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UTILITY WEEK | 13Th - 19Th March 2015 | 3 Leader Ellen Bennett This week 4 | Seven days 6 | People & Opinion 8 | Event Utility Week Stars awards 11 Policy & Regulation 11 | News British Gas refers five networks to the CMA 12 | Utility Week Lobby Sustainability and resilience 14 | Analysis British Gas takes the networks to the CMA 16 | Market view Getting to grips with water quality regulations 18 Finance & Investment 18 | News Water competition could push up cost of capital 19 | Analysis The proposed NSN interconnector with Norway 20 Operations & Assets 20 | High viz Southern Water's Ryde sewer 22 | Game changer The Prism nuclear reactor 25 Customers 25 | News Government 'failing' on smart meter issues 26 | Market view Trust begins with your own employees 27 Markets & Trading 27 | News Power prices rose 9% in February 29 Community 29 | Market view WaterAid in Malawi 30 | Reader of the week Ashley Phillips, Haven Power 31 | Disconnector There must be a better way to regulate I f I'm going down, I'm taking you with me." British Gas seemed to have adopted the old movie trope this week, with its unprec- edented decision to refer Ofgem's RIIO-ED1 settlement to the Competition and Markets Authority. Earlier attempts to have network costs included in the CMA's ongoing energy market inquiry failed, but British Gas seems determined to have the same scrutiny applied to the one-fih of the bill arising from network costs as is applied to the rest of it. Put to one side, for a moment, British Gas's motives in making the referral, and the eye-watering fees that lawyers on all sides will be racking up over the next six months, and perhaps the develop- ment is no bad thing. When all is said and done, and the CMA makes its reports on energy retail, RIIO-ED1 and PR14, the ground rules will be set, the doubts will be answered, and the regulators and industry alike will be able to point to an independent, authori- tative voice when politicians and the press come knocking. So, at great expense in both time and money, the air will be cleared. But what next? Must utilities and their customers continue to count the cost of these knock-about battles of regulation, or is there another way to set prices? In May, the incoming government would do well to look to Scotland, where Wics has successfully completed the first negotiated regulatory settlement. Former Ofgem director-general Stephen Littlechild is an advocate of exploring negotiated settlements in the regulatory mainstream, as is already common in the US. Looking at the CMA's current caseload, he may just have a point. Celebrate your success As the rows over policy, prices and regulation rumble on in utilities, it is all too easy to forget the frontline heroes who keep the lights on, the taps running and the gas flowing. Last year, we launched the Utility Week Stars Awards to recognise the achievements of those who seldom see the spotlight. It was a great success, and is back this year, bigger and better. See page 8 – and don't forget to enter by 27 March. Ellen Bennett, Editor ellen.bennett@fav-house.com GaS 6 | Chief executive's view Mark Horsley, Northern Gas Networks 18 | Stock watch rWE 18 | News Ineos buys into IGas licence areas WaTEr 16 | Market view Getting to grips with water quality regulations 18 | News Water competition could push up cost of capital 20 | High viz Southern Water's ryde sewer 21 | Pipe up Keith hayward 25 | News ccWater gives complaints warning 26 | Market view Trust begins with your own employees 29 | Market view WaterAid in Malawi ELEcTrIcITY 18 | News UK-Ireland power link scrapped 19 | Analysis The proposed NSN interconnector with Norway 27 | News Power prices rose 9% in February ENERGy 11 | News British Gas refers five networks to the cMa 25 | News Government 'failing' on smart meter issues Knowledge worth keeping Visit the Downloads section of Utility Week's website http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/ downloads Salesforce: How the cloud can help meet business objectives http://bit.ly/1EFZjlj Vodafone: Machine- to-Machine (M2M) Utilities Insights http://bit.ly/1BDpCGZ "