Utility Week articles from January 2006

Utility Week archives from January 2006

WATER New Defra initiative to curb farm pollution.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... by Janet Wood The government is to spend [pounds sterling]25 million setting up 40 river basin catchments in England with advisers who will work "one to one" with farmers to reduce water pollution from agriculture. The Department for...

ENERGY Centrica pension row ends.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... British Gas Services' fitters look likely to concede defeat in their bid to stop the company closing its final salary pension scheme to new employees. Under a draft deal, the Centrica subsidiary would still close the pension scheme, but in...

News.
January 13, 2006... North-South link The Northern Ireland administration has given planning permission for the northern section of a gas pipeline that will cross the border with Ireland. The pipeline will link into the North West pipeline and will allow for...

WATER 'Fit meters faster' to ease south east supply issues.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... Water companies should speed up the fitting of domestic water meters in the south east of England to help reduce demand and ease pressure on supplies, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater). Giving evidence to the Lords...

ENERGY DTI shuns users' demand for cut-off compensation.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... The government has shunned a demand by heavy industrial users for compensation if they have their gas supplies cut in emergency circumstances to avoid household blackouts. The Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG), which represents major...

WATER Welsh Water tells 28,000 to keep boiling their water.(boil their water)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... Welsh Water has told 28,000 customers served by its Cwellyn treatment works to boil their water until further notice to avoid the gut disease cryptosporidiosis. The National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales has identified the works...

Why risk it?(price of oil, gas and electricity)
January 13, 2006... Recent electricity price rises have thrown into stark relief the importance of companies having effective energy-buying strategies . By Chris Bowden Does the UK have access to enough gas? Will gas prices rise any further? These are the two...

Decision time.
January 13, 2006... Climate change, nuclear power, water competition 2006 is destined to be the year that many major utility issues hit the headlines . Utility Week reports Expect a busy and rather fraught 12 months, particularly during the first half of...

ELECTRICITY Eon drops refurb plan in favour of new plant.
January 13, 2006... by Vic Wyman Eon UK has dropped its plan to convert its 1,355MW oil-fired power plant on the Isle of Grain to gas in favour of building a new [pounds sterling]350 million, 1,200MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) station on the site. ...

eLECTRICITY Scientists lash lack of nuclear know-how.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... Britain's senior scientific body has warned that a bid by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) to gain public support for the long-term management of nuclear waste risks being undermined because of insufficient technical input....

PAN-UTILITY Utilities people honoured.(Adrian Montague)(David Varney)(Henry Derwent)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... British Energy chairman Adrian Montague received a knighthood for services to the nuclear and electricity industry in the New Year Honours list, leading a total ten utility industry people given awards by the Queen. David Varney, now...

ELECTRICITY Plant loss shoots Ulster bulk peak to [pounds sterling]500/MWh.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... The breakdown last month of Northern Ireland's Coolkeeragh power station, owned by Republic of Ireland power firm ESB, has caused electricity costs for the province's supplier to soar, hitting up to [pounds sterling]500/MWh, according to...

GAS Group seeks consent for new LNG terminal.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... by Roger Milne The new year has kicked off with a burst of activity on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) front, underlining the fuel's increasingly important role for the UK's security of energy supply. Plans to develop the UK's fourth...

ELECTRICITY Generators seek late emissions rule steer.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... by Roger Milne Coal-fired generators covered by strict European Union rules on air pollution were seeking eleventh-hour clarification from government this week following key - and belated - decisions on how the new regime will be...

Smart money is on a mixed approach to energy buying.
January 13, 2006... Welcome to the first issue of 2006, a year expected to see even more excitement and activity in the utility sector than 2005. The traditional lack of news over the holiday period meant the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas supplies...

Utility networks are safe with BT.
January 13, 2006... Sir: I write in response to the article "Delays on the Line" (Utility Week, 2 December 2005) and would like to make clear that BT is actively engaged with the utilities industry to agree how the existing services that underpin utility network...

News.
January 13, 2006... Bugs Fife The average bacterial contamination of Scotland's bathing waters fell to 166 counts per 100ml in 2005 from 388 in 2000. Fifty-seven of 60 beaches monitored in summer 2005 met European Union Bathing Water Directive standards, said...

ENERGY Firms fear fall of red tape wall.
January 13, 2006... by Steve Hobson Energy regulator Ofgem's efforts to be at the forefront of the Department of Trade and Industry's better regulation agenda could be thwarted by "vested interests" in the energy sector, according to Ofgem chief executive...

More waves for security of supply.(climate change policy review)
January 13, 2006... The Lib Dem leadership battle and the government reshuffle loomed large this week; so did energy issues Parliament is back in business after the Christmas and New Year break and energy and green issues are major topics of interest,...

WATER No help in SW 'rank hypocrisy'.(South West)(water charges)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... A south west of England MP has called on the government to offer water customers in the West Country similar subsidies to those available in Northern Ireland to ease the burden of affordability for low income groups. Truro and St Austell...

WATER Cost cuts boost Scots' surplus.(Scottish Water )(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... An [pounds sterling]8.4 million cut in operating costs helped Scottish Water almost double its surplus before tax to [pounds sterling]104.8 million in the six months to 30 September 2005. Sales were up [pounds sterling]23.4 million to [pounds...

Features.
January 13, 2006... The process of arriving at price controls for water companies is a complex one. The regulator has to balance carefully the competing demands of water companies and their shareholders, environmental and quality regulators, government and...

ENERGY Scots slammed for seeking land buy rights.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... ScottishPower has drawn heavy criticism from green activists for applying for compulsory purchase powers to help it build windfarms in the UK. The criticism came from environmental lobby group the Renewable Energy Foundation. It described...

Star turns.
January 13, 2006... Utilities rode the wave of stock market recovery last year, but for some the celebrations were muted . Nigel Hawkins separates the best from the rest Last year marked another 12 months of recovery both for the stock market generally and...

Lashed by the CAT.(Competition Act)
January 13, 2006... In March, the Competition Act will have been fully in force for five years. The Act introduced two important prohibitions into UK domestic law, a "Chapter One" prohibition on anti-competitive agreements (cartels) and a "Chapter Two" prohibition...

WATER Staff sent home in Southern probe.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... Nine customer services workers at Southern Water are on paid leave as a result of a continuing investigation into inconsistent reporting and handling of customer enquiries and complaints. Six of the nine have been on paid leave since...

eNVIRONMENT Ministers urged to extend UK carbon trade scheme.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2006... Plans under consideration by the government to extend the scale and scope of the UK's voluntary emissions trading scheme (ETS) have received strong support from the Carbon Trust. The organisation, which helps businesses cut their greenhouse...

WATER Rising costs wipe out efficiency savings.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
January 13, 2006... by Janet Wood Water company operating efficiency savings in 2003-05 were wiped out by energy and staffing costs and the introduction of higher sewage standards, according to a new report from Ofwat. Water and Sewerage Service Unit...

WATER Short-term licences may leave investors stranded.(Environment Agency water abstraction licences)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... Water regulator Ofwat has warned that the Environment Agency's new time-limited water abstraction licences are too short-term for water supply industry investment cycles. Most abstraction licences are now granted on a time-limited basis....

WATER Crucial competition decision awaits extra facts.(Albion Water, Shotton Paper Mill case)
January 20, 2006... The Competition Appeal Tribunal has called for more information in a case that could determine the future supplier of up to [pounds sterling]1.7 million-worth of water a year to Shotton Paper Mill on Deeside. The tribunal said the case...

ENERGY Thorp restart decision 'in two months'.(British Nuclear Group)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... British Nuclear Group (BNG)this week said it was "confident it has the capability" to restart the Thorp reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria, but whether it will have the opportunity depends on a stakeholder group advising the plant's...

News.(billing disputes and consumer complaints)(Brian Linfield awarded)(Office of Gas and Electricity Markets objectives)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... Bill of the top Billing disputes topped the league of domestic consumer complaints received by the customer champion Energywatch between April and November 2005. There were 25,205 complaints (67 per cent of all the total) compared with...

WATER Customers get boil notice false alarm in south east.(East Dean, East Sussex)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... South East Water had to reassure customers in East Dean in East Sussex this week that their water was safe to drink after some of them mistakenly received warning notices during an emergency test exercise. The company apologised to East...

WATER Low rainfall is extra pressure.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... The Environment Agency has warned that continued below-average rainfall is putting increased pressure on water resources, especially in the south. Since the start of 2006 there has been just 11-26 per cent of the average rainfall for...

GAS Cost rules out change to gas quality regime.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... by Roger Milne The government has concluded this week that it cannot justify the cost of changing the UK's gas quality specification for the country to benefit from a wider range of imports. In a consultation document, the Department...

GAS Law change to ease supply.
January 20, 2006... by Roger Milne The government has signalled proposals to improve the UK's gas supply position by changing the law to make it easier for firms to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) and develop onshore and offshore storage facilities. ...

WATER Sewer hurdle for Olympics.(Lea Valley, London, storm water management)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... A working group to discuss options for dealing with sewage at the Olympic site in the Lea Valley, London, will make recommendations "after its next meeting at the end of January", according to a spokeswoman from the Department for Environment,...

Ukraine row hikes gas price.(Office of Gas and Electricity Markets review)(public water supply reservoirs construction plans)
January 20, 2006... The holiday headlines generated by the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas supplies gave already rising gas prices another upward twist as the year ended, sending October 2006 Annuals above 66p/th. Winter 2006 soared even higher,...

Independence day.(Northern Ireland Water Service)
January 20, 2006... The Northern Ireland Water Service is being turned into an independent company, but much of the public is still hostile to the move . By Steve Hobson More than a decade after the privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales and...

WATER Alliance nears Ulster deal.(contracts of Crystal Alliance)(management of Water Service)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... Crystal Alliance has been named the preferred bidder for a seven-year contract to run the Water Service of Northern Ireland's billing and customer contact centre. Crystal Alliance is a consortium comprising Xansa UK, Echo Managed Services and...

PAN-UTILITY Outsourcing 'big six' face minnow threat.(information technology outsourcing)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... Energy firms are outsourcing information technology and other operations in smaller packages, as part of a trend that will result in the "big six" outsourcing firms losing business to smaller rivals, according to outsourcing consultancy TPI....

Nuclear power: where MPs stand.(Members of Parliament)
January 20, 2006... The Commons is getting stuck into energy issues with a vengeance, with a third debate within ten days Two set-piece energy policy debates last week, this week just the one; but it should gauge one important measure: the amount of opposition...

Features.
January 20, 2006... Customers who convert to flexible contracts must be prepared to manage energy price risk in the wholesale market, says Richard Cockburn In October 1994, Proctor & Gamble (P&G) sued Bankers Trust for $195 million ([pounds sterling]110...

According to need.(Priority Services Register for utility bill collection)
January 20, 2006... Vulnerable groups can get help paying their utility bills through the Priority Services Register, but awareness of the scheme remains low . By Mike George The current steep rises in domestic energy prices are bound to put more pressure on...

WATER Morley pledges decision on private sewer transfer.(Elliot Morley)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... The government is poised to announce how it will implement the transfer of privately owned sewers to water companies, environment minister Elliot Morley told parliament last week. "While I cannot give an exact timescale for the...

WATER Scots admit need to raise service quality.(audit and customer relations of Scottish Water )(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... by Steve Hobson Scottish Water must make further improvements to customer service and make a cultural shift to put customers first, according to chief executive Jon Hargreaves. Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament's audit...

ENERGY Scots chief pledges to build.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... by Trevor Loveday In his first week at the helm, ScottishPower's new chief executive Philip Bowman has had to assure staff that his appointment does not herald a certain sell-off of the firm, while reassuring investors that a good offer...

ENERGY ScottishPower unions ponder pension action.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... ScottishPower is facing possible industrial action over pension changes for new employees and for thousands more who joined its pension schemes after electricity privatisation in 1990. The Prospect, GMB, Amicus, Unison and TGWU unions,...

Government defends Westinghouse sell-off move.
January 20, 2006... Trade and industry secretary Alan Johnson has defended the government's decision not to block plans by state-owned British Nuclear Fuels to sell Westinghouse, its US-based nuclear reactor manufacturing subsidiary. Johnson was urged to...

WATER United loses sludge case.(United Utilities Water wastewater treatment case)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... United Utilities Water has failed in a test case High Court battle with the Environment Agency over the applicability of European regulations to four of its wastewater treatment works. The judge held that United was required to secure...

Rank outsider.(sewage outflows management at Olympics)
January 20, 2006... The government needs to decide now on how to deal with potential sewage outflows at the Olympic site in London . Janet Wood reports A summer storm in 2012 could mean that athletes and visitors to the London Olympics leave the city with some...

WATER Thames hit for [pounds sterling]2.6m damages.(finance of Aerospace Publishing)(finance of Midsummer Books )(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... Thames Water has been ordered in the High Court to pay more than [pounds sterling]2.6 million in damages to two publishers whose archives were damaged by water from a burst main. Under the judgment, Thames must pay Aerospace Publishing and...

WATER Terra Firma cools talk of Thames Water bid.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... by Steve Hobson Private equity firm Terra Firma has played down recent assertions that it is preparing an offer for Thames Water, saying that it has not had an opportunity to look at the company properly. "The sales memorandum has not...

ENERGY New entrant forced into administration.(Utility Link charges)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... by Roger Milne Further evidence of the problems facing small suppliers, traders and generators surfaced this week with the demise of Utility Link, one of a handful of aggregation and consolidation service companies for new supply entrants....

Russell sent packing.(Ian Russell fired from ScottishPower)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2006... The sudden ousting of Ian Russell as chief executive of ScottishPower surprised the City but delighted shareholders. His sacking was the first high-profile demise of the New Year and generated the sort of comment that he probably won't be...

Putting the world to rights.(human rights in the utility sector)
January 20, 2006... Companies thought to be guilty of human rights abuses can be hauled over the coals by public opinion . Zoe Grainge reports This year could see the issue of human rights emerge into the mainstream thinking of the utilities sector. From this...

MULTI-UTILITY IPower wins [pounds sterling]107m deal in Bahrain.(Al Hidd power and water desalination project in Bahrain )(finance and securities of Suez Energy)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... A consortium led by International Power was this week expected to complete a [pounds sterling]107.5 million takeover of the Al Hidd power and water desalination project in Bahrain from the government. International Power will pay [pounds...

News.
January 27, 2006... BE bounces back British Energy returned to the FTSE 100 this week after a lapse of four years. Nuclear Tosh British Nuclear Fuels has named Toshiba as the preferred bidder for its US nuclear reactor subsidiary Westinghouse. The...

ELECTRICITY EDFarm moves forward gas plant plans.(cycle gas turbine power stations )(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... EDFEnergy last week submitted an application for government consent to build combined cycle gas turbine power stations at its sites at West Burton in Nottinghamshire and Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire. The company has completed environmental...

ENERGY Energywatch and ERA in row over billing code.(Opinions of Energy Retail Association)(Opinions of Energywatch)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Exchanges between the Energy Retail Association (ERA) and consumer champion Energywatch over the industry-wide, so-called supercomplaint on billing standards boiled over this week. ERA chief executive Duncan Sedgwick described as...

ENERGY Small firms are given 'poor' advice.(Forum of Private Business )(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Eight out of ten small businesses surveyed by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) rated the government's advice about the "gas supply crisis" as "poor" or "very poor" in a study published last week. "They want clear guidance," said the...

GAS Gazprom looks to score in UK.
January 27, 2006... by Roger Milne Gazprom, the world's biggest gas company, has given its clearest signal yet that it is considering acquiring a significant stake in the UK's domestic energy supply market. ScottishPower, with five million customers, is a...

ENERGY Review seen as a beacon for nuclear revival.(nuclear power licensing assessments )
January 27, 2006... by Roger Milne The government has reignited smouldering convictions that it favours a new nuclear power plant programme after it enlisted the safety regulator to consider "candidate" nuclear reactor designs as part of a review of energy...

PAN-UTILITY Power sector slow to pay.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... The electricity sector is the slowest in the UK to pay its suppliers. On average, firms delay 69.82 days after being being invoiced, according to data services company Experian. The delay was almost unchanged from the year before, according...

PAN-UTILITY Court puts regulation in dock.(Royal Mail to pay rebate to bulk mail users as service compensation )
January 27, 2006... by Roger Barnard The clarity of utility licence drafting came into question last week after Royal Mail was forced under a High Court ruling to pay out more than [pounds sterling]50 million in rebates to bulk mail users under a quality of...

eNVIRONMENT London makes waves as leading low carbon city.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Plans for a local authority based energy service company for London were this week beginning to take shape with the capital's Climate Change Agency recruiting top staff, including a chief engineer, and sounding out possible private sector...

ELECTRICITY Tide and wave could swell to 20% UK needs.(reports of The Carbon Trust)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Tide and wave-powered generators could be producing up to one-fifth of the UK's power and be competitive with conventional plant in the long-term if investment is made now, according to government-funded green power body The Carbon Trust. ...

pan-utility Buchanan and Fletcher get the conference call.(Advertisement)
January 27, 2006... Ofgem chief executive Alistair Buchanan and Ofwat director general Philip Fletcher will be interviewed live on stage by Utility Week editor Steve Hobson on the second day of the Adam Smith Institute's Future of Utilities conference. ...

GAS Users pan Ulster price hike.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Northern Ireland gas supplier and transporter Phoenix Natural Gas came under fire from consumers this week after it increased prices by more than 17 per cent. The province's General Consumer Council argued that Phoenix's only rival - Bord...

PAN-UTILITY Government failing to scutinise regulation.(usage of Regulatory Impact Assessments )(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... by Steve Hobson The government has failed to properly use Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) to calculate the effect of new and existing regulations on industry and consumers, according to David Parker, director of the Cranfield Centre...

GAS Meter move 'will not hit vulnerable customers'.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... British Gas has denied that a national programme to convert token-operated prepayment gas meters to key meters will leave vulnerable customers facing longer journeys to top up keys. Gas tokens are available from 14,500 Post Offices, but...

ENERGY Uswitch mulls float as growth soars.
January 27, 2006... Online supplier price comparison company Uswitch.com is pondering options including stock market flotation, sale or partnership after growth hit 100 per cent. The company is working with its adviser "to review our strategic options ranging...

ENERGY Utilita [pounds sterling]40 surcharge a 'con'.(services of Utilita)(opinion of Energywatch)(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Consumer champion Energywatch has urged customers of online energy and telecoms supplier Utilita to refuse to pay a [pounds sterling]40 surcharge the firm has levied on energy customers who have been sold to EDF Energy. Energywatch dubbed...

ELECTRICITY Utility Link brands consider future.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Three unlicensed electricity brands that operated under Utility Link's supply licence have moved to companies providing a similar service, following the consolidator's move into administration. Meanwhile, the 3,800 commercial and 7,500 domestic...

WATER Environment Agency lashed by Water UK.(Opinions of Water UK )(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... by Steve Hobson Water industry association Water UK has used a Commons review of the Environment Agency as a platform to launch a string of attacks on the environmental watchdog. In written evidence to the Commons Environment Select...

ELECTRICITY New review for Obligation.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2006... Plans to taper support for landfill gas will prompt "yet another" review and amendment of the Renewables Obligation in 2007, according to law firm Wragge. It would be the fourth review since the obligation started in 2001. "On past...