Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 21ST - 27TH SEPTEMBER 2018 | 3 This week 4 | Seven days 6 | News What we know about the water companies' PR19 plans 9 Policy & Regulation 9 | News UK to underwrite EU energy project funds 10 | Analysis How the energy regulator set the level of the energy price cap 12 | Analysis UW's CEO Insight reveals utility leaders' key challenges 14 Finance & Investment 14 | News Hot weather and gas prices hit SSE profits 15 | Market view The role of hydrogen in a lower-carbon future 18 Operations & Assets 18 | High viz Yorkshire Water's £6 million storage tank in Goole 20 | Awards case study United Utilities' One Curriculum initiative in detail 23 | Chief executive's view Mike Quinn, Ervia 25 Customers 25 | News Npower mailing sent to wrong customers 26 | Analysis Seven energy utilities on how to make your brand stand out 29 | Market view Customers are ready for more meaningful relationships 30 Community 31 | Disconnector GAS 12 | Analysis UW's CEO Insight reveals utility leaders' key challenges WATER 6 | News What we know about the water companies' PR19 plans 18 | High viz Yorkshire Water's £6 million storage tank in Goole 20 | Awards case study United Utilities' One Curriculum initiative in detail ELECTRICITY 15 | Market view The role of hydrogen in a lower-carbon future 29 | Market view Customers are ready for more meaningful relationships ENERGY 9 | News UK to underwrite EU energy project funds 10 | Analysis How the energy regulator set the level of the energy price cap 14 | News Hot weather and gas prices hit SSE profits 23 | Chief executive's view Mike Quinn, Ervia 25 | News Npower mailing sent to wrong customers 26 | Analysis Seven energy utilities on how to make your brand stand out Crowd-pleasers When competition is fierce, differentiation is the name of the game. And nowhere does that seem more acute than in today's combat- ive retail energy market, now home to more than 70 suppliers, all jostling to promote their own names and brands of service. Where once there was relative complacency, now it's survival of the fittest – including how well you and your marketing message stand out from the crowd. It seems newcomers are not only crashing the party with their style statements that tap straight into the zeitgeist, many are making off with the buffet too. The old order is being disrupted by a new breed of players, with clever names and smart logos. And thousands of consumers are embracing their fresh appeal, tariffs and packages. It's clear there are two sides to this latest twist in the energy branding story. Challenges are there for all suppliers, whether recent entrants putting in the hard yards to build trust, or incumbents contesting a surge in rivals untainted by historic service issues. Yet, equally, as our special report on page 26 points out, attract- ing consumers is just one stage of branding success. The lasting distinction is delivering on promises. Size and loyalty, or catchy name and clean slate, soon count for nothing if consumers are let down. Just ask Npower, which recently had to apologise aer personal details of around 5,000 of its customers were shared with the wrong people – a data breach the supplier, poised to imminently merge with SSE, will be anxious to avoid repeating when it starts over. Or Iresa, whose failure to adequately deal with complaints led to its demise in July – its 90,000 customers now absorbed by Octopus Energy, whose track record on customer service saw it also chosen by M&S as its energy partner. Public profile has never been utilities' strongest suit. In fact, despite a concerted push to win consumer hearts and minds, our latest CEO Insight survey on page 12 reveals over 60 per cent of chief executives we spoke to believe customers' views of their organisa- tions are worsening. Little surprise perhaps, with the media's relent- less utility-bashing of recent times. Which is a shame, because the survey also shows that actual customer satisfaction levels are rising. In a tough market of squeezed opportunity, winning the branding war is proving increasingly important. As always, perception is everything. Suzanne Heneghan, acting editor, suzanneheneghan@fav-house.com Leader Suzanne Heneghan Talend: Sponsored Free Water Case Study: optimising water supplies https://bit.ly/2CEQQpf Knowledge worth Keeping Subscribers to Utility Week can access premium content and exclusive research, available to read online or as downloadable documents. http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/

• Cover