UK energy firms call for overhaul of regulator Ofgem
The UK’s energy companies have called for a radical shake-up of the regulator Ofgem, accusing it of overseeing a rise in domestic bills and slowing Britain’s economic growth.The industry’s trade association, Energy UK, has called for Ofgem to be stripped of some of its responsibilities after overseeing “a dramatic increase in red tape” that it claims has reduced growth and pushed up costs for households.In a report, the trade group noted that despite the government’s plan to reduce the cost of regulation by 25% by the end of this parliament, Ofgem’s headcount had been allowed to increase by 120% over the past 10 years while its budget grew by 200%.By contrast, the energy sector’s workforce had grown by only 8% over the same period.Ofgem is the energy regulator for Great Britain.
The group’s indictment of the regulator comes amid deepening dissatisfaction with the government’s energy policies, and just days after sector bosses told MPs that the approach would lead to a steep hike in gas and electricity bills by the end of the decade.The trade group, which represents the views of Britain’s biggest energy companies, has called on the government to strip Ofgem of many of its duties and to limit its focus on economic regulation of network companies and other energy infrastructure.Instead, it proposes handing the responsibility for protecting consumers to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and the delivery of energy schemes to “other suitable organisations”.The calls to overhaul Ofgem have grown since the government agreed to establish a new water regulator to replace the powers of Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency in a “reset” for a sector that has been dogged by rising costs, financial strain and pollution scandals.A government review of Ofgem’s role by Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, began last December and recommendations for change are expected shortly.
Writing in the Telegraph, the chief executive of Energy UK, Dhara Vyas, said: “There is a growing sense, in our sector and elsewhere, that the energy regulator has lost its way.By becoming too big and bureaucratic, it has overseen a dramatic increase in red tape, reducing growth and pushing up costs for the very customers it tries to protect.”Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionAn Ofgem spokesperson said: “We will continue to work closely with the industry, its trade body, Energy UK, and consumer groups as the energy system evolves, and the Ofgem review is an important opportunity to ensure regulation and our remit keeps pace with change.”“We’re keen to work with industry to cut red tape and back investment, but firm regulation remains vital to protect consumers and maintain confidence in the sector,” the spokesperson added.
Georgina Hayden’s recipe for parmesan and sage jacket potato gnocchi | Quick and easy
If I’m going to the effort of making jacket potatoes (and by effort I mean putting them in the oven for an hour), I will almost always pop in a few extra spuds to make gnocchi for a later meal. The difference between shop-bought and homemade gnocchi is vast, especially the vac-packed, long-life kind, which are dense and can be heavy. Freshly made gnocchi, with fluffy baked potatoes, however, are light as air, pillowy and silky. If that sounds intimidating, let me reassure you that this recipe is really forgiving, and much easier than making fresh sheet pasta. I love them served simply, as here, with a slightly nutty sage butter and lots of parmesan
How to make the perfect strata – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect…
Also known variously as “breakfast casserole” and “egg dish”, strata is an American brunch favourite that, according to the great US chef Sohla El-Waylly, is best described as “the love child of frittata and bread pudding”, while the dish’s name comes from the fact that it’s assembled in layers. Like all the best leftovers recipes, those layers are eminently flexible, but what all strata have in common are stale bread and eggs. The rest is largely up to you.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link
Scottish hospitality coalition urges chancellor to protect whisky industry
A coalition of drinks, tourism and farming bodies has urged the chancellor to protect the Scottish whisky industry from a steeper sales slump and further job losses by freezing spirits duty in her budget next month.The grouping, which includes the Scottish arms of the National Farmers’ Union, the Institute of Directors and UKHospitality, has written to Rachel Reeves to argue that a freeze in duty would be a “strategic investment” that could increase tax revenues.They said recent rises in spirits duty had taken the overall tax paid on the average bottle of whisky to at least £12, or 70% of the retail price, contributing to about 1,000 redundancies in whisky production since last year’s budget, when spirits duty rose.“The current duty regime, combined with wider economic headwinds, is placing significant strain on both producers and venues,” the joint letter said. “Some businesses are halting investment or looking abroad, while others are being forced to cut jobs
‘I felt my soul leave my body’: 13 readers on the worst meal they ever cooked – from ‘ethanol risotto’ to gravy cake
There are lots of potential errors a home cook can make, whether mistaking a bulb of garlic for a clove or experimenting with a banana sauce for pork. Here are some culinary experiments to avoidI’m very fond of steamed vegetables with lemon and black pepper. When I was pregnant, my loving partner took it upon himself to cook for me. We didn’t have any lemons. We did have kiwis
670 Grams, Birmingham B9: ‘A cascade of small, meaningful bowls that just ooze flavour’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
Birmingham’s dining scene often leans towards the intense. I recall a hazy afternoon seven years back at the Digbeth Dining Club, a ramshackle food market inside an old factory with few seats, loud music, breakfast cocktails and baos; it was a thoroughly chaotic way to take on board calories. More recently, I loved the city’s Albatross Death Cult, which served 12 courses of scintillating, seafood-focused finickiness to a pounding, darkwave industrial-goth soundtrack.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link
‘£30 for a ready meal?!’ Do Charlie Bigham’s new dishes really beat going to a restaurant?
Like Tesla cars and the ending of the Sopranos, Charlie Bigham ready meals seem to be rather divisive. On the one hand, people clearly love them: about 31m dishes were sold in the past year alone. On the other hand, they generate a heap of mockery. The critique seems to be that only a gullible idiot would shell out up to a tenner on an oven-ready fish pie, chilli con carne or – as one commentator once memorably labelled it – a tray of “Tory slop”.Those critics will be sharpening their kitchen knives because Bigham, who is a kind of Tim “Wetherspoons” Martin for centrist dads, has just announced the launch of his Brasserie range: deluxe versions of his meals with prices that fetch up to … wait for it … £30! Thirty whole English pounds!With a menu consisting of venison bourguignon, coq au vin, confit duck (all at £16
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