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utILIty WeeK | 6th - 12th February 2015 | 5 Water The first meeting of Scotland's energy jobs task force took place at the end of January. The taskforce will report to the Scottish Energy Advisory Board and focus on supporting jobs across the energy sector, with initial emphasis on oil and gas, as global market prices continue to slide. Drager Marine and Offshore (pictured) is an Aberdeen-based company, and its general manager Phil Saxton said that in light of the low oil prices, he fully supported the idea of a taskforce working with Aberdeen businesses. Severn Trent jobs losses 'significantly lower' than expected' "…getting less out and paying more in…" A GMB spokeswoman told Utility Week that Northumbrian Water's pension negotiations, which began 2 February, could see massive changes brought to the table The job cuts Severn Trent will make to its middle management will be "significantly lower" than the 500 positions announced last year, according to the GMB. A formal consultation between the trade union and the water company has concluded after the company revealed it was planning to let go about one in ten of its employees – mostly from middle management roles – in order to meet efficiency savings targets as part of its next AMP cycle. However, GMB regional officer Stuart Richards told Utility Week the severity of the cuts would be "far below" the 500 figure announced in October. He said: "It is still a significant amount but it is a lot better than where we started from." There are expected to be around 100 compulsory redundancies before the end of March, together with voluntary redundancies and some roles not being filled. Richards said that talks about how the management restructure will affect those employees who remain were ongoing. to coincide with Cold homes Week (2-6 Febru- ary), think tank Policy exchange launched its Warmer homes report, which has found over 1 mil- lion households living in fuel pov- erty are in work. Who are the fuel poor? 1/3 The Energy Networks Association welcomes news this week that metal theft fell by a third between 2012/13 and 2013/14 due to legislative and policing interventions such as the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 "I am sorry" NI Water chief executive Sarah Venning apologies in an open letter to customers affected by industrial action >30% 20-29.9% 15-19.9% 10-14.9% <10% Regional fuel poverty rates Household demographics Employment status Income level Household tenure Property characteristics Couples with children (30%) In work (49%) 41% of people in the first (lowest) income decile are fuel poor Single adults under 60 (17%) Inactive (40%) 36% of people in the second income decile are fuel poor Lone parents (15%) Unemployed (12%) 13% of people in the third and fourth income deciles are fuel poor 60% of people live in properties with E, F or G energy rating 56% live in properties built pre-1944 Couples over 60 (12%) Owner occupied (51%) Private rented (33%)