Neil Barnes is Deputy Director, Future Retail Markets. He is responsible for future retail market design – exploring how the current ‘supplier hub’ market model might need to change to be fit for purpose as the market evolves.

Neil has worked at Ofgem for over ten years. He previously established Ofgem’s behavioural insight unit and oversaw the first large-scale trials to identify ways to prompt greater consumer engagement in the retail energy market. Prior to that, he was responsible for the monitoring of GB retail energy markets and overseeing Ofgem’s move to rely more on principles in the way it regulates energy suppliers.

Prior to joining Ofgem in 2008, Neil worked for ten years at HM Treasury as a senior economic adviser. He worked on a range of policy areas including competition, energy and financial services. During this period, he also spent time on secondment to the European Commission’s Competition Directorate General.