It seems that the energy headlines are here to stay. Several weeks have passed now with little change in sentiment; there is a growing anti 'Big Six' feeling and people are demanding change.
The Government recently announced it would be holding an Energy Summit to discuss measures to help consumers save money on their energy bills. The meeting took place yesterday, attended by the Prime Minister and representatives from the energy companies plus consumer groups. I also attended.
The discussion focused on the short, medium and long term changes that must be implemented in the industry to generate change, with an emphasis on the 'Big Six' providing better assistance to guide customers towards better energy deals to ease short term bill issues this winter.
Whilst this will certainly help consumers in the short term, it's clear we also need to look at ways to help people get a better deal in the longer term. Increased competition in the market is vital to this, and something which we are campaigning on, as you may have seen from the launch of our recent Manifesto.
It's clear there's a long way to go before a fully competitive marketplace is created, but there are other ways in which energy firms can help consumers take back control. For example smart meters. Giving people unprecedented levels of information and control over their energy usage, this technology can help people make long-term changes to how they use energy and therefore enable them to reduce their bills.
There is much to do to achieve the levels of reform that the energy industry so badly needs. However it does now seem that the journey has begun more earnestly than ever before, particularly amongst Government. Let's hope the momentum picks up and we do indeed move towards real change.
Mark Daeche is co-founder of First Utility, an independent energy supplier.