Water

United Utilities revenues down 5% due to Covid-19

WWT Learn@Lunch: Your Choice of Xylem Digital Solutions

The Xylem team will present and discuss digital solutions topics as chosen by the live audience on the day.

Improvements in water complaints skewed by Thames

For two thirds of water companies complaints fell last year but Thames saw a 57 per cent rise after going live with a new billing system and experiencing IT issues. CCW warned it and Southern to make quick improvements.

What to expect from CMA on PR19 appeals

The CMA is due to deliver its initial redetermination of the PR19 business plans from Anglian, Bristol, Northumbrian and Yorkshire imminently. Will it side with Ofwat or the companies on customer engagement, returns and resilience? Utility Week gauges the view of an analyst, legal expert and ratings agency.

SSE, Centrica and UU rank highly in sustainability index

Ambition to reach net zero has grown among FTSE 100 companies but many lack a clearly defined strategy to achieve the targets, says EcoAct with Centrica, SSE and United Utilities among those noted for their high performance

SVT commits to biodiversity with Boost campaign

On the move: Centrica, MOSL, Water Resources West

Starmer silent on renationalisation in virtual party conference speech

Keir Starmer underlined that tackling climate change will be at the heart of a future Labour government’s economic policy but was silent on utilities renationalisation in his first party conference speech as leader.

MOSL calls for innovation fund to be inclusive of non-domestic sector

Innovation in the water sector should not overlook the role the non-household suppliers and customers can play. MOSL has urged the sector to include non-household usage, data and the stakeholders as it moves forward with the 2050 Water Innovation Strategy

Natural capital value of SuDS outweighs costs

January will mark two years since sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS) became mandatory in Wales - a move which could soon follow in England. Welsh Water’s director of wastewater Steve Wilson tells Utility Week that during that time SuDS have vastly reduced the use of combined sewer overflows (CSOs), increased biodiversity and saved hundreds of properties from flooding.

Framework to measure sector diversity launched

Energy & Utility Skills has launched an inclusion framework to paint a picture of diversity across the utilities sector. It comes after concern was raised that many utilities companies do not ask their employees for information on their ethnicity, meaning there is little data on which to base any moves to make the sector more diverse.

Weekend press round-up: UK plans to bring forward ban on fossil fuel vehicles to 2030

In our latest review of sector coverage across the national newspapers, there is speculation that Boris Johnson is poised to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles. There is also coverage of a controversial code modification by SSEN that would give networks emergency powers to use a household’s smart meter to switch off their supply. Meanwhile, new figures have revealed that water companies pumped raw sewage into rivers nearly 300,000 times last year.

SVT help water voles return to Shropshire

The health of English rivers has come under fierce public scrutiny in recent months for declining biodiversity but in Shropshire 100 water voles have been reintroduced as part of work by Severn Trent and the EA

South West shares outperformance payments with billpayers

South West Water customers will be offered £20 in credit to their bill or as a share in parent company Pennon. Outperformance payments earned by South West in AMP6 will be distributed among billpayers as part of the WaterShare+ scheme

Making flexible working the new normal