Water

Coping with coronavirus: How companies are reacting

As the utilities sector braces for a period of uncertainty, companies are keen to reassure customers that services will remain intact. Centrica, Eon, Npower, Octopus, Bristol, Portsmouth, Southern and Thames Water have told Utility Week how they are responding.

Business resilience versus the coronavirus

Within just a month coronavirus has soared to the top of the world’s lexicon, but for lifeline businesses like utilities ‘resilience’ is now running a close second, writes Suzanne Heneghan

Toddbrook inquiry calls for new reservoir safety measures

EA says future water needs could exceed 3.4bn extra litres a day

The whole country must act quickly to avert water shortages of billions of litres every day by 2050, according to the EA's national resource framework. The plan recommends lowering demand, cutting leakage by half and collaborative working to ensure water is used wisely to meet the deficit in demand.

‘Cash for ash’ inquiry says Ofgem’s oversight was inadequate

Ofgem did not provide the Northern Irish government with a good enough service when administering the province’s botched renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme, the chair of the long running inquiry into the issue has concluded.

Water UK criticises ‘unclear’ government approach to efficiency

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.

Confusion over incoming business water rates

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.

United Utilities enacts pandemic response plan

Cox warns river pollution is next frontier of public outrage

Ofwat chairman Jonson Cox has claimed the water sector is falling “woefully short” on restoring the country’s rivers to a healthy state. Cox said that the issue could overtake leakage as the principal concern for the public about water company performance.

A real step-change in consumer awareness is on the cards

Wessex and Bristol downgraded following final determinations

The Great Correction?

The bloodbath on the stock market this week saw shares in the likes of Centrica, BP and Shell plummet, while the water companies and National Grid remained resilient. Analyst Nigel Hawkins discusses the varying fortunes of the listed utilities as they navigate a volatile market.

‘Environment Bill is a wasted opportunity’