Chris Maclean has seen a lot more CEOs and FDs engage with him over the subject of energy over the past few months. “We used to talk to facilities or junior procurement, but it’s now being taken a lot more seriously,” says Maclean, CEO of procurement firm Open Energy Market. “It’s defining sector competitiveness, business survival etc, so it’s at the top table.”
Given the volatility of energy markets over the past year, it’s not surprising. Household gas and electricity prices have increased by 214% and 114% respectively. Estonia, Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Denmark have seen the largest increases in energy costs.