Thames and Business Stream call for retail market clarity

The bosses of two water retailers have called for more clarity in the design of the English water market ahead of the publication of MAP3 this week.

Business Stream chief executive Johanna Dow and Thames Water Commercial Services director Graham Southall have told Utility Week that with less than two years until market opening, that there is still a lack of details around exactly how the market will function.

Dow said there are currently “no details on how [the market] will look” and that there is “not enough information” for the companies to currently work from.

She added that in order for the market to function properly “it not just needs to be seen as, but actually needs to be a level playing field” for the different retailers. “We want to be comfortable that everyone will be able to compete from the same basis as the incumbent retailers.”

The Business Stream chief executive also praised Ofwat for stating its intention to conduct gateway reviews into the market opening process, stating they will “remove doubts and concerns on how the market will operate”.

Dow added that “huge progress has been made, especially over the last 12 months” in terms of developing the market infrastructure, but warns that “there is still a lot of work to be done for the market to open”.

This view is shared by Southall, who told Utility Week: “There is not a lot happening on the surface but below the surface it is moving forward.”

He also echoed Dow’s comments that more detail is still needed about the market opening process. “We need to know who is doing what and that we’re all pulling in the right direction,” Southall said.

The third iteration of the market architecture plan (MAP3) is due to be published this week, outlining in more detail than the December version the arrangements governing all interactions between wholesalers and retailers in the competitive retail market for non-household customers.