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UTILITY Week 18th September 2015

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Smart Energy GB, the consumer engagement body charged with raising awareness of smart meters, is running a series of adverts in Westminster Tube station featuring its Gaz and Leccy mascots. They were in place ready for MPs' return to parliament last week. Smart Energy GB also released a second video attacking estimated bills, using the scenario of football transfer windows. The first video, in which unknowing shoppers had their grocery bills calculated through estimation, has been watched almost 370,000 since its release five months ago. A new website is due to be launched by the end of the year. UTILITY WEEK | 18TH - 24TH SEPTEMBER 2015 | 5 Nandy gets shadow energy job Labour MP for Wigan Lisa Nandy was named shadow energy secretary last week, replacing Caroline Flint, who ruled herself out of a place in the new shadow cabinet. Newly elected Labour leader Jer- emy Corbyn named his full shadow cabinet on Monday morning after a resounding victory in the leader- ship race over the weekend. The relatively inexperienced Nandy was given the energy brief. Nandy has not had formal energy responsibilities but she joined the parliamentary campaign in support of the "End the Big Six Energy Fix" campaign in 2012, saying it was "appalling" that energy companies were allowed to rake in profits when so many households were in fuel poverty and there were so many premature deaths in winter. ENERGY "…an essential contribution to our way of life…" Transport expert Michael Roberts says he is delighted to join the water sector as Water UK's new chief executive from December, replacing Pamela Taylor. £1,000 Northern Powergrid is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information that helps lead to the arrest and charging of the culprits who stole 60 metres of cable from a substation in County Durham. 3 days Wessex Water's short-lived boil notice was put in place on Wednesday 9 September and lifted on the afternoon of Friday 11 September. Ofgem's retail markets report reveals that the big six energy suppliers still have a long way to go to equal the customer service levels offered by the independents. The 2015 H1 data shows that the average number of complaints per 100,000 customers for the independents was 2,452, significantly lower than the 6,768 of the bigger suppli- ers. Even the best big six performer, Scottish Power with 5,368, was still worse than all the independents. Jefferies equity analyst Peter Atherton said: "The big six energy suppliers will need to im- prove service levels if they are to stem market share loss to smaller suppliers." Big six lag independents on customer service Average number of complaints, per supplier, first half-year 2015 Ecotricity Co-op Ovo First Utility Utilita Spark Energy Utility Warehouse Scottish power British Gas EDF SSE Eon Npower 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 H1 2015 Independent average Big six average Source: Ofgem, Jefferies estimates

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