Wealth inequality has been rising for the last forty years and today the richest 10% of household hold 43% of the country’s wealth and the bottom 50% under a tenth.

There is evidence that high inequality has multiple negative consequences for individuals and societies, and possibly undermines democracy itself.

State intervention in the energy sector has become increasingly evident, even in the most liberal arrangement of electricity markets –including in the UK. However, the literature treats these as marginal interventions to provide incentives or reduce business risks. This presentation will argue that the role of state intervention is more structural that just intervention on price signals.