Citizens Advice response to Ofgem’s supporting retail innovation: Policy consultation

Citizens Advice response to Ofgem’s supporting retail innovation: Policy consultation [ 170 kb]

We welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation seeking views on proposed changes to supply licence conditions relating to both providing derogations from certain supplier obligations and Ofgem’s approach to granting supply licences for specific geographic areas and for premises types. Fundamental drivers such as decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation - enabled by regulatory reforms such as market-wide half-hourly settlement and programmes like the smart meter roll-out - are set to enable new business models and consumer propositions that can deliver significant benefits to consumers. We are strongly supportive of efforts to enable innovation where it can achieve positive outcomes for consumers. However, reforms to enable more innovation must necessarily be balanced against whether well-established protections risk being eroded and where the ultimate net benefit to consumers lives.