Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 9TH - 15TH MARCH 2018 | 5 PAN-UTILITY Last call for stars There are just ten days left to nomi- nate your utilities heroes for this year's Utility Week Stars Awards. The accolades are designed to officially recognise and reward the star quality of those who are the pride of our industry. We want to hear about those teams and individuals within utility companies, contractors and suppli- ers, who have shown outstanding ability or commitment. Now in its fifth year, the awards scheme's 14 trophies cover the breadth of work by the industry, ranging from data science to col- laboration with education, and from innovation to long service. The awards ceremony for this unique celebration takes place in Manchester on 29 June. Deadline for entries is Monday 19 March. For more details, visit www.utilityweekstars.co.uk. "We're confident that the market will clear to bring on new gas in the near future" Drax Power chief executive Andy Koss says he is confident the company will be able to secure capacity market contracts for new gas turbines, despite the record-low price in the latest auction. Northumbrian Water crews across the North East were battling the "Beast" last week as some of the heaviest winter weather in years struck the region. From north Northumberland to the borders of North Yorkshire, team members faced sub-zero temperatures and snow blizzards to tackle frozen pipes, network disruptions, power cuts to Northumbrian Water sites and high levels of calls and contacts from concerned customers. £80bn Since 1990, network companies have invested £80 billion in improving the reliability of local energy networks in the UK, according to the Energy Networks Association. Energy policy costs should be recovered through taxation rather than being levied on energy bills, the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has argued. In a new report, the UKERC says the current arrangements are regressive, with the poorest households contributing a dis- proportionately large share of their income towards low-carbon subsidies. The study, produced by researchers at the University of Leeds, shows policy costs accounted for 13 per cent – or £132 – of the average energy bill in 2016. The impact was greatest on the poorest 10 per cent of house- holds in the UK, which spent 10 per cent of their income on energy bills. By comparison, the richest 10 per cent of households spent just 3 per cent of their income on heat and power. The report also notes that household electricity and gas use represent only 12 per cent of final energy use in the UK. UKERC calls for taxation to pay for energy policy costs Source: UKERC, Funding a Low Carbon Energy System: a fairer approach? Scottish Power appoints Keith Anderson as CEO Keith Anderson has been appointed CEO of Scottish Power, an internal promotion from his combined role as chief executive of Scottish Power Renewables (SPR), and chief corporate officer of Scottish Power. "Anderson will have ultimate responsibility for all Scottish Power businesses, and for the leadership of Scottish Power inter- nally and externally," the company said in a statement. Lindsay McQuade, previously director of policy and innovation, will succeed him as chief executive of SPR. APPOINTMENTS ■ Home heat & power ■ Consumables Recreation & communication ■ Services ■ Imports ■ Travel ■ Food 12 14 10 8 6 4 2 0 Tonnes oil equivalence per household Low income Average income High income Final energy use by household income

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