Officials working for energy regulator Ofgem have spent thousands of pounds on ‘woke‘ events including movie nights and quizzes during working hours, the Mail can reveal.
At a time when Britain has been hit with some of the highest energy prices in Europe, the quango tasked with regulating such matters has a host of ‘staff networks’ given money to hold gatherings over the past year.
They included a ‘Pride Movie Night’, which started at 4.30pm on a Tuesday last July, as well as an ‘End of Pride Quiz’ which ran from 4pm to 5.30pm later that month.
Another gathering organised by the LGBT+ network was on ‘Perspectives from Rainbow Regulators’ which ran for almost 90 minutes on a Thursday afternoon last September.
The quango also held an event on the ‘art and history of black hair’ which lasted 75 minutes on a work day in October.
In total, Ofgem has spent £66,954 of the internal HR Equity, Diversity and Inclusion budget on staff networks since 2021, although funding was stopped in May 2024.
The figures were revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by the TaxPayers’ Alliance and shared exclusively with the Mail.
Ofgem has come under fire in recent years over the cost of bills, its handling of the prepayment meter scandal and its failure to prevent suppliers going bust.
Officials working for energy regulator Ofgem have spent thousands of pounds on ‘woke’ events including movie nights and quizzes during working hours, the Mail can reveal (stock image)
Joanna Marchong, of the TPA, said: ‘It’s beyond parody that as Brits face some of the highest energy prices in the world, our energy watchdog is spending time on woke movie nights and quizzes.
‘Ofgem has repeatedly failed billpayers with its endless meddling in the energy market, which has both added to the costs of bills while also failing to prevent major firms from going bust.
‘It’s clear that there is a complete lack of focus on the core priorities of the organisation.’
An Ofgem spokesman said: ‘Our workforce reflects the communities we serve, offering a wide range of experiences and skills which helps to support our work as an effective energy regulator.’
The spokesperson added: ‘Staff networks are no longer funded centrally following the introduction of the EDI Expenditure rules last year.’
