Smart utilities

Has Octopus Energy sparked a tidal wave of innovation in utilities?

To compete with new market entrants and business models, utility retailers need to broaden their innovation programmes. Olivia Law, innovation expert at Pollen8, explores what’s holding them back and how to overcome the barriers

‘We need an emergency mindset to tackle climate change’

Octopus Energy unveils independent ‘entech’ facility

Innovation and skills critical for keeping net zero ambitions on track

Severn Trent ramps up sewer monitoring

Severn Trent is ramping up its use of smart sewer monitoring devices after the success of a trial. The company reported 25 per cent fewer blockages and a 15 per cent reduction in pollution incidents during the first year of AMP7

EV drivers ‘need right to request chargepoints’

Thinktank Bright Blue has proposed a raft of new fiscal and regulatory policies to get the market for electric vehicles (EV) fully off the ground. This includes giving EV drivers a “right to request” an on-street chargepoint from their local authority.

Smart lessons from 2020

Centrica to hire 1,000 apprentices after years of ‘underrecruiting’

Bristol overhauls operations after wholesale success

Bristol Water’s wholesale division was voted the best performer by retailers in the inaugural R-Mex ratings and was consistently high in the preceding league tables. The company built the division to be customer-centric and is now applying that formula to the wider business. Chief operating officer Richard Price talks to Utility Week about what’s been achieved and what’s next in the strategy.

Case study: Reliability and resilience the key words for Mosswood

UK risks EV charging blackspots without funding boost

The government should hold Contracts for Difference (CfD) style auctions to spur a five-fold increase in the growth of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure network this decade, a right of centre thinktank has urged.

Smart meter rollout is reaching ‘critical mass’

Megaprojects can be built on time and on budget – if you know how

Tech Talk: Preparing for the grid of tomorrow

BEIS and Scottish government clash over smart installs

Ovo Energy launches flat-rate smart EV tariff

Ovo Energy and its technology arm Kaluza have launched a flat-rate electric vehicle (EV) tariff which they claim is the first of its kind. Ovo Drive Anytime is described as a “type of use” energy tariff and offers EV drivers a fee of 6p per kWh. While the tariff will still default to off-peak charging, customers have the option to override this and still pay the flat rate.

Electricity engineering standards should ‘start off with customers’

Shell buys UK’s largest public EV network

Landis+Gyr strikes further major smart meter deal with EDF

Elexon to oversee half hourly settlement

Code administrator Elexon has been selected by Ofgem as the senior responsible owner (SRO) for the implementation of Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS). Previous proposals had Ofgem as both programme sponsor and SRO. However in a consultation document the energy regulator unveiled plans to place responsibility for management and delivery of the programme with industry, with Elexon acting as SRO.