CNG Energy: What Happened?
CNG Energy Limited and CNG Electricity Limited announced they were ceasing to trade on 3 November 2021. Ofgem said the companies supplied around 41,000 non-domestic customers. Ofgem appointed Pozitive Energy to take over the affected gas and electricity customers. This archive records what happened. See Ofgem’s closure notice and its supplier appointment decision.
CNG supplied gas and electricity to UK businesses and worked with intermediaries in the non-domestic energy market. It also offered related services including metering and connections.
For many years, CNG built a strong profile in the UK non-domestic energy market and became a well-known name to many customers, brokers, and industry professionals. Like a number of other suppliers during the energy crisis, however, it was unable to survive the extreme disruption in wholesale energy markets.
About CNG
CNG Energy served non-domestic customers across the UK, including organisations such as schools, hotels and restaurants.
Prior to its collapse, CNG was known for working closely with customers and intermediaries in the business energy market. Its services extended beyond basic supply and included areas such as metering, connections, and broader energy-related support.
What Services Did CNG Offer?
Its business energy services included the following.
These included:
- business gas and electricity supply
- advanced metering services
- new energy connections
- energy efficiency support
- EV-related services
- gas shipping services
Why Did CNG Collapse?
CNG Energy Ltd collapsed in 2021 during a period of severe stress in the UK energy market.
The main driver was the sharp rise in wholesale energy prices, particularly gas prices, which placed huge pressure on suppliers across the sector. A number of companies failed during this period, especially those with limited room to absorb sudden cost increases.
Several factors contributed to supplier failures across the market:
1. Soaring wholesale energy prices
Wholesale gas and electricity prices rose dramatically, making it far more expensive for suppliers to buy energy. In many cases, suppliers were unable to recover those costs quickly enough.
2. Extreme market volatility
Prices moved rapidly and unpredictably. That made risk management much harder, especially for smaller suppliers and those with weaker hedging or lower financial resilience.
3. Pressure on margins
The market had already become highly competitive, with many suppliers competing aggressively on price. When wholesale costs surged, some suppliers no longer had the margin needed to remain viable.
4. Regulatory and operational obligations
Energy suppliers also faced a range of compliance, customer service, and industry funding obligations. During a market shock, those obligations became even harder for financially stretched suppliers to meet.
In short, CNG did not collapse in isolation. It failed during a wider energy market crisis that led to the collapse of multiple UK suppliers.
What Happened to Customers?
When a supplier fails, Ofgem steps in to protect customers and keep energy supplies running. This is done through the Supplier of Last Resort process, under which customers are transferred to a new supplier.
For affected customers, the priority is usually continuity of supply. Energy does not simply stop because a supplier has failed. The regulatory process is designed to keep customers connected while arrangements are made for a replacement supplier.
What Former CNG Customers Should Know
If you need to identify your supplier today, check the latest bill or supplier correspondence for the premises. The 2021 transfer identifies the supplier Ofgem appointed at the time. Your account may have changed supplier since then.
This site is intended to provide historical context and general information about the company and its collapse. It does not operate as the former supplier and does not manage historic customer accounts.
If you are researching CNG because of an old account, billing query, property issue, or general background check, this site may help explain what happened and why the company disappeared from the market.
A Historic Resource
CNG remains a recognised name within the UK energy sector, which is why people still search for it today. This site exists to preserve useful background information about the company, explain the circumstances of its collapse, and help people understand the wider market conditions that affected many suppliers at the time.