Swings and Roundabouts: The Retail Energy Market Consolidates Again
OVO Energy, the UK’s fourth‑largest electricity supplier, has agreed to sell its retail supply business to rival E.ON for roughly £600 million (about $760 million). The deal creates a combined entity with 9.6 million customers, overtaking Octopus as the largest supplier. OVO’s valuation has collapsed from a £1 billion peak in 2019 to a modest £150 per customer, an 80% drop, reflecting strained finances and tighter regulatory capital rules. The transaction signals the end of the challenger‑supplier era and a shift back toward a concentrated ‘Big 3’ market.
Physics versus Ideology – Ten Years of Energy Policy Confusion
Kathryn Porter marks the ten‑year anniversary of her Watt‑Logic blog, which has evolved from a personal site into a worldwide consulting practice serving utilities, generators, traders and regulators. She highlights that the core physics of power systems—dispatchability, inertia and the...
Green vs Baseload: The Most Suitable Energy for a Developing Country?
In a Cirrus Investor Conference speech, Namibia’s energy chief warned that the green‑versus‑baseload debate is far from simple for developing nations. With only about 50% of the population electrified and rural access lagging behind 70‑80%, the country relies heavily on...
OVO Energy Is Looking Shaky – Its Failure Would Dwarf that of Bulb
OVO Energy, a UK supplier serving over four million homes, is facing a severe financial crisis that could lead to bankruptcy within a year. The company posted the lowest customer‑satisfaction score in the 2025 Which? survey and is one of...
The Sorry Tale of New Drax OCGTs Highlights Growing Capacity Market Irrationality
Drax has built three 299 MW OCGT plants that secured GB Capacity Market contracts, yet none can operate because grid connections have not been delivered. Under the Capacity Market rules, the lack of connection triggers non‑delivery penalties that could wipe out...