November 8, 2021
The High Court on Friday gave declarations of insolvency sought urgently in relation to six energy supply companies – Ampower, CNG Energy, CNG Energy, MA Energy, Omni Energy and Zebra Power. The declarations – made by reference to s. 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986 – enable the regulator OFGEM to take steps to revoke the companies’ energy supply licences and manage those companies’ energy customers going forward. All of them were filed last week and heard in a single morning by HHJ Johns QC. Lara Hassell-Hart and Elizabeth Walsh appeared for the Claimant, the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority acting through OFGEM, and were successful in respect of all six claims.
These claims follow a number of recent applications in respect of insolvent energy suppliers that have attracted widespread media attention. This includes one (Bluegreen Energy) heard earlier last week before Miles J in the Interim Applications Court, as well as Avro Energy, People’s Energy, Green Supplier, Utility Point, PFP Energy, MoneyPlus Energy, Igloo Energy, ENSTROGA and Goto Energy, all of which have ceased trading since August. Lara has successfully appeared for OFGEM in the High Court in respect of all of these companies.
