Ofgem could force energy suppliers to pay rivals if they lure customers with cheaper deals

Ofgem says it is ‘preparing for what is likely to be a difficult winter for many households’. Photograph: Simon Dack/Alamy

Energy suppliers could be forced to pay a charge to rivals if they lure customers with cheaper deals, as the industry regulator for Great Britain attempts to prevent suppliers going bust this winter.

Ofgem has published a consultation on a proposal to reintroduce the market stabilisation charge (MSC), which aims to prevent suppliers failing if there is customer exodus, as it frets over the impact of sharp swings in energy prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.