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How much are UK utilities investing in new infrastructure?

England and Wales’ 22 privatised water and sewerage companies are investing £3.4 billion in the current five year price review period 2005-10. Much of this investment is in waster water treatment and is driven by European Union environmental legislation aimed at improving the quality of river and sea water. Still in public ownership, Scottish Water is planning to invest an additional £2 billion in the next four years while Northern Ireland’s Water Service is in the middle of a five-year, £1.1 billion investment programme.

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The four electricity and gas transmission companies which own Britain’s high-voltage networks and the high pressure gas transportation system are expected to invest around £5 billion in the five year price control period 2007-12.

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What are the main utility regulator and trade bodies in the UK?

Regulatory bodies in the UK are:

Energy: Ofgem www.ofgem.gov.uk
Water: Ofwat www.ofwat.gov.uk
Environment: Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Drinking water quality: Drinking Water Inspectorate www.dwi.gov.uk
Scottish water: Water Industry Commission for Scotland www.watercommissioner.co.uk
Northern Ireland energy: Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation www.ofreg.nics.gov.uk

The main trade associations are:

Water companies: Water UK www.water.org.uk
Energy distribution: Energy Networks Association www.energynetworks.org
Power generation: Association of Electricity Producers www.aepuk.com
Energy retailers: Energy Retail Association www.energy-retail.org.uk

What do the water and energy regulators do?

When the UK’s utilities were privatised in the late 1980s, the aim was to introduce unregulated competitive markets where possible. This has been done in energy generation and retailing, where there are no longer price controls and the free market sets prices and capacity. This means prices can vary wisely depending on supply and demand, and gas prices have risen sharply over the last two years as Britain’s gas supplies dwindle and we become more reliant on imports. In energy transmission and distribution, however, it would be impractical to introduce competition as this would require duplicating the existing networks or pipes and wires, and these remain regulated by Ofgem, which sets prices charged for access to the networks every five years.
The water companies remain regional monopolies, though competition for large water users taking over 50 megalitres a year was introduced in December 2005. They are regulated by Ofwat, which also sets prices every five years. Average household water and sewerage bills in England and Wales will rise by £46 or 18 per cent to £295 a year between 2005 and 2010. Despite this price rise, water companies will invest more than they receive from customers.