British Gas Evolve has been appointed to take on Simplicity’s customers, while EDF takes on Green Network Energy’s, following the collapse of the two small suppliers last week.
The two Big Six companies have been appointed as part of Ofgem’s Supplier of Last Resort program, helping to ensure that all of Simplicity and Green Network Energy’s customers do not have their electricity and gas supplies interrupted despite the closures.
Ofgem announced both companies were ceasing to trade last week, marking the two latest casualties of the competitive market.
British Gas Evolve – which was launched by parent company Centrica in October as a 100% renewable digital-first residential energy brand – will take on Simplicity’s 53,000 residential energy supply customers.
Peter Simon, managing director of British Gas Evolve, welcomed the customers and said they would do everything to ensure the switch was smooth.
“We’ll be offering them a bespoke market competitive tariff and they will be supplied with 100% green electricity. With British Gas Evolve, our aim is to offer residential customers a low cost and reliable service from a trusted provider. We have taken what we know works from disrupter brands and combined it with our vast experience in the energy market to create a new customer offer that we think is well suited to the Simplicity Energy customers.”
EDF will take on Green Network Energy’s 360,000 domestic customers as well as a smaller number of non-domestic customers, and also stated they would endeavor to make the switch as smooth as possible.
Managing director for EDF’s Customers business, Philippe Commaret, said: “We are pleased to be able to step in to support the customers of Green Network Energy, who will have been concerned to hear that their existing supplier has unfortunately ceased trading. We are working closely with the supplier to ensure a smooth transition and ensure that customers are switched over as quickly as possible, with everything taken care of for them.”
Customers were switched over on Sunday 31 January 2021, and do not need to do anything Ofgem cautioned. EDF and British Gas Evolve will begin contacting customers now about any changes.
