Utility Week

Customers UTILITY WEEK | 23RD - 29TH NOVEMBER 2018 | 23 Millions of families and busi- nesses could be le behind as the UK transitions to clean energy, electric vehicles and smart tech- nology, a new study has warned. The report by researchers at Imperial College London and E4tech, facilitated by Imperial Consultants and commissioned by Drax Group, claims a regional divide is rapidly developing, with London and Scotland pull- ENERGY Report: clean energy revolution risks creating a two-tier economy ing ahead in terms of shiing towards renewable energy, while parts of the north of England and East Midlands are lagging. Researchers have broken down the energy revolution into 20 categories for the power, transport and buildings sectors, to provide a barometer of national and regional progress. According to the study, Lon- don jointly leads the way, with Scotland, because its transport system is the country's greenest. As public transport, walking and cycling are more dominant in the capital, a Londoner's carbon footprint from transport is up to 2.5 times less than in other regions. And the report argues Scotland jointly leads in the energy revolution due to its successful shi from fossil fuels to renewable electricity. This week Water firms urged to be 'customer-centric' Ofwat chief says although companies claim to be customer-focused, this is not always the reality Water companies must increase their focus on customers and become "truly customer-centric", Ofwat chief executive Rachel Fletcher has insisted. She said although companies claim to be customer-focused, this is not necessarily the reality. "The foundation stone for any customer-focused company involves understanding your customers and how they experience the service you provide," she said. Speaking at the Future of Utilities: Water 2018 confer- ence, she added that, on this front, there has been a step change in the water sector. "To develop the PR19 busi- ness plans, companies have engaged with over 1.5 million customers using a wide range of techniques and media. "The challenge now is to keep this understanding up to date and bring it into the business to drive a wide range of decisions. I am pleased that some – but not all – companies are putting this in place." She said the next step was for companies to create a "granular understanding" of customers. "This allows companies to be better at anticipating the needs of specific groups of customers and to be more targeted in delivering service and support. "I'm pleased to say that some water companies are making strides in building this picture – even at a sub- postcode level," she said. "Some are doing well to form partnerships with local authorities and charities to build a richer understanding of the communities they serve." However, she added, the sector still has "some way to go". "Despite the ambitions we see in the PR19 business plans, we know that the water companies will have iden- tified fewer vulnerable customers than energy counter- parts by the end of the next price control." LV ENERGY Meter integration 'must be accelerated' Ovo Energy's energy director has called on the Data Com- munications Company (DCC) to accelerate the integration of all SMETS1 smart meters into its industry-wide platform. Steve Harris said the accel- eration was needed to "ensure universal interoperability of this technology across all suppliers". He explained: "The first generation of smart meters (SMETS1) have added value to millions of customers across the UK, offering innovative features to manage energy usage while also supporting future-facing technologies to make energy cleaner and more abundant for everyone. "To ensure universal inter- operability of this technology across all suppliers, the Data Communications Company needs to accelerate the integra- tion of all SMETS1 meters into their industry-wide platform as soon as possible," Harris added. The DCC is the company that manages the smart metering data and communications infrastructure. Following issues with inter- operability, the SMETS1 smart meter rollout has faced criticism across the industry, with some devices losing functionality when the customer switches supplier. This problem is expected to be phased out with the rollout of SMETS2 devices and the integration of the first- generation devices with the DCC's system. Responding to Harris's remarks, a spokesperson for the DCC said: "We are developing our plan for enrolling SMETS1 meters onto the secure network and continuing to support energy suppliers as they ramp up their SMETS2 installations at an ever-increasing rate." According to the latest figures released by Ofgem, there are now more than 12 million smart and advanced meters operating in Great Britain. ENERGY White label deal agreed for Norwich Norwich City Council is to create a new energy supplier aer giving the green light to a white label agreement with Engie Power. The company, which is yet to be named, was approved at a cabinet meeting on 14 November and will be operational by spring next year. In a report released ahead of the meeting, the council said it is aiming to attract and retain more than 1,500 customers per year for the first three years of the programme, while offering 100 per cent renewable tariffs. The three core tariffs will be: Eco Value; Eco Value Prepay; and Eco Community. Customers signing up to the Eco Community tariff will donate 31 days of energy each year to a fuel-poor home, adding £30 to their annual bill. Fletcher: sector still has 'some way to go' Report author Iain Staffell said: "Our research reveals that Britain is at risk of creating a two-tier economy, leaving mil- lions of families and businesses less well equipped to enjoy cheaper bills and better health outcomes. Our concern is they will not be offered the same opportunities as people living in regions which are modernising their energy infrastructure."

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