Non-domestic water retail

Bentley beefs up customer service as top priority

Thames has recruited more than 180 people to improve its customer experience, as chief executive Sarah Bentley describes the “substantial journey ahead”.

Welsh Water – innovating for AMP7

Peter Perry, who joined Welsh Water as an apprentice, became chief executive in the midst of the pandemic after Chris Jones retired in April. He chats with Utility Week about getting through 2020, the projects that excite him for AMP7 and what billpayers expect from their water company

Verastar appoints former TalkTalk MD as chief executive

Business utility provider Verastar Group has appointed a former TalkTalk and Virgin Media director as its new chief executive. Verastar, which achieved a turnover of £183 million in its last financial year, currently provides water to around 110,000 accounts and electricity and gas to 26,000 accounts.

Government must reinstate shelved water ambitions

Are you letting the Covid crisis go to waste? 

Dean Wheeler, partner at management consultancy firm Reson8, says the pandemic has given water and wastewater asset managers a chance to think about maintenance differently and move to a 'less is more' approach.

Supply chain predicts revenue downturn for next year

The impact of lockdown is expected to still be felt by members of the supply chain into 2021, according to a British Water survey that shows a third of companies anticipate revenues to be reduced in the next six to 12 months

Emma Howard Boyd: ‘Environmental fines need to hurt’

SVT accelerates green recovery spending

Listed company Severn Trent reported a revenue fall of around £30 million because of the pandemic in the first six months of AMP7. It is accelerating opex projects including waste to energy to aid with the country's green recovery.

Retail market performance charges to resume in January

Ofwat has confirmed the temporary suspension of market performance charges will continue until the end of December. Amounts that would have been due will still be recorded but will not be payable.

Ofwat names innovation partners

Riding the Wave of 2020

It has been an extremely challenging year for the non-household water market, and as Wave chief executive Lucy Darch tells Utility Week, retailers started out with little resilience to deal with the fallout. She gives her view on how to strengthen the sector for the future and what a second lockdown means for customers.

Enhanced protection for business customers proposed

Locking down retailer protections

The second lockdown has forced many businesses across the UK to close once again. However, the full suite of protections for non-domestic water customers have not been reinstated. Utility Week talks to the chief executives of Business Stream, Castle Water, Water Plus, Waterscan and Wave, among others, about their concerns on how the latest restrictions will affect an already fragile market.

Water sector unveils plan to cut emissions by 10m tonnes

Christine McGourty: Time for action not delegation

The climate crisis is the biggest challenge we are facing and we cannot expect politicians to sort it out: we all have a part to play, writes Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK