Markets and trading

ESO debuts first in new suite of frequency response services

Smart meters or emergency brakes?

Using blockchain to accelerate decarbonisation

Scottish Power nominates Elexon to manage half-hourly settlement programme

Habitat Energy begins trading in balancing mechanism as virtual lead party

Making a market for PPAs

Ofwat calls for wholesalers to support competitive markets

ESO proposes change to imbalance pricing

Ofwat to defer wholesale charges and adjust price cap

Fallout from coronavirus pandemic expected to depress power prices for years

Wholesalers say retailers should bridge liquidity gap

Water UK, on behalf of wholesalers, has told Ofwat that water retailers should pay 70 per cent of wholesale charges to ensure liquidity remains in the market. As part of Ofwat's consultation to find an enduring solution during coronavirus the group urged the regulator to avoid any moves that could disrupt the market's stability.

S&P keeping close eye on utilities’ access to debt

Matan Benjamin, director of infrastructure ratings for the utility sector at S&P Global Ratings, talks to Utility Week about how coronavirus has impacted utilities companies' short-term liquidity, and his view that investor perceptions of the industry will be key in the near future.

Electricity bill inertia may provoke consumer backlash

Expectations of falling electricity bills following the recent collapse in oil prices will will require “careful management” to avoid a negative reaction from customers. Keith Maclean, managing director of Providence Policy, told Utility Week that fixed costs now account for a significant proportion of expenditure in the power sector meaning even if there was a knock-on effect on gas prices, the ultimate impact on electricity bills would be fairly limited.

Coronavirus: Credit cover reduced to reflect falling electricity prices

MOSL and Ofwat change codes to protect retail market