Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 20TH - 26TH MARCH 2020 | 5 "Cancelling these services with immediate effect is the responsible action to take despite the financial impact it will undoubtedly have on the business" Together Energy CEO Paul Richards bans face-to-face sales meetings. In a press conference on Monday, Boris Johnson announced a raft of drastic measures to try and halt the spread of the Coronavirus, including asking everyone who could to work from home, to avoid pubs and clubs, and to avoid all "unnecessary" visits to friends and relatives in care homes. WATER Virus presents resilience challenge Public health guidance on vigorous handwashing to tackle the spread of Coronavirus presents a serious challenge for efforts to reduce water consumption, Waterwise has warned. A spike in water demand is inevitable as the public follows best practice in containing the virus, and utilities must factor the extra demand into their water resources plans, Waterwise managing director Nicci Russell told Utility Week. The added pressure highlights the need for the sector to get to grips with per capita consumption (PCC), which is why Utility Week has launched the Mind the Tap campaign. Russell said: "Public health is clearly paramount, but if for the increased duration and frequency of handwashing people keep the tap running while they scrub their hands for 20 seconds, rather than turning it off and rinsing it at the end, that could significantly increase PCC." The NHS advises handwashing with running water for 20 seconds using a disposable towel to turn the tap off aˆer rinsing. There are numerous variables including type of tap and frequency of washing, but an average tap running at six litres a minute for the prescribed two verses of Happy Birthday would WATER United Utilities activates pandemic plan United Utilities has set its pandemic response plan in motion to ensure no interruption to frontline services if the scale of the Coronavirus outbreak significantly worsens. A spokesperson said that it is the first time the company has had to use the "well-rehearsed" plan, which includes an "extendibility" option for resourcing a three-month period mapped against worst-case scenarios. They told Utility Week the company is also offering a payment break scheme for any customers whose earnings or employment are negatively affected by Coronavirus. The scheme was previously offered as a short-term facility for customers on low incomes who struggle to pay their bills and has been extended to assist people who may run into issues because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The company can delay bill payments for a set period, then when payment is reinstated the debt can be spread over a longer period to allow householders to catch up on payments. Meanwhile, Ofwat and water companies across the country are closely following government and Public Health England advice on protecting the health of staff and customers. With the situation liable to change rapidly, the sector is poised to respond to advice as updates are received. South West Water said it is continuously reviewing its contingency plans in relation to Coronavirus. A spokesperson said the company is "confident" it will continue to provide the level of service its customers expect. ENERGY Coronavirus fears to hit smart meter installations Concern over the Coronavirus outbreak is likely to derail current smart meter installation targets, industry experts have warned. Announcing its latest data, Electra Link said that while installations should increase over the remainder of the year, "public health concerns might mean fewer installations in the coming weeks". Richard Neudegg, head of regulation at Uswitch, agreed and said the targets set for suppliers may have to be adjusted. According to ElectraLink's latest data, the 13-millionth smart meter was installed in February, although there was an almost 6 per cent decrease in installations compared with January. Read all about it: Coronavirus consequences, p10 Impact on the markets, p16 A Coronavirus Budget, p12 Unions in Covid-19 talks with utility bosses, p26

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