Leader: 2015: Six of the best

What a year it’s been! A new government, new regulatory regimes and – apparently – some completely new policies. We take a moment to remember some of the biggest stories of the year:

•    The nation turned true-blue in May, with the unexpected outright victory of the Conservatives in the general election. Utilities’ initial relief at having swerved Labour’s price freeze soon gave way to confusion and concern as the new government took an axe to renewables subsidies. Into that chaos came some sort of order this winter, as new energy secretary Amber Rudd outlined her “reset” of the last government’s energy policy. It’s all about gas now.
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•    The results of the CMA inquiry into the energy market, once anticipated as the event of the year, went with more of a whimper than a bang. The interim findings were released shortly after the election in the summer, and on many of the key structural grounds, they gave the market a clean bill of health.

•    As the energy landscape shifts, companies are experiencing their own seismic changes. Three of the big six – Eon, followed by Centrica and RWE – have announced major strategic overhauls. National Grid, meanwhile, is flogging its gas distribution businesses while promising a “demand-side revolution” and bidding a fond farewell to outgoing chief executive Steve Holliday.

•    Much to their surprise, the networks, usually the backroom boys of the energy sector, found themselves up in front of the CMA as well this year. British Gas took the unprecedented step of making a third party referral to the CMA, complaining that Ofgem’s RIIO-ED1 settlement was too generous to the networks. Northern Powergrid also called in the CMA, claiming it wasn’t generous enough. In the end, the networks came off best, with the CMA dismissing four of British Gas’s five grounds of appeal and British Gas having to pick up Ofgem’s legal tab.

•    The water sector spent most of the year thanking its lucky stars it wasn’t in energy, managing to stay out of the political spotlight up to and during the general election. All that changed last month, however, with the Treasury’s shock announcement that it wants to see the wheels of domestic competition in motion by the end of this parliament in 2020.

•    Some water companies, meanwhile, had their own dramas to play out. Chief among them was United Utilities, which had a painful cryptosporidium incident this summer, swiftly followed by bearing the brunt of Storm Desmond, alongside DNO ENW.

That’s all from Utility Week in print for 2015. We’ll be breaking news online throughout December at utilityweek.co.uk, and we look forward to seeing you all again in the new year. A very merry Christmas – and here’s hoping for mild weather!