Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 18TH - 24TH JANUARY 2019 | 3 This week 4 | Seven days 7 | Campaign Launch of Utility Week's New Deal for Utilities campaign 12 Policy & Regulation 12 | News EV infrastructure strategy 'not needed' 13 Finance & Investment 13 | News Wylfa nuclear project 'on verge of collapse' 14 | Insight report Why today's CFO needs to adapt to thrive 22 Operations & Assets 22 | High viz Transforming UK homes with the Dutch "Energiesprong" 23 | Expert view Enzen explains what technological excellence will look like in 2019 24 | Market view By generating power on-site, companies can offset volatile electricity prices 25 Customers 25 | News Thames and SES rank bottom on SIM scores 26 | Analysis Economy Energy is the latest supplier to fail, but it is unlikely to be the last 28 | Market view The rollout of electric vehicles is an opportunity for energy suppliers 30 Community 31 | Disconnector GAS 23 | Expert view Enzen explains what technological excellence will look like in 2019 WATER 25 | News Thames and SES rank bottom on SIM scores ELECTRICITY 12 | News EV infrastructure strategy 'not needed' 13 | News Wylfa nuclear project 'on verge of collapse' 22 | High viz Transforming UK homes with the Dutch "Energiesprong" 24 | Market view By generating power on-site, companies can offset volatile electricity prices 28 | Market view The rollout of electric vehicles is an opportunity for energy suppliers ENERGY 7 | Campaign Launch of Utility Week's New Deal for Utilities campaign 14 | Insight report Why today's CFO needs to adapt to thrive 26 | Analysis Economy Energy is the latest supplier to fail, but it is unlikely to be the last MATS : How to beat the digital disruptors at their own game https://bit.ly/2MfKXA8 IFS: Sponsored report: Getting Ahead in the Diversifying Energy Market https://bit.ly/2MXkFkI Unify: Sponsored Free Water Case Study: Transform CX and deliver exceptional omnichannel experiences https://bit.ly/2CEQQpf A new year and a new deal for utilities A couple of weeks into 2019, no-one in utilities is expecting an easy year ahead. It promises to be a landmark one for the industry, rich with opportunity but rife with political uncertainty and critical operational challenges. More than ever before, energy and water companies find themselves at the heart of the debate. Issues such as renationalisation and decarbonisation have thrust them into the spotlight. Low public trust, shiing consumer demand and relentless technological change have brought constant pressure. There is much to keep the industry's chief executives awake at night. This is why Utility Week today launches our New Deal for Utilities campaign, to help us arrive, with industry, at a plan for the future – one that will help utilities strike a new bargain with the public. Together with a range of figures and commentators from throughout the sector and beyond, we'll be taking a long, hard look at the industry, including at how the renationalisation of utilities has come to be a major part of the narrative – something unheard of only a few years ago. We'll also be asking what companies can do to address their critics, offer greater fairness and rebuild public trust. And we'll be finding out how forging a new deal with policymakers can help utilities deliver this. There will be tough discussions ahead, some of which may be unpalatable, but we believe now is the right time to expose the debate. Each week throughout the campaign we will be asking the big questions – such as how the public really feels about utilities; if renationalisation could work in today's political climate and in what way; the myriad concerns around resilience and action that needs to be taken; and the many potential investment factors now affecting utility businesses. We'll also explore the thorny issues of executive pay and perks, of sharing rewards, and whether utilities really are doing enough for vulnerable consumers. Utilities realise they need to change. Having these debates will help us identify what companies need to do to win over the public and shape a new social contract, along with any specific policy and regulatory support required – whether, for example, that be market, system or regulation reforms, or greater data access. We kick off with our launch feature on p8, "The (real) state we're in", which reveals the findings of an exclusive survey commissioned by Utility Week to gauge public sentiment – including whether utilities should be renationalised. There are some heartening findings, including that more than half of those surveyed are satisfied with their utility companies, with satisfaction highest for water suppliers. However, there is no room for complacency as this still leaves half of all those polled on the other side of the equation. We're calling on you, the sector's leaders and stakeholders, to join the debate on what a New Deal for Utilities could look like and what needs to happen next as industry strives to meet its challenges ahead and restore public trust. Suzanne Heneghan, acting editor, suzanneheneghan@fav-house.com Leader Suzanne Heneghan

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