UK power firm stops taking new customers amid escalating crisis

The British government held an emergency meeting with small power suppliers on Tuesday, and by the late afternoon Igloo, Green, Ampower, Utilita and NEO Energy had posted notices on their websites saying they were closed to new business.

A raft of small U.K. gas and power suppliers stopped accepting new customers in a dramatic escalation of the country’s energy crisis.

The British government held an emergency meeting with small power suppliers on Tuesday, and by the late afternoon Igloo, Green, Ampower, Utilita and NEO Energy had posted notices on their websites saying they were closed to new business. Hours later, the regulator demanded five small companies pay overdue levies owed to the government.

And in another sign of tension, three companies — Delta, Ampower and Avro — were issued orders that they had failed to present enough collateral to trade power. Elexon, which settles trades and ensures electricity generators and suppliers pay and are paid the right amount, released the statements late on Tuesday.