coronavirus

Keeping Us Connected: SPEN drives support in the community

Our Keeping Us Connected campaign is showcasing how the utilities sector is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Here we take a look at how Scottish Power Energy Networks is supporting some of its most vulnerable customers, as well as keeping young children occupied during lockdown.

Sector welcomes extension of virus testing to all key workers

The government’s move to widen eligibility for coronavirus testing to all key workers will make a “massive difference” to the sector, Energy UK has said.

Smart meter delay should be used to ‘reset expectations’

Greg Jackson, chief executive of Octopus Energy, believes a six to 12 month delay may give the industry sufficient time to resolve connectivity issues. He said the delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic will not be as long as those resulting from technology issues in the programme's early days.

Keeping Us Connected: SVT extends support for suppliers and customers

Severn Trent has committed to paying £38 million to its small and medium-sized suppliers to help the businesses stay afloat while non-essential work is on-hold. As well as suppliers the company is assisting customers with bills and donating to community groups on the frontline during the pandemic.

‘Vast majority’ of iron mains replacement on hold

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.

Keeping Us Connected: Centrica saves foodbank

Low awareness of support ‘acute issue’ for vulnerable

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.

Decarbonisation of heat ‘offers chance to reskill post-lockdown’

A mass replacement of gas boilers within the next decade should be part of a post-coronavirus crisis economic stimulus package, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England has proposed. Sir John Gieve said the project to switch out 25 million boilers was an opportunity to mitigate the potential for low productivity in the recession likely to result from the pandemic.

Keeping Us Connected: Crisis Management

Energy UK interim chief executive Audrey Gallacher writes for Utility Week about how the sector has risen to the challenges presented by coronavirus. She is backing our Keeping Us Connected campaign as giving recognition “for those whose services go unnoticed in happier times, but have been shown to be indispensable when our country has been put to the test”.

Vickers: Tackling coronavirus puts sector on front foot for net zero

Matthew Vickers, chief executive at the Energy Ombudsman, tells Utility Week about the effects the virus has had on the service and about the worries over how SMEs are being affected with little protection. He does however remain optimistic that the lessons learned from the sector's response to the pandemic will be a key tool to achieving the 2050 net zero target.

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.

Increased consumption could be ‘tipping point’ for water capacity

The public health advice to wash hands for 20 seconds to help protect against coronavirus could mean additional water consumption of 10 litres per day for every person in the UK, an expert has claimed. Waterscan’s Barry Millar said this will cause serious problems for water-stressed parts of the UK if lockdown is extended into the summer.

New solar generation record hailed