Utility Week - Features Latest News

One Minute Interview: Stuart Hutchinson, Deritend Industries Lt

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Name
Nicci Russell

Age
40

Company
Waterwise

Job title
Policy director

Career history
Eleven years working for Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, including four years as her special adviser at Defra when she was secretary of state. Six-...

On the money

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Chris Gage tells water companies to proactively control what their capital projects cost.

Chargemaster's Polar exploration

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Chargemaster is rolling out the country's first national EV charging infrastructure. Chief executive David Martell tells Karma Ockenden he has praise for electricity suppliers but DNOs could do more to help.

Constraint restraint

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Nicola Williams and Claire Bertram question the wisdom of introducing a licence condition to prevent generators exploiting transmission constraint payments, when Remit is acting at a European level.

Fair trade? Europea prepares to regulate energy trading

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

European regulation of energy trading presents companies with both increased cost and new opportunities. Paul Ward says, be prepared.

Water powers; Richard Benyon champions the Water White Paper

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Water minister Richard Benyon is championing the Water White Paper. He tells Megan Darby why he thinks the government has got it right.

One Minute Interview: Susan Fox, Ombudsman Services

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Name
Susan Fox

Age
50

Company
Ombudsman Services

Job
Director of policy and communications

Career
Prior to joining Ombudsman Services in 2011, Susan was director of corporate affairs at the Information Commissioner’s Offic...

Infra penny: galvanising UK infrastructure investment

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The National Infrastructure Plan aims to galvanise investment in UK infrastructure. But success is far from a foregone conclusion, according to John Hargreaves and Felicity Furness.

On the map: the England-Scotland water market

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

England is joining Scotland in a market that allows all non-domestic customers to switch water supplier, but it won't automatically adopt Scottish administration arrangements. Megan Darby reports.

Let's be friends: learn to love the Nimbys

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Renewables developers must listen and learn from project detractors, not call them names, argues David Mclean.

An inspector's call: Sir Michael Pitt interviewed

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Sir Michael Pitt is adamant that transferring infrastructure planning from the Infrastructure Planning Commission to the Planning Inspectorate in April won't delay applications. He explains why to Roger Milne.

Benefits system is best way to direct support to the needy

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

SectionThe Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill, which started its Parliamentary journey last week, will finally redress a problem for South West Water customers - that the costs of improving bathing waters fall disproportionately on a small community with a long coastline. It will provide a &

Policy uncertainty will cripple electricity reform

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Electricity Market Reform project reveals a profound lack of confidence in the ability of market mechanisms to attract sufficient investment to deliver security of supply from a low-carbon generation mix. Undoubtedly the electricity market would benefit from reform, but not from dismantlement. T

One Minute Interview: Kevin Wardrobe, Fulcrum

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Name
Kevin Wardrobe

Company
Fulcrum

Job
Business development manager

What was your first job?
Plumbing and heating apprentice.

What are the best and worst parts of your job?
Best: meeting customers. Worst: getting stuck in tr...

What's the form?

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Stop the complexity, rigidity and frailty of regulation. That's the key message coming from energy firms in Decc's Red Tape Challenge, as James Smith tells Karma Ockenden.

Customers would rather pay now for private sewers

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Customers don't want to wait until 2015 to start paying private sewer costs. Deryck Hall explains why, and sets out what else customers told CCWater about last October's sewer transfer.

Getting Eon with it

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Jim Hayward relates front line tales from Eon's early experience of rolling out smart meters.

Get with the programme, says Severn boss Tony Wray

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Tony Wray urges his industry to work with the policies in the Water White Paper, not fight against them.

Left holding the baby on affordability policy

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Water companies are reluctant administrators of affordability policy. Karma Ockenden reports the findings of the latest Utility Week senior executive panel survey. Nearly two-thirds of senior executives on Utility Week's high-level panel (see box) have joined the likes of the Consumer Council for W

One Mintue Interview: Steve Arthur, Wessex Water

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Name
Steve Arthur

Age
42

Company
Wessex Water

Job
Asset programme manager

Career
Steve is a chartered environmental engineer who has worked in the water and waste management industry for 20 years. Several stints at Thames W...