Utility Week - authoritative, impartial and essential reading for senior people within utilities, regulators and government
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GAS 13 | News No decarbonisation target for Energy Bill 20 | Investor view Daniel Wong 28 | Market view British Gas Twitter row WATER 8 | Research Water companies prepare for competition 14 | Analysis WFD catchment areas 21 | News Water firms allowed to bring forward £100m investment 24 | Market view Smart meters and water leakage ELECTRICITY 6 | Viewpoint Steve Johnson, Electricity North West 16 | Market view Tough new emissions reporting standards 20 | Market view Nuclear strike price Energy 15 | Analysis Green levies in firing line 18 | News Coalition cashing in on energy sales VAT 19 | Analysis Energy investment on hold 22 | High viz Google HQ CHP 23 | Pipe up Andy Corkhill on smart meters 24 | Market view Smart meters data 27 | News Npower ranked worst by customers again This week Leader Ellen Bennett Apprentice initiative is good news for us all As storms literal and figurative rage across the utilities world this week, readers could be forgiven for missing what is arguably a much more important story. On Monday, the 67 key sector companies which comprise the Energy and Efficiency Industrial Partnership were named "apprentice trailblazers" by the government. These utilities and associated companies will lead a major overhaul of the apprenticeship system in the UK, designed to equip employers with the skilled workers they need. It can't come fast enough. Energy & Utility Skills, the body co-ordinating the partnership, has estimated that utilities could face a shortfall of 208,000 workers by 2025. Writing in these pages last month, UK Power Networks chief executive Basil Scarsella warned: "If these issues are not considered now, the consequences could be dramatic." So – some good news for a change. Major energy networks and suppliers, water companies and contractors, all have signed up to the partnership, chaired by National Grid's chief executive Steve Holliday. They have made a commitment of time and money, which has in turn been recognised by the government, and will be working over the next few months to redesign apprenticeships. The first newlook schemes could be on the ground by the end of next year. The utilities of the future must recruit and retain the brightest and best talent at all levels and of all disciplines, ranging from traditional engineering to customer-facing and technological. This is a great start, and the companies involved are to be congratulated. Without continued commitment and partnership working to develop the skills the industry so desperately needs, there would be no engineers to reconnect thousands of homes in the aftermath of storms in 20 years' time, and indeed no energy supply to argue about the price of. • Time is running out to book your table at the industry's Christmas party, the Utility Week Utility Industry Achievement Awards. This year promises to be better than ever, and we hope you can join us at London's prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel on 9 December. To find out more and book your table, see www.utilityweekawards.co.uk. Ellen Bennett, Editor ellen.bennett@fav-house.com 4 | Seven days 6 | Opinion Steve Johnson, Electricity North West 8 | Research How prepared are water companies for competition? 13 Policy & Regulation 13 | News No decarbonisation target for Energy Bill 13 | Politics Mathew Beech writes 14 | Analysis WFD catchments 15 | Analysis Green levies under fire 16 | Market view Emissions reporting standards 18 Finance & Investment 18 | News Coalition cashing in on energy sales VAT 19 | Analysis Energy investment on hold 20 | Market view Nuclear strike price 21 Operations & Assets 21 | News Water firms allowed to bring forward £100m investment 22 | High viz Google HQ's CHP plant 24 | Market view Smart meters and leakage 27 Customers 27 | News Npower ranked worst by customers again 28 | Market view British Gas in Twitter storm Utility Week's annual Utility Industry Achievement Awards will once again be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Mayfair. Put 9 December in your diaries for the biggest events date in the utility calendar. More than 1,200 of the great and the good of the utility industry will meet to toast the winners and share a glamorous evening of dancing and entertainment accompanied by a celebrity host. This year's categories are: Capital Project Management Award; Community Initiative of the Year; Customer Care Award; Digital Utilities Awards; Environment Award; IT Initiative of the Year; Marketing Initiative of the Year; Staff Development Award; Supply Chain Excellence Award; and Team of the Year. 9 December, Grosvenor House Hotel, London Website: www.utilityweekawards.co.uk 30 Community 30 | Subscriber focus Mike Jones, Infosys 31 | Disconnector UTILITY WEEK | 1st - 7th November 2013 | 3