Tony Cocker does not like the term “the Big Six”. It refers to E.ON, RWE, Centrica, EDF Energy, ScottishPower and SSE, who together supply 99 per cent of the UK’s electricity and gas and generate about two thirds of its power. As the industry’s reputation has sunk, he argues it has become a pejorative term that implies that all six companies are the same.
Nevertheless, differentiating themselves to cynical consumers is becoming increasingly difficult. The industry is becoming more regulated, so companies have to fall into line on everything from smart meters and home insulation programmes to how many tariffs