BFY Group

👏 A huge congratulations to the latest cohort of operational leaders at E.ON Next on achieving their ILM Leadership Excellence accreditation, in partnership with BFY Group! Our partnership is all about practical, hands-on leadership development - combining immersive coaching with structured classroom learning to create a lasting impact. As part of the Limitless Leadership programme, BFY's experienced industry practitioners have been embedded in E.ON Next’s customer operations, delivering a tailored experience for over 350 leaders. Together, we're transforming leadership capability and building a high-performing culture, focused on customers, colleagues, and commercial outcomes. 👇 Ramona Vlasiu (COO), Chris Shead (Director of Customer Operations), and Stefan Guy (Director of Debt) highlight how our partnership is supporting E.ON Next's growth and performance below. #Energy #Utilities #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipExcellence

So Energy commissioned this report from BFY. It’s important to get a good grasp on the size of the challenge facing us in addressing fuel poverty and the report does a really good job of providing an up to date picture. There are suggestions for addressing the challenge in the report as well - very open to hearing your feedback, suggestions and alternative solutions (once you’ve read the report, out next week).

Our upcoming report highlights some alarming findings on fuel poverty. We estimate that 5.4m households (20% of all in Britain) are fuel poor - over a million more than the government’s current estimate. Energy bills are rising again, and the average shortfall in affordability is £550 per household, making the fuel poverty crisis a £3bn problem for Britain. It's evident that urgent action is needed. In our full report, we propose new, targeted solutions that could make a significant difference for struggling households. Join our mailing list below to receive the full report when it’s published. Click here to join: https://bit.ly/3Xno8Ab

New analysis from the BFY Group team suggests 5.4m households (20% of all in Britain) are in fuel poverty - significantly higher than the government's number of 4.2m. Energy bills are rising again, and the crisis will only deepen without new interventions. Our analysis suggests the average shortfall in affordability is £550 per household, creating a £3bn fuel poverty gap in Britain. In our upcoming report, we've proposed new, targeted solutions to help address the crisis and ease the financial pressure on households. 👇 Join our mailing list below to receive the full report when published. Join mailing list: https://bit.ly/3Xno8Ab

💷 Fuel poverty crisis is deeper than reported - requiring urgent action. 🏠 Our analysis suggests 5.4m households (20% of all in Britain) are in fuel poverty, which is higher than the government’s number of 4.2m. Energy bills are rising again, and the average shortfall in affordability stands at £550 per household, creating a £3bn fuel poverty gap that needs new interventions. We’ve proposed new, targeted solutions in our upcoming report to help address this crisis, and deliver a meaningful impact for households. 👇 Want the full report? Join our mailing list to receive it direct to your inbox when published. Join mailing list: https://lnkd.in/gs5u9uUE #FuelPoverty #Energy #Utilities #Debt

With April’s Price Cap increasing by £111 to £1,849 - and our forecasts suggesting it will remain above ~£1,800 for the rest of 2025 - affordability remains a key issue. Ofgem is consulting on a new zero standing charge option within the Price Cap, which could give customers more flexibility over how they pay for their energy. Shifting standing charges into unit rates could help lower-energy users, but it also introduces risks. Under the proposed ‘opt-in’ model, potential challenges include a £200m supplier shortfall and greater complexity for customers - particularly vulnerable households that are already less engaged with their energy supply. Matt Turner discusses the implications of this and the latest Price Cap increase below. Read more - https://bit.ly/4hVEvfD

⬆️ With April’s Price Cap rising by £111 to £1,849 - and projections indicating it'll stay above ~£1,800 throughout 2025 - affordability remains a major concern. 📊 Ofgem are consulting on a new zero standing charge option within the price cap, which could give customers more choice and control over their energy costs. Shifting standing charge costs into unit rates could ease the burden on lower-energy users, but potential risks remain. Under the proposed ‘opt-in’ approach, these risks include a possible £200m shortfall for suppliers and increased complexity for customers - especially vulnerable households that are already less engaged with their energy supply. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gD2B-BZz #Energy #Utilities #PriceCap

📊 Ofgem have today announced the energy Price Cap for April 2025 will be set at £1,849, reflecting a £111 (6.4%) increase from January’s headline value. This marks the third increase in a row and the highest level since January 2024. The increase has been largely driven by higher forward wholesale costs, which rose by ~20% during the observation window. Key points from today's announcement: - April Price Cap set at £1,849, an increase of £111 (6.4%) from January, marking the third consecutive rise - When adjusted for seasonal consumption, typical households could pay £,1850 from 1st April, £150 (9%) more than the 12 months to 31st March - Affordability remains a key concern, with the cap projected to remain above £1,800 throughout 2025 - Government action on fuel poverty increasingly urgent, with energy debt reaching ~£4bn and at least 5m households affected In our full article, Matt Turner and John de Bono also discuss Ofgem's plans for standing charge reform, with offering low or no standing charge tariffs to become a requirement for suppliers. There's also increasing pressure to shorten the back billing window to 6 months, carrying a £200m+ risk. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gD2B-BZz #Energy #Utilities #PriceCap #Affordability #Debt

💷 Despite improving macroeconomic conditions, energy debt continues to rise. 👇 Our latest insight, led by Rachel Littlewood, highlights how the Direct Debit system is creating a cycle of payment defaults and growing debt - calling for an industry-wide shift to drive real change for customers. In our full article, we explore: - The need for truly affordable payment arrangements and a nationwide fuel poverty strategy - The long-term impact of crisis-driven interventions and whether fixed payment models suit a fluctuating market - Why full transparency on industry debt is key to rebuilding customer trust and supporting the energy transition Read more: https://lnkd.in/e2cu9se4 #Energy #Utilities #Debt

The macroeconomic outlook is more positive than it was two years ago. Energy prices have dropped significantly, and incomes are outpacing inflation. So why does energy debt continue to rise? It’s evident that our traditional understanding of debt no longer fully captures the depth of the crisis. Without a change in approach, customer outcomes will continue to worsen. In our latest Market Insights update, Rachel Littlewood looks at the unique factors driving energy debt - going beyond energy prices and cost-of-living pressures. 👉 Traditional views on energy debt are no longer sufficient Even with a 30% decrease in bills since 2022, and incomes outpacing inflation, energy debt has continued to rise. While total debt balances are starting to stabilise, the number of customers in debt has increased by 6% since December 2023. 👉 The Direct Debit (DD) system is creating a cycle of failure Despite lower energy prices, payment default rates have increased by 27% year-on-year. This trend is different to other sectors like water, and suggests energy is caught in a cycle of failure. 👉 Price rises no longer explain the spike in DD failures While cost-of-living pressures have undoubtedly impacted many households, price increases alone cannot account for the rise in DD failures - pointing to underlying problems. 👉 The roots of DD failures lie in the pandemic Payment adequacy checks were suspended during the pandemic, meaning many customers underpaid for years, accumulating debt balances of ~£1,000 in some cases. As suppliers adjusted monthly payments to recover this, defaults increased, leaving many customers in a vicious cycle. 👉 Without fundamental change, the cycle will continue Default and debt cycles will continue without an industry-wide shift. Supplier policies to limit failed payments are often poorly executed and monitored, as advisors typically prioritise keeping risky DDs over potentially disengaging a customer. However, without sustainable payment solutions, this approach only prolongs the issue. Rachel shares potential solutions for these challenges here: https://bit.ly/4b8Tf88