Company strategy

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Unlocking the true value of human capital

A roundtable of HR directors hosted by Energy & Utility Skills found that utilities are in good shape when it comes to putting a proper value on people and skills – but there is much work ahead, says Nick Ellins.

5 years ago

Electricity demand set to reduce if UK workforce self-isolates

National Grid ESO is predicting a reduction in electricity demand in the case of the coronavirus spread prompting a lockdown across the country. Its analysis was included in an update from the Energy Networks Association, in which it sought to reassure the public that contingency plans are in place to ensure services are unaffected by the virus.

5 years ago

Time to help the vulnerable

There were some thought-provoking debates at Utility Week’s Consumer Debt Conference. Chair, Denise Chevin, picks out her five takeaways, including the impact of zero-hour contracts, remote switching and the need to look at vulnerability in a more holistic way.

5 years ago

Together Energy bans face to face sales due to coronavirus

Scottish challenger energy brand Together Energy has suspended its door to door sales teams with immediate effect and is encouraging other retailers to do the same. The supplier says it hopes the suspension will be short-term.

5 years ago

DNOs plead for clarity on pandemic position

A senior figure at one of the country’s distribution network operators (DNO) has called for a clear message on how its workers will be treated if the coronavirus spread becomes a pandemic in the UK. They said Ofgem needed to confirm which licence conditions would be relaxed in such a situation and that a discussion was also necessary about social distancing rules for lifeline service providers.

5 years ago

EDF buys iSupply Energy customers from Vattenfall

5 years ago

Equitix buys smart meter portfolio for £291m

Investment management company Equitix has purchased around 187,000 smart meters for £291 million from Smart Metering Systems. The portfolio belonging to Crail Meters Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of SMS, had an average asset life of around 4.7 years and generated around £18.4 million of annual revenue last year.

5 years ago

Bank’s data specialist joins Ofgem board

Ofgem has appointed the chief data officer of Lloyds Banking Group as its new non-executive director. The new role for Barry Panayi, which starts on Monday, was hinted at by the regulator’s chairman Martin Cave in a speech at Utility Week’s Investor Summit last week.

5 years ago

Coronavirus fears to hit smart meter installations

5 years ago

Intelligent debt recovery

Mark Sussex, head of international, illion Digital Tech Solutions, discusses how smaller suppliers can differentiate themselves through the way they handle customers experiencing payment difficulties. Sussex argues that harnessing technology to assess affordability is key.

5 years ago

Castle acquires Affinity for Business

5 years ago

Kaluza and EDF launch smart storage heating trial

5 years ago

On the move: Anglian CEO joins climate action group

Several senior appointments have been announced across the sector recently. Anglian Water’s chief executive Peter Simpson and EDF Energy chairman Colin Matthews will co-chair a group of businesses working together to tackle climate change. Utility Week takes a look at these and some of the other movements from across the industry.

5 years ago

Cox dismisses credit rating downgrades

Ofwat chairman Jonson Cox has dismissed fears over the financeability of water companies in the wake of PR19, accusing managements of using the threat of credit rating downgrades to put pressure on the regulator. Cox's comments came as Ofwat revealed the results of its annual investor survey.

5 years ago

Utilities seen as ‘safe havens’ amid market turmoil

As the stock markets suffered a bloodbath, analysts have pointed to the resilience of water companies and the National Grid. They have also given their views on the 17 per cent fall recorded by Centrica.

5 years ago

Capacity auction sees price rebound

5 years ago

Water sector fights hard on customer satisfaction

Water companies beat the all-sector average on customer satisfaction, but drill down into the data and there is still work to be done with younger customers,

5 years ago

Delivering the networks of the future

We spoke to Steven Read, trainee programmes manager at UK Power Networks, about how apprenticeships will be crucial to developing the smart infrastructure of the future.

5 years ago

Share big data to meet net zero

Using the fundamentals of open, shared data to improve the accuracy of predictions will be central to effectively managing power networks as we rapidly adapt to and enable a net zero world. Patrick Erwin of Northern Powergrid dscusses.

5 years ago

Mixing energy and water

In the latest of a series of articles exclusively for Utility Week members, Maxine Frerk – former senior partner networks at Ofgem – gives her view on the price control processes across the utilities sector. She examines the themes emerging from the PR19 appeals and what read across we can identify for the price reviews in energy.

5 years ago