 18.4 billion pounds when the government's budget watchdog published forecasts in November. The finance ministry has been looking at ways to pare back the energy support packages as it tries to stabilise the nation's public finances after the political and economic turmoil under former Prime Minister Liz Truss's short-lived government. Under the new programme, businesses rather than government will have to pay the extra costs if energy prices surge. Although they are now back around the same level as a year ago - and lower than when the current support package was announced - they are still several times higher than in early 2021. The government had originally been due to publish its proposals for business energy support before the end of 2022, but the decision was delayed, angering some businesses facing uncertainty over their energy bills.

☆ Britain's energy watchdog proposes power price controls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Bozorgmehr Sharafedin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Price controls begin on April 1Proposals are subject to statutory consultationShould increase use of renewable powerGreen energy would be backed up by nuclear, hydrogenLONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain’s energy watchdog has proposed price controls for electricity distribution network companies for the next five years that it said would drive investment in homegrown supplies and deliver cheaper power without increasing consumer bills. The controls, which will run from April 1, 2023, to 2028, require six electricity distribution network companies to focus investment towards "more homegrown, cleaner, cheaper, and secure sources of energy". Ofgem said it expected the proposal to increase the use of renewables, including wind and solar energy, backed up by expanded nuclear and hydrogen-generated energy. Known as RIIO-ED2 (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs for electricity distribution), the proposal sets the level of investment Ofgem allows local electricity distribution networks to make in the five-year period. The total allowed expenditure for the six companies was around 22 billion pounds, Ofgem said.

☆ UK's Ofgem says price cap will rise to nearly $5,200 without intervention
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 24 (Reuters) - British energy regulator Ofgem said its price cap for average household energy bills would rise by about 21% to 4,279 pounds ($5,170.74) a year from January to the end of March 2023. Households, however, will not pay this amount as Ofgem's price cap has been superseded by a government backed price guarantee set at 2,500 pounds a year for average consumption until the end of March 2023. Ofgem's announcement means the government action will save typical households around 1,779 pounds a year, compared with the level they would have needed to pay under the regulators cap. The government price guarantee rises to an average 3,000 pounds a year from April 1 until the end of March 2024. read moreThe cost of wholesale gas has increased, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February, and the price that suppliers need to charge per unit of energy has gone up sharply, prompting the government to step in and help consumers. ($1 = 0.8275 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Susanna Twidale in London; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK stocks track gains in Europe, Dr. Martens sinks on profit warning
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.3% in thin trading as U.S. markets were shut for the Thanksgiving holiday. The domestically focused FTSE 250 midcaps (.FTMC) rose 0.7%, also reflecting the upbeat mood in equity markets. A weak spot was Dr. Martens (DOCS.L), which tumbled 20% and looked set for its biggest percentage drop ever, after warning that its annual core profit margin would be lower than last year. UK stock markets have recovered sharply since a botched mini-budget roiled sentiment in October, with investors hoping that measures by the new government will help instil confidence even as Britain faces what is expected to be a lengthy recession. Shares of Vodafone , Imperial Brands (IMB.L) and National Grid (NG.L) slid as they traded without entitlement for dividend payout.

☆ Octopus Energy to buy failed British energy supplier Bulb
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Britain said on Saturday it had approved a deal for Octopus Energy to buy smaller firm Bulb, which was one of the largest energy suppliers to collapse last year due to soaring wholesale gas and electricity prices. About 1.5 million Bulb customers will be transferred to Octopus as part of a deal reached late on Friday with the special administrators of London-based Bulb, the British government's business department said in a statement. Bulb collapsed last November after failing to secure funding as regulator Ofgem's energy price cap prevented it and other suppliers from passing on rising costs to customers. It was placed under the government-funded Special Administrator Regime to ensure customers' supplies would face no disruption and their credit balances would be protected. The government will also provide funding to ensure Bulb's special administration is wound up in a way that protects customers' supplies, it said.

☆ Blackout fears prompt Britons to buy generators and torches
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Britons are preparing for possible power cuts by stocking-up on portable generators and torches, in addition to winter clothing, thermal underwear and candles. Comparing data from the first 11 days of October 2021 to the same period this year showed a 203% increase in sales of generators and a 43% increase in sales of torches and head torches, Toolstation, part of Travis Perkins (TPK.L), Britain's biggest building materials retailer, said on Friday. The Toolstation data chimes with a report this week from market researcher Kantar which said Britons were stocking-up on candles and duvets. Department store chain John Lewis last week said people were stockpiling thermal underwear, gloves and dressing gowns. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by James Davey; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain's Ofgem to urge public to reduce energy usage - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - Britain's energy regulator Ofgem will on Thursday urge consumers to reduce their energy usage "where possible", the Financial Times reported, less than a week after climate minister Graham Stuart said that the country would not ask its people to use less energy. The energy regulator's move would come as it prepares to launch a campaign to help households reduce their electricity and gas usage, the FT said. Senior Cabinet Office Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday it was "extremely unlikely" Britain would have planned power cuts over winter, responding to a warning from National Grid (NG.L) that the country could face blackouts if it cannot import enough energy. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jose Joseph in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey could act as a gas hub, having already suggested on Wednesday that Russia could reroute supplies intended for the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea, which were damaged last month. Concerns over winter supplies were heightened as workers at EDF's Bugey nuclear plant in eastern France resumed a strike over wages on Thursday, the latest in a series of stoppages to hit the French industry. Norway has become an increasingly important source of gas for the EU and Britain after Russia curtailed supplies. At a meeting in Kazakhstan, President Putin said that increased cooperation on supplies with Turkey , which is not a member of the EU, could also help to regulate prices.

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