Utility Week

UTILITY Week 7th October 2016

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28 | 7TH - 13 OCTOBER 2016 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Event preview Utility Week Congress Birmingham, 18-19 October 2016 Utility Week Congress 2016 With smart meters, water competition and Brexit all in the mix, there will be plenty to talk about at this year's Congress. N ew entrants, new markets, evolving regulatory pressures, rising customer expectations and digital disrup- tion, all against the backdrop of climate change – how will the utility sector as we know it evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century? In the wake of momentous decisions on Britain's future relationship with Europe and measures which aim to fix deep-seated problems in the energy retail market, Util- ity Week Congress returns to unpick what transformation strategies for utilities should 5 key points to take away Utility Week Congress 2016 takes place in a climate of: 1. Market reform. Both the water and energy sectors are in the midst of periods of significant market reform with new regulatory models emerging and the imminent opening of the non-household water market. These changes affect the approaches to customer engagement, competition and value creation. They will change the way utilities formulate and execute their business plans. 2. An urgent need for infrastructure investment. Ageing infrastructure and an urgent decarbonisation agenda demand significant investment from utilities. However, policy uncertainty and the as yet unknown ramifications of leaving the EU make for fragile investor confidence. 3. More demanding customers and ongoing distrust. With better, easier and swifter customer experience in other areas of their lives, customers are demanding more from their utilities. While customer engagement strategies are often littered with platitudes, improving engagement and trust is vital to demonstrate transparency and realise the commercial benefits of delivering data-driven utility services. 4. A decentralising utility system. More questions than answers have so far emerged over how the centralised utility model and structure is going to cope and adapt to new decentralised energy systems, while decentralised and off-grid challenges are emerging in the water sector. 5. Increasing smart and connected technologies. With the mass rollout of smart meters starting and advances in remote monitoring, there are opportunities to create radically more efficient and intelligent utility infrastructures. Jones Wright Morris Loughlin Bentley Skellett Hodges KEY SPEAKERS INCLUDE: • Mark Hodges, chief executive, British Gas • Christopher Loughlin, chief executive, Pennon Group • Colin Skellett, chief executive, Wessex Water • William Morris, group managing director - retail, SSE • Sarah Bentley, chief customer officer, Severn Trent Water • Phil Jones, chief executive, Northern Powergrid • Matthew Wright, chief executive, Southern Water look like in a future with unclear risk and reward ratios. Building on the success of the past three years, the fourth Congress will have scope to reflect on the energy market remedies from the Competition and Markets Authority, and take stock of issues revealed through the shadow opening of the non-household water retail market. We'll assess the latest state of play for the stalling smart meter rollout and consider the shape of new smart grid markets, incorpo- rating new features like energy storage and local system operation. The first day of Utility Week Congress, which takes place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, will focus on new markets and new horizons, with the second day look- ing at how utilities make the shi towards becoming more service provider than simply a utility provider. Across market segments, there are moves to create a more dynamic, competitive and innovative utilities sector. By bringing together senior executives from incumbents, new entrants, investors and the supply chain, along with influential regulators and policymakers, the Utility Week Congress will challenge convention, inspire change and test strategic resilience.

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