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UTILITY WEEK | 7TH - 13TH APRIL 2017 | 3 This week 4 | Seven days 6 | People & Opinion 9 | Event A look at some of the people and technologies that made it into the top 10 list compiled for Utility Week Live 2017 15 Policy & Regulation 15 | News Treasury: we did not force Decc to axe CCS 16 | Analysis Is the market or the Treasury driving generation investment? 17 Finance & Investment 17 | News Mid-point review hits National Grid for £277.5 million 18 Operations & Assets 18 | High viz EDF pours concrete at Hinkley Point C 19 | Pipe up Jacqueline Hall, Energy and Utilities Independent Assessment Service 20 | Event Utility Week's Future Networks Conference write-up 22 | Sponsored report Insight Report, with Wipro: Enabling customer-led innovation 26 | Analysis The Utility Week-Wipro Innovation Barometer 27 Customers 27 | News Ofgem moves to curb energy back- billing 28 | Analysis Water.Retail, a new publication to monitor the developing competitive water retail market 30 Community 31 | Disconnector GAS 17 | News Mid-point review hits National Grid for £277.5 million WATER 22 | Sponsored report Insight Report, with Wipro: Enabling customer-led innovation 28 | Analysis Water.Retail, a new publication to monitor the developing competitive water retail market ELECTRICITY 16 | Analysis Is the market or the Treasury driving generation investment? 18 | High viz EDF pours concrete at Hinkley Point C ENERGY 9 | Event A look at some of the people and technologies that made it into the top 10 list compiled for Utility Week Live 2017 15 | News Treasury: we did not force Decc to axe CCS 20 | Event Utility Week's Future Networks Conference write- up 26 | Analysis The Utility Week- Wipro Innovation Barometer 27 | News Ofgem moves to curb energy back-billing WNS: Make self service smarter and more engaging http://bit.ly/2nAa2rC Principles-based regulation now seems like a pipe dream Three years ago, Ofgem pledged to bring an end to prescriptive, restrictive regulation in the energy sector. In its place, it would usher in a new principles-based regime, under which companies would be trusted to do the right thing by consumers while competing freely and creatively. How far-fetched that dream now seems. Today, we see the prospect of price regulation hanging over suppliers like the Sword of Damocles, and in the past week Ofgem has instigated a cap on prepayment tariffs and proposed measures to enforce restrictions on consumer back-billing, rather than allowing voluntary codes to dictate best practice. In a time of anti-establishment, populist outrage, such inter- ventions are unlikely to end soon. Ofgem is under pressure to do more to guarantee fair treatment for vulnerable customers – see the National Audit Office's recent report, which also scrutinised Ofwat's work on vulnerability – and in the networks space, the viability of self-governance via industry codes and panels is under fire from new entrants in a decentralising system. There can never have been a more sensitive time for Ofgem to show that it is closing down the scope for bad consumer experiences or nepotism among system incumbents by imposing dogmatic rules and standards. And yet, despite this adversity, Ofgem maintains that it is still working to extricate itself from the minutiae of business activity. It insists that it is still focused on the goal of principles-based regulation. Being kind, this commitment suggests the regulator harbours a hopeless optimism that the current toxic political environment for utilities will fade and it will be allowed to continue with its pre- Competition and Markets Authority inquiry, pre-Brexit plans. But whatever the motivation, the outward effect is that Ofgem presents an inconsistent and unsettling face to its industry. • A hearty well done to all finalists for the Utility Week Stars Awards. Despite the existential challenges for regulators and companies in the utilities sector, they demonstrate how individuals can subvert the negative public image of energy and water firms, replacing it with one of selfless dedication, hard work and talent. We look forward to meeting you all on 23 June for the prize-giving cer- emony. To find out who the finalists are and to book your table, visit www.utilityweekstars.co.uk. Jane Gray, Deputy Editor, janegray@fav-house.com Leader Jane Gray CGI: Energy Flexibility Transforming The Power System By 2030 http://bit.ly/2bR3zXB Knowledge worth Keeping Visit the DownloaDs section of Utility week's website http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/ downloads