Utility Week articles from September 2008

Utility Week archives from September 2008

waterOfwat to clarify cost of third-party access.(Features)(Water Services Regulation Authority)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... by Annabel Andrews Ofwat has announced plans to make the cost of third-party access to the water supply system more predictable. The financial regulator has proposed more prescriptive guidance for water companies on the way they...

WaterScotland records steep rise in water poverty.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Water poverty in Scotland has risen over the past ten years because benefit payments have failed to keep pace with increases in water charges, according to a report from Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) and Heriot Watt University. In 1997/98,...

News.(briefs)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Viridian shortlist Endesa, RWE and a consortium of International Power and Bord Gais Eireann have been shortlisted in the sale of Viridian, owner of Northern Ireland Electricity, reports The Sunday Times. Warm Scots The Scottish...

News.
September 5, 2008... In the frame: winning photographs in the Environmental Photographer of the Year competition, run by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management will go on display at the Mile End Arts Pavilion, East London, from 17 September...

News.(British Transport Police officers seized stolen metals)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... On the case: British Transport Police (BTP) officers have seized suspected stolen metal worth more than [pounds sterling]700,000 from New Haden Metals in Cheadle. The BTP said the haul, which included 350 tonnes of rail track as well as cables...

Raise your guard.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Terrorism, agitation, natural disaster the UK has never needed private security more than it does today, David Taylor-Smith tells Roger Milne Last month's largely abortive attempt by climate change activists to shutdown Eon's Kingsnorth...

In good company.(Features)(Worshipful Company of Water Conservators)(Organization overview)
September 5, 2008... The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators is much more than a talking shop, as former Master Colin Drummond tells Steve Hobson The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators is one of the newer City livery companies. Formed in 1994, it...

waterComparative competition 'must change'.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Comparative competition in customer service has become counter-productive, according to Water UK. The industry body said comparative competition had been "very successful" in reducing costs, improving service, controlling leakage and...

News.(Electricity North West Limited change its use of system charges)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... ELECTRICITY ENW charges may change Ofgem is consulting on proposals from Electricity North West (ENW) to change its use of system charges for independent distribution network operators (IDNOs) connecting to its network, and for some...

Features.(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... THE 8 September Global climate and the power sector, organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology 9 September Reception celebrating 30 years of successful campaigning by the National Consumer Council, London ...

Features.
September 5, 2008... Joint venture The European Commission has approved the creation of an international electricity joint venture called European Market Coupling Company. It will be run by three transmission system operators - Energinet.dk of Denmark, Eon...

Bobbies, bees and very big bills.(News)
September 5, 2008... Dear reader, here is an important item of nuclear news which may have slipped under your radar. The boys and girls in blue who guard the country's civilian atomic facilities have a new-style uniform. According to a press statement issued...

News.(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Beach break: seaside mascot the Jolly Fisherman and Anglian Water environmental ambassador Captain Splosh have been spotted eating fish 'n' chips while taking a mini-break at Skegness. But the dynamic duo will continue to promote a recycling...

News.
September 5, 2008... Birthday suits at Berr: a group of naked Climate Camp residents turned up at the headquarters of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Berr) and glued themselves to the office front in Victoria Street, London SW1. The...

ELECTRICITYEntrant to launch with smart meter offering.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... by Roger Milne An independent supplier called First Utility is due to launch into the domestic electricity market next week offering smart metering as standard and three time-of-day tariffs. Mark Daeche, director and co-founder of the...

Features.(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... ELECTRICITY France raises regulated power prices France's government has agreed increases in the regulated electricity prices paid by industrial and commercial customers in France. The tariff dates back to the time when EDF was...

ENERGYMinisters in a bind over fuel-poor help.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... by Roger Milne The government looks likely to announce a package of measures to help offset spiralling domestic energy costs next week, possibly on Monday. But as Utility Week went to press it was unclear what initiatives would be...

GASGerman regulator to probe network firms.(Features)
September 5, 2008... by Simon Jones The German energy regulator has launched a market abuse probe into five big gas grid operators that abandoned a pledge made earlier this year to merge their low-calorific (or L-gas) zones by 1 October. Matthias Kurth,...

ENERGYGood Energy unveils pair of new products.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Good Energy has announced two new customer offerings in September. It will introduce a "dual fuel" deal for electricity and gas, and give customers access to information and products that will help them cut carbon emissions from their homes....

ELECTRICITYIceland plans power trading.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Landsnet (Icegrid), Iceland's transmission system operator, is behind a new initiative to open a wholesale electricity exchange this year. The exchange will initially focus on trade in surplus power from Iceland's 20 biggest regional and...

ELECTRICITYTwo Rugeley units still down for repairs.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Two units at International Power's Rugeley generating station that have been out of service for repairs will restart in September and October, the company said in an update. The company said that unit 7 would restart in October. Its...

News.(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Water Scottish leakage levels remain high Levels of leakage in Scotland remain at twice the English and Welsh average, according to Ofwat's annual international comparison report. The daily average across Ofwat's territory in...

Features.
September 5, 2008... Energy competition in Europe is worth fighting for Industrial and commercial customers in France on so-called regulated tariffs, set by the government for customers of EDF, will see their electricity prices rise by between 6 and 8 per cent...

Profits up at power exchange.(briefs)(Water Services Regulation Authority)(Financial report)
September 5, 2008... Operating profit at Nord Pool, Europe's largest power exchange, rose by over 10 per cent in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2007. Profit was [pounds sterling]5.5 million compared with [pounds sterling]4.7 million in...

ELECTRICITYFour power plants in the pipeline.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Two new combined cycle gas-fired power stations have won section 36 approval from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. At Seal Sands, Teesside, a 1,020MW power station is being developed by Thor Cogeneration. At...

In your debt.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Previously dependable customers who stumble into debt should not be treated like serial defaulters, says Rob Sheldon With duel fuel bills soaring to an average of [pounds sterling]1,300 a year and with large utility companies announcing...

Missing links.(Features)(Ofgem increases grid capacity)
September 5, 2008... The current regime neither makes the best of existing grid capacity nor enourages more links to be built, Ofgem's Steve Smith tells Janet Wood A whole stack of new generation is waiting for access to the electricity grid in areas where the...

ELECTRICITYFinnish nuclear builders' strike threat.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Olkiluoto 3, Finland's fifth nuclear reactor, has been threatened with strike action by a Finnish union unhappy over "irregularities" in securing wages and other payments from on-site contractors. The main strike threat has come from...

ENERGYUnions threaten strikes at Sellafield and CE Electric.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... CE Electric and Sellafield both face strike action over pay disputes. Ballots of GMB and Unite members at Sellafield and Capenhurst were under way as Utility Week went to press. The unions represent nuclear workers employed by Sellafield...

PM talks tough over Russia.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Energy issues make waves as politicians drift back to Westminster after their lengthy summer break Ministers have begun to trickle back to Whitehall aware that mixed messages are doing the rounds over the likelihood of a windfall levy on...

ENERGY2008 turning into the worst year on record.(Features)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... by Roger Milne This year is turning into the worst ever 12 months for the UK's domestic energy consumers since the market was fully liberalised a decade ago. Now that all the big six energy suppliers have announced their latest...

News.(Greenpeace activists charged for criminal damage costing)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Carbon capture: activists arrested after scaling Eon UK's Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent were in court this week to defend their plan to daub "Gordon bin it" on the 200-metre-high chimney. They only painted "Gordon" before last...

Water colours.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Ofwat chief executive Regina Finn tells Annabel Andrews that a clear vision is needed to drive competition. Here she paints the big picture. In February 2007, Edward Leigh MP, chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, told Regina...

News.
September 5, 2008... ELECTRICITY Scots identify 660MW hydro potential A report for the Scottish Government by the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (Freds) said Scotland could generate another 657MW of renewable electricity from more than...

WATERWics eases entry for new suppliers.(News)(Water Industry Commission for Scotland )(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Scottish water regulator Wics has amended the market code to make it easier for companies to enter the competitive market. Licensed providers were restricted from trading until they passed the Central Markets Agency's (CMA's) IT assurance...

Features.(inquiry of energy markets)
September 5, 2008... Security of supply versus competition At the recent inquiry into the state of the UK energy market by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Berr), the chairman of the Business and Enterprise Select Committee (BESC),...

ENVIRONMENTPlan to streamline energy savings.(News)
September 5, 2008... Social housing providers have joined forces to identify thousands of properties that could benefit from energy-saving measures under the government scheme that requires domestic energy suppliers to meet specific energy conservation targets. ...

ELECTRICITYFire and leaks hit Spain's confidence in nuclear.(Features)
September 5, 2008... Spain's nuclear power stations have come under scrutiny after the country's nuclear regulator proposed fines of up to [euro]90 million for Asociacion Nuclear Asco-Vandellos, the company that operates three of the stations. Separately, one...

PAN-UTILITY'Think again' on streetworks permit scheme.(Features)
September 5, 2008... The National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) has called on the government to "think again" on its plans to introduce a permit regime for utilities carrying out streetworks. The group, which has been warning that the permit scheme would not...

Features.(Suez Environnement's financial result)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... water Suez spin-off hobbled by cost of split Suez Environnement has revealed a 14 per cent drop in profit in its first half-year results since it split from parent company Suez in July. Net profit of [euro]201 million in the first...

Features.(demolition of cooling towers )(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... Off you go: the "Tinsley Towers", two cooling towers that stood close to the M1 in Sheffield, were demolished in a controlled explosion during the August bank holiday weekend. The demolition, which was carried out overnight, attracted a crowd...

Features.(Utility Week's Solutions for Tackling Utility Debt conference)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... At Utility Week's Solutions for Tackling Utility Debt conference last November, delegates were bracing themselves for a tough year. With the economy slowing and prices rising, many expected indebtedness to rise. That prediction has come...

WATERWales crypto scare prompts boil notices.(News)(Brief article)
September 5, 2008... by Annabel Andrews Welsh Water has warned customers in north Wales to boil all tap water used for drinking or food preparation, due to raised cryptosporidium levels. The boil notice affects 45,000 customers in the Bangor, Menai Bridge...

ELECTRICITYPower plant ash sale rules to be eased.(Features)(Quality Protocol )(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... More of the ash from burning coal in power stations is to be diverted from landfill and sold by power station operators. The Environment Agency has launched a consultation on a Quality Protocol that will enable pulverised fuel ash and furnace...

News.(Novera get approval for a windfarm)(National Grid sent a notice)(Scotland will produce electricity)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Fair wind Novera has won planning approval from the Scottish Borders Council for a windfarm at Glenkerie, near Tweedsmuir. The 11-turbine scheme will take the company's wind capacity to 100MW. Margin call National Grid sent out a...

Features.(European Union. European Commission)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Make a million on CCS The European Commission is offering a [euro]1 million-a-year contract for an energy company to provide expertise in promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS) plants and systems. Brussels' chosen partner will help it...

waterThree drive complaints hike.(News)(billing system)
September 12, 2008... by Annabel Andrews A 10 per cent rise in complaints across the water industry was caused by major billing problems at three companies, according to the figures for 2007-08. Issues with new billing systems prompted huge rises for...

Much obliged.(Features)(competitive multi-utility connections market)
September 12, 2008... As times get tough in utility connections, Jonathan Stones says contract management and client communications are more important than ever Like many industries, the competitive multi-utility connections market is facing a challenging time....

WaterSix fall ill in Wales crypto outbreak.(News)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Six cases of cryptosporidiosis have been identified in north Wales, following raised levels of cryptosporidium being discovered in drinking water. Dr Brendan Mason, consultant epidemiologist for the National Public Health Service (NPHS)...

News.
September 12, 2008... New guidelines for audits CCWater has published revised guidelines for its customer service audits. These seek to standardise and improve the process in order to produce meaningful comparable data. They will now be called Customer Service...

Warning over 'dangerous strategies'.(News)(electric utilities conference)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
September 12, 2008... Energy customers are "using dangerous strategies to cope with higher bills", consumer watchdog Energywatch has warned. Pensioners and those with prepayment meters rationed their heat, even "self-disconnecting", the watchdog said. Younger...

Features.(Conference news)(Brief article)(Calendar)
September 12, 2008... THE 13-17 September Liberal Democrats Party Conference, Bournemouth 15-16 September Renewable energy finance forum organised by Euromoney Events, London Regulatory Policy Institute annual conference, London 16-17...

Breaking the bank?(Features)
September 12, 2008... Water companies have submitted big spending plans to Ofwat . Richard Laikin and Bill Easton assess their chances of getting what they want Last month, all 22 water companies in England and Wales submitted to Ofwat their draft business...

End of an era.(Features)(Energy Retail Association's chief executive Duncan Sedgwick )
September 12, 2008... Former ERA chief executive Duncan Sedgwick tells Steve Hobson the organisation is more than just a lobby group After five years piloting the Energy Retail Association (ERA) through some pretty rough seas, chief executive Duncan Sedgwick...

waterAgency blasts Thames' water plans.(Features)
September 12, 2008... The Environment Agency has criticised Thames Water's draft water resource management plan. In its response to the company's consultation, the environmental regulator recommended that Thames Water substantially revise parts of its plan. In...

Features.(GDF Suez)(briefs)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Tarragona change RWE has sold its 50 per cent stake in Tarragona, Spain's largest gas turbine plant, to joint owner Iberdrola. RWE's Spanish interests are now entirely in renewables. GDF going Dutch GDF Suez has announced plans to...

[pounds sterling]2m worth two birds in the bush.(News)
September 12, 2008... Now here's a heart-warming tale frae bonny Scotland. A pair of Golden Eagles has succeeded in rearing two chicks for the first time since 46 wind turbines were built close to their nest site in Argyll. ScottishPower, which operates the...

News.(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... End of an era: this week's picture shows a bit of history in the making. The men in orange are members of B Shift Fuel Route Team at the Chapelcross Magnox nuclear power plant in southern Scotland. The team, led by site director Dave Wilson,...

News.(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Women missing out on top positions Women's representation in top posts has fallen over the past year. The Equality and Human Rights Commission tracks the number of women in positions of power and authority across 25 categories. Its...

WaterSummer flooding tests water company response.(News)
September 12, 2008... Heavy rainfall in August and September again put water companies to the test this year, although flooding was not as bad as in 2007. Northumbrian Water was badly hit in both months. A spokesman said: "In August, there were acute very...

ENERGYCert boost planned to offset price increases.(News)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... by Roger Milne Ministers were this week poised to announce a significant increase in the obligation on the big six energy suppliers to provide energy-efficiency measures. The move, alongside an expected pledge of increased funding for...

GASIranian gas could be key to future supplies.(News)
September 12, 2008... by Roger Milne Countries such as the UK could increasingly use Iran for future gas supplies, a top energy commentator claimed this week. That was the view of Patrick Heren, editorial adviser at Icis Heren, speaking at an industry...

energyIEA backs unbundling drive by Commission.(Features)(International Energy Agency)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... by Janet Wood The International Energy Agency (IEA) has given strong support to the European Commission's plans to force electricity and gas companies to unbundle their network activities. "The Commission's continued drive to...

WaterInquest on hold while research is completed.(Features)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... A coroner has adjourned the inquest of a suspected victim of the Camelford aluminium poisoning incident. Carole Cross, 59, died of a neurological disease in 2005. An autopsy showed abnormally high levels of aluminium in her brain. Coroner...

ELECTRICITYGrid looks for more cross-Channel links.(Features)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... by Janet Wood National Grid has flagged up plans to add two or more interconnections between the UK grid and its continental neighbours. The UK currently has just one interconnector, enabling power to be transferred to or from France....

Features.(Iberdrola signed a deal with irrigation contractors in Spain)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Water power: Iberdrola has announced it has signed 4,000 contracts with irrigation contractors in Spain, said to be a quarter of the total. The power company said it had targeted irrigation customers since the government had cancelled...

News.(Northern Ireland energy company's cases)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... ELECTRICITY Court backs NIAUR's contract stance A Northern Ireland energy company has failed in its bid to hold on to long-term contracts cancelled with the introduction of the Single Electricity Market (SEM). Under Northern...

Features.(electric utilities customer relation)
September 12, 2008... The customer is always right, even when wrong Those old enough and with long enough memories may remember a short film called Who Killed The Sale? Originally made in 1970, this classic customer care training film shows how contact with...

News.
September 12, 2008... ENERGY Low carbon could lift manufacturing The government has announced a "refreshed" manufacturing strategy aimed at "seizing the opportunities of the low-carbon economy". The government said that despite the credit crunch, there...

News.
September 12, 2008... Green freeze: the government has acted to ensure that firms that install microgeneration do not automatically become liable for higher business rates. That would be a disincentive to companies to install solar panels, wind turbines or heat...

Solar power comes of age.(Features)
September 12, 2008... Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy supply is expected to be competitive with peak electricity in Italy and California by the end of 2010, according to industry figures. Such so-called grid parity would be achieved in those areas during 2010/11...

News.
September 12, 2008... Jenny Saunders has been confirmed as chief executive of the national fuel poverty charity NEA. She had filled the post on a temporary basis. Julie King has joined the Committee on Climate Change, which is being set up under the Climate...

News.
September 12, 2008... wateR New regulations tackle nitrates at source About 70 per cent of England is now designated a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone under new regulations on the use of nitrates published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs....

Features.
September 12, 2008... ELECTRICITY Nordic warnings over power prices The price of electricity rose steeply in the Nordic countries in August to [euro]69.20 per MWh. Vattenfall forecast that the price next year would hit [euro]73 per MWh. In August 2007, the...

Features.(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... Under investigation: Ofgem has launched an investigation into three electricity distribution companies owned by EDF Energy. At issue is whether the companies failed to meet their licence requirements to provide timely quotes and use of system...

waterBetter procurement has cut costs.(News)
September 12, 2008... The cost of laying new mains has fallen by 10 per cent in real terms over the past five years, according to Ofwat's Cost Base Feedback report. Sewer laying costs have also fallen by 5 per cent, and sewer rehabilitation by 10 per cent. The...

News.(BNFL worker who died from asbestos-related mesothelioma cases)(Flexible working )(contract between Doosan Babcock Energy Pvt Ltd. and University of Strathclyde)
September 12, 2008... Asbestos deaths The widow of a former BNFL worker who died from asbestos-related mesothelioma has successfully sued the company for an undisclosed six-figure sum. Ronald Rumney was exposed to the dust while working at BNFL's Sellafield...

D-Day for action on fuel bills.(Features)
September 12, 2008... Ministers are due to spell out measures to offset spiralling energy bills. But will they go far enough? After what has seemed like an eternity of speculation, the government was poised this week to announce how it plans to help consumers...

ENVIRONMENTCarbon capture test site open.(Features)(Vattenfall AB's coal fired power plants)(Brief article)
September 12, 2008... by Janet Wood Vattenfall has celebrated the startup of a pilot plant using a new process that burns coal in oxygen instead of air. The so-called "oxyfuel" process produces relatively pure carbon dioxide, making it easier to capture and...

Ageing engineering population 'is a myth'.(News )(Institution of Engineering and Technology )
September 12, 2008... by Annabel Andrews The image of an ageing engineering workforce is wrong, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology's (IET's) third annual skills survey. The age profile of the engineering workforce is healthy and...

Features.(water competition )
September 12, 2008... Cave Review must find route to competition Competition for customers is not happening in the water sector much. There are various culprits: Parliament and Defra (for passing unworkable legislation) the water industry (for obstruction) Ofwat...

The weakest link.(Features)
September 12, 2008... Supply chain management should be central to water companies' asset delivery, but too much is left to first tier contractors, writes Terry Povall Over the past ten years, every major utility company has carried out some form of supply...

waterFines for water companies across the UK.(News)
September 12, 2008... Scottish Water was fined [pounds sterling]2,500 at Stirling Sheriff Court last week for acting in breach of its licence. A 2006 amendment to the licence for Fintry wastewater treatment works allowed increased flow through the works, on the...

ELECTRICITYUK companies join nuclear supply chain.(News)
September 12, 2008... Three UK companies have signed nuclear supply chain agreements with Westinghouse, one of three companies hoping to supply nuclear reactors for Britain's new nuclear power programme. Individual Memoranda of Understanding with BAE Systems,...