Ovo Energy to pay more than £10m over prepayment meter monitoring failings
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EN: The preposition 'for' followed by a gerund (verb+ing) is used to express the reason or cause for an action, especially in legal or official contexts like penalties or rewards.
He was fined for speeding in a school zone.
EN: The modal verb 'must' expresses a strong obligation or necessity, often imposed by a law, rule, or authority.
All employees must wear a safety helmet on the construction site.
EN: In the UK, 'vulnerable customers' refers to people who may be at greater risk of harm or loss due to their personal circumstances, such as age, physical or mental health issues, or low income. Energy companies have a legal obligation to provide extra support to these individuals, especially regarding their heating and electricity supply.
EN: The Present Perfect Tense (have/has + past participle) is used here to describe a past action (agreeing to pay) that has a significant impact or relevance to the present situation.
The government has announced new measures to tackle inflation.
EN: Apposition is a grammatical construction in which two elements, typically noun phrases, are placed side by side so that one identifies or explains the other. Here, 'Ofgem' explains who the 'British energy regulator' is.
My brother, a talented musician, lives in London.
EN: Ofgem is the government regulator for the electricity and downstream natural gas markets in Great Britain. It plays a crucial role in protecting consumers, especially vulnerable ones, by ensuring energy companies follow strict rules.
EN: The Noun Clause with 'that': The word 'that' introduces a subordinate clause that functions as the direct object of the verb 'discovered'. It tells us exactly what was discovered.
The study discovered that many people prefer working from home.
EN: Relative Clause with 'who': This is an adjective clause used to provide more information about the noun 'customers'. 'Who' is the relative pronoun acting as the subject of the clause.
I have a friend who lives in London.
EN: In the UK, 'vulnerable customers' is a specific term used by regulators like Ofgem to refer to people who may be at greater risk of harm, such as the elderly, those with disabilities, or people facing financial hardship. 'Prepayment meters' are often associated with lower-income households as they allow for pay-as-you-go energy use, but they can lead to self-disconnection if the customer runs out of money.
EN: The modal structure 'could have + past participle' is used to express a past possibility or potential that something was capable of happening, even if it didn't necessarily occur.
The heavy rain could have caused a flood if it hadn't stopped.
EN: The phrase 'expose someone to something' means to put someone in a situation where they are not protected from something dangerous or unpleasant.
The new policy might expose the company to legal action.
EN: In the UK, 'the regulator' in the energy sector refers to Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets). They have significant powers to fine companies that fail to protect 'vulnerable customers,' a term specifically used for people who are elderly, disabled, or on low incomes and might struggle to pay for or access essential services.
EN: Relative Clauses with 'that': A relative clause provides more information about a noun (the antecedent). In this sentence, 'that requires...' describes the 'device'.
This is a machine that makes coffee automatically.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement: In the relative clause, the verb 'requires' is in the third-person singular form because it refers back to 'a device'.
He has a car that runs on electricity.
EN: In the UK, prepayment meters are common for households that struggle with budgeting or have previous debt with energy suppliers. They are often more expensive than standard credit meters, which is why they are a focus for regulators like Ofgem when protecting vulnerable citizens.
EN: Passive Voice (be + past participle): Used when the action is more important than the person performing it. Here, 'are used' focuses on the meters.
The classroom is cleaned by students every day.
EN: Relative Clauses with 'who': Used to provide more information about a person or group of people. In this sentence, two clauses describe the 'people'.
I know a woman who speaks five languages.
EN: In the UK, prepayment meters are often associated with fuel poverty. While they help with budgeting, the tariffs are sometimes higher than standard credit meters, which can disproportionately affect low-income households.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause that provides more information about a person or people (in this case, 'customers').
The students who finished the test early were allowed to leave.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses are introduced by a comma and 'which'. They provide extra information about a noun (here, 'the priority services register') that is not essential to identify it.
He gave me his phone number, which I wrote on a piece of paper.
EN: The 'Priority Services Register' is a free support service in the UK energy market. It is designed to help people who are in vulnerable situations, such as the elderly, those with disabilities, or those with long-term health conditions, ensuring they receive extra help during power cuts or billing issues.
EN: The phrase 'As part of' is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that something is a component or a result of a larger agreement, process, or situation.
As part of the deal, the company will hire fifty new employees.
EN: The future tense 'will pay' is used here to express a firm commitment or a formal announcement of a future action resulting from an official decision.
The government will provide more funding for schools next year.
EN: In the UK, 'redress' refers to a system where companies compensate customers or pay into a fund to make up for poor service or regulatory failings. Ofgem uses these funds to support energy-related charities and vulnerable consumers.
EN: The future tense with 'will' is used here to express a firm commitment or promise made by the company as part of a formal agreement.
The government will provide financial aid to small businesses next year.
EN: Superactive adjectives like 'most vulnerable' are used to compare one group against all others in a category. 'Vulnerable' is a long adjective, so it requires 'most' to form the superlative.
This program aims to help the most talented students in the country.
EN: In the UK energy market, 'vulnerable customers' is a specific regulatory term referring to people who may be at greater risk of harm if their energy supply is cut off, such as the elderly, disabled, or those in financial hardship. Companies have legal obligations to protect them.
EN: The phrase 'instead of' is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that one thing is chosen or happens rather than another. It is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund.
We decided to walk instead of taking the bus.
EN: The passive voice ('was given') is used when the focus is on the action or the recipient of the action rather than the person or entity performing the action.
The award was given to the most hardworking student.
EN: In the UK, Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) is the government regulator for the electricity and downstream natural gas markets. When companies fail to meet standards, they often pay into a 'redress fund' which supports energy-related charities, rather than sending small individual checks to every customer, which can be administratively inefficient.
EN: Relative Clauses with 'Who': This sentence uses a defining relative clause ('who are eligible for this support') to specify exactly which customers are being discussed. The relative pronoun 'who' acts as the subject of the clause.
Students who finish the test early may leave the room.
EN: Passive Voice: 'Will be contacted' is the future simple passive. It is used when the action (contacting) is more important than the person performing it, or to maintain the focus on the 'Customers'.
The winners will be announced by the judges tomorrow.
EN: In the UK, energy regulators like Ofgem enforce strict rules to protect 'vulnerable customers' (those who are elderly, disabled, or on low incomes). When companies fail, they often pay into a 'redress fund' which supports energy-related charities, rather than sending small checks to every individual, which is more efficient for large-scale settlements.
EN: The Present Continuous tense (is + verb-ing) is used here to describe an action that is happening now or is currently in progress over a period of time.
The company is currently expanding its services to other countries.
EN: The preposition 'to' is used to indicate the recipient of an action, specifically the people receiving the payment in this context.
She sent a formal letter to her manager.
EN: The Scottish Highlands and islands are remote areas of the UK. Providing utility services and technical support (like engineers) to these regions is often more logistically challenging and expensive than in urban areas, which is why Ofgem monitors service equality for these rural customers.
EN: The verb 'found' is followed by a 'that' clause, which functions as the direct object of the sentence. This structure is commonly used to report findings, facts, or opinions.
Researchers found that regular exercise improves mental health.
EN: The phrase 'have access to' is a common collocation meaning the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something. In this sentence, it is used in the negative past tense.
Many people in the village do not have access to clean water.
EN: In the UK, 'rural customers' in areas like the Scottish Highlands often face challenges with infrastructure and service delivery due to the remote and rugged geography. Regulatory bodies like Ofgem ensure that these populations are not neglected by service providers.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' can be used to refer to the entire preceding clause, rather than just the noun before it. This is called a sentential relative clause and is always preceded by a comma.
He passed the exam, which surprised everyone.
EN: The passive voice construction 'were left' (be + past participle) indicates that the subjects (many people) were placed in a certain state or condition by external circumstances.
The windows were left open all night.
EN: The phrase 'take steps' is a common collocation meaning to perform a series of actions to achieve a particular goal.
The government is taking steps to reduce air pollution.
EN: The infinitive 'to help' functions as an adverbial of purpose, explaining why the steps were taken.
She saved money to buy a new car.
EN: In the UK energy market, 'vulnerable customers' is a formal term used by regulators like Ofgem to refer to people who may be at greater risk of harm, such as the elderly, disabled, or those in financial hardship.
EN: The Past Perfect Passive ('had been' + past participle) is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past, emphasizing the state of the subject.
The documents had been signed before the meeting started.
EN: The relative clause starting with 'who' provides essential information about the 'people' being discussed. In this case, it defines which specific group of people received visits.
The doctor helped the patients who were waiting in the hall.
EN: In the UK, energy companies have a legal 'Social Obligation' to protect vulnerable customers, especially during winter. 'Welfare visits' are physical checks to ensure that people (like the elderly or disabled) are safe and have heating, reflecting the strict regulatory environment overseen by Ofgem.
EN: The Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. In this sentence, 'had not responded' happened before 'were made'.
The train had already left when I arrived at the station.
EN: The Passive Voice (be + past participle) is used when the focus is on the action or the recipient of the action rather than who performed it. 'These visits were made' focuses on the visits themselves.
The report was finished by the team yesterday.
EN: In the UK energy market, 'welfare visits' are a regulatory requirement for suppliers to ensure the safety of vulnerable customers, especially those who may have lost power or are in financial distress. This reflects the strict consumer protection laws enforced by Ofgem.
EN: The use of 'that' as a conjunction to introduce a noun clause (reported speech). It connects the reporting verb 'said' to the content of the statement.
The teacher said that the exam would be easy.
EN: Gerund as a subject: 'Failing' is a gerund (verb + -ing acting as a noun) which serves as the subject of the 'because' clause.
Smoking is bad for your health.
EN: In the UK, 'vulnerable customers' is a specific regulatory term used by Ofgem to describe people who may be at greater risk of harm due to their personal circumstances, such as age, physical or mental health, or financial stability. Energy companies have legal obligations to provide extra support to these individuals.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A type of energy meter where the customer pays for electricity or gas in advance.
The partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth.
A free service provided by energy suppliers and network operators to customers in need of extra help.
To do something to deal with a situation.