Michael Lewis of E.ON: ‘Customers never felt the need to engage with energy – now they really do’

The chief executive of the UK's second-largest energy supplier has found his views on the industry have never been more in demand

Michael Lewis is not used to friends taking a keen interest in his job. But the energy crisis, which has driven dozens of suppliers under, has turned the tables for E.ON's UK chief executive.

I never thought I'd be standing at a friend's birthday party explaining the system marginal pricing of the electricity market," he laughs. But there I was, and I had an audience. They want to understand what happened - you explain why 29 suppliers failed and they're saying: Oh really? And we're all paying for that?'"