Utility Week

Utility Week 1st February 2019

Utility Week - authoritative, impartial and essential reading for senior people within utilities, regulators and government

Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1076661

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 3 of 31

4 | 1ST - 7TH FEBRUARY 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Pakistan to power up solar manufacturing Pakistan's government has pro- posed eliminating taxes associated with manufacturing solar and wind energy equipment in the country, to boost the production and use of renewable power and overcome power shortages. A new govern- ment budget bill, expected to be approved in parliament within a month, would give renewable energy manufacturers and assem- blers in the country a five-year exemption from the taxes. Reuters, 29 January Germany sets deadline to end coal use by 2038 In a pioneering move, a German government-appointed panel has recommended the country stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2038 at the latest, as part of efforts to curb climate change. The Coal Commission reached a deal early on Saturday following months of wrangling that were closely watched by other coal-dependent countries. The 28-member panel, representing mining regions, utility companies, scientists and environ- mentalists, suggests a review in 2032 could bring forward the coal deadline to 2035. The Independent, 28 January South Africa farmers seek $220m in aid South Africa's agricultural industry body AgriSA will approach banks, agribusiness and the government to raise 3 billion rand ($220 million) to help farmers hit by severe drought, its executive director said last week. Farmers have faced dry conditions over most of the nation for the past year, even as they are still recovering from a disastrous El Nino-induced drought in 2015. "We have basically reached a point now where we don't have any more fat in the system," said AgriSA boss Omri van Zyl. Reuters, 25 January National media Small energy supplier Our Power ceases trading O fgem's safety net will have to be used for a second time this year aer small energy supplier Our Power ceased trading. The regulator will choose a new supplier to take on the 38,000 customers of the failed company "as soon as possible". Our Power was established in 2016 as a not-for-profit energy supplier. The company's mis- sion was to "make energy fairer and to help those at risk of fuel poverty". Philippa Pickford, Ofgem's director for future retail markets, said: "We have seen a number of supplier failures over the past year and our safety net procedures are working as they should to protect customers." Prepayment meter custom- ers will also be able to top up as normal, the regulator has advised. Our Power said on its website it was "with great regret" that it had ceased trading. In March last year the com- pany teamed up with Mongoose Energy to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland with the creation of "Our Community Energy" – a renewable energy investment scheme. The Scottish government, which provided three loans totalling £9.5 million to Our Power, said it was "hugely disappointed" about the company's demise. Most of the company's fund- ing came from social investors, Utility Week understands, and any repayments will depend on the outcome of the insolvency process, as well as further dis- cussions between the admin- istrator, other creditors and Our Power's holding company, Our Power Community Benefit Society. Our Power's closure follows Economy Energy's exit from the market earlier this month. Its 235,000 domestic customers were transferred to Ovo Energy. Speaking at Utility Week's Energy Customer Conference in Birmingham on 17 January, Ofgem's director of conduct and enforcement, Anthony Pygram, warned that the supplier of last resort mechanism was there to protect consumers, and not as an "insurance policy for dodgy business models". KP "Movement of people and services continues to be a concern for the industry" Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, responding to a report emphasising the extent to which the UK nuclear industry is dependent on EU workers, says there is a lack of detail from the government on how this would work after Brexit. STORY BY NUMBERS EVs increasing in popularity More than two in five Brits (43%) would now consider buying an electric vehicle (EV), according to a poll commissioned by Pure Planet. 17% of UK adults said they were more likely to go electric than a year ago. 41% of those surveyed said a reduction in costs would be the factor most likely to persuade them to make the switch. 38% said range was a big factor – being able to drive further between charges. 37% wanted more charging stations. 60,000 According to national campaign Go Ultra Low, nearly 60,000 EVs were registered in the UK in 2018 – a 19% increase on the previous year.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Utility Week - Utility Week 1st February 2019