Ovo Vitality launches eleventh-hour method for collapsed rival Bulb

Ovo Vitality has launched a last-minute effort to purchase failed rival Bulb Vitality nearly a yr right into a nationalisation that has price the taxpayer at the least £4bn.

Bulb was Britain’s seventh-largest family vitality provider when it collapsed final November as the results of hovering vitality costs, insufficient capitalisation and its failure to purchase gasoline upfront. Its bailout is predicted to be the costliest because the rescue of RBS throughout the 2008 monetary disaster.

The corporate, which has 1.4mn prospects, has been quickly nationalised and is ready for a long-running gross sales course of to finish, months after it closed in July.

Octopus Vitality had been the one firm left within the working for Bulb after British Fuel proprietor Centrica and Center East vitality group Masdar pulled out.

However in line with Bulb’s directors Teneo, Ovo on Thursday submitted a letter of intent to Lazards, which is dealing with the gross sales course of. The method was first reported by Sky Information.

No phrases of the proposed Ovo deal have been launched. A provider with the mixed prospects of Bulb and Ovo — Britain’s third-biggest vitality provider — would have nearly a fifth of the UK market, rivalling British Fuel, the biggest firm within the sector.

Ovo first made an method for Bulb quickly after it collapsed final November however didn’t make a proper supply throughout the gross sales course of this summer time. When it launched accounts for 2021 final month, Ovo revealed that till current authorities interventions it had been below monetary strain and at risk of breaching financial institution covenants.

It’s unclear whether or not the federal government may settle for a bid from Ovo because the gross sales course of is already closed. The Division for Enterprise, Vitality and Industrial Technique declined to remark.

In talks over its proposed deal, Octopus has requested the federal government to lock in Bulb’s gasoline purchases at a value of about £1bn, though the federal government can be repaid because the vitality is used, in line with individuals near the Octopus bid. Treasury guidelines forestall directors of nationalised firms from hedging.

Octopus would pay greater than £100mn up entrance for Bulb and in addition pay a share of any income on the purchasers it inherits from the corporate, the individuals stated.

About 30 vitality suppliers collapsed final yr as the results of insufficient capitalisation and rising wholesale gasoline costs. Though most prospects of failed suppliers have been transferred to bigger rivals, Bulb was thought-about too massive so it was nationalised, with the associated fee borne by taxpayers.

Households are already paying about £94 a yr to cowl lossmaking prospects from different collapsed firms transferred to new suppliers. That’s anticipated to rise when the federal government transfers the estimated £4bn price of Bulb’s collapse to payments subsequent yr.