Trade body, UKHospitality is calling on the sector to support its demand for Ofgem to rapidly implement the recommendations from its energy market review.

UKHospitality says hospitality ‘needs to unite to demonstrate the urgent need for the energy market regulator to move swiftly in enacting its recommendations’.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality said:

“Sky-high energy costs have decimated so many hospitality business, including those suffering from contracts fixed at prices far above current market rates.”

“The Ofgem review was crystal clear that many of the issues facing businesses lie at the door of energy suppliers. Whether it is refusing to renegotiate contracts, demanding enormous deposits, or simply refusing to supply the sector, it’s clear that some energy suppliers are mistreating the sector”.

In order to enact what it says will be ‘meaningful change’, UKHospitality is calling on Ofgem to enact five key changes designed to ‘clean up the energy market’…

UKHospitality’s #FiveAsksForOfgem

1. Encourage suppliers to resolve issues many businesses are facing with high energy contracts, including direct and immediate communication to suppliers from Ofgem
2. Offer greater transparency to customers, deliver more timely responses to complaints ad drive better practise in setting deemed rates
3. Deliver wider access to the energy ombudsman
4. Put in place measures to prevent the blacklisting of entire sectors, particularly hospitality
5. Improve regulation of energy brokers, including extending protections to more businesses.

Nicholls continues:

“The consultation is an opportunity for the sector to unite and demonstrate the strength of feeling that Ofgem needs to take action urgently.”

“Businesses cannot withstand inaction any longer and the market needs to be urgently fixed.

“I would urge every business and person working within hospitality to back our #FiveAsksForOfgem and respond to the consultation. Your voice is essential.”

Ofgem has said that it believes its new policy proposals are ‘proportionate’ and ‘will hold suppliers to account while bringing positive benefits to non-domestic consumers’.

By Wednesday 6 September, UKHospitality is asking operators to respond to the consultation to support their key asks and calls for swift action.

The process is simple and will only take a few minutes of your time; you can send the template email unchanged or you have the ability to fully customise your response, with details of how you have been impacted by the energy crisis. 

Show your support for the #FiveAsksForOfgem campaign.