Five top stories this week

Leader

Utility Week’s editor-in-chief wonders whether it can really be true that consumers might except the odd power cut in return for a 25% reduction in their energy bills.

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James Wallin, editor-in-chief

South East Water chair falls on sword after damning report

Chris Train will leave his post as South East Water chair with immediate effect. The announcement coincides with a damning report by the environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee which declares it has no confidence in South East’s CEO, David Hinton, and the board, labelling the company's leadership as incompetent.

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Greg Jackson: Consumers would accept odd blackout if bills cut

Most consumers would accept an occasional blackout in exchange for much lower energy bills, Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson has suggested. He made the claim whilst arguing that energy bills could be reduced by making better use of Britain’s existing infrastructure.

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£15bn Warm Homes Plan at risk of becoming ECO-style scandal

The £15 billion set aside for the Warm Homes Plan is at risk of being abused unless the government implements accountability standards. That is according to the chair of Parliament’s Fuel Poverty Committee Caroline Flint, who told Utility Week that lessons must be learned from the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) scandal, which saw thousands of customers ripped off.

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United Utilities asks for extra £1.4bn for Windermere, data centres and housing

United Utilities has submitted a re-opener request to Ofwat for £1.4 billion incremental investment including circa £190 million for projects around Lake Windermere. The North West water company is also seeking permission to spend circa £770 million more for its growth programme and £410 million for its proactive asset replacement.

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Scottish Power boss rails against competitive tenders for grid upgrades

Scottish Power boss Keith Anderson has railed against plans to invite companies to compete to design, build, own and operate parts of Great Britain's onshore transmission network. Anderson claimed the only way they will be able to deliver infrastructure at a lower cost than the incumbent transmission owners is by taking on higher levels of debt.

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South East Water chair falls on sword after damning report

Chris Train will leave his post as South East Water chair with immediate effect. The announcement coincides with a damning report by the environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee which declares it has no confidence in South East’s CEO, David Hinton, and the board, labelling the company's leadership as incompetent.

Read more

Greg Jackson: Consumers would accept odd blackout if bills cut

Most consumers would accept an occasional blackout in exchange for much lower energy bills, Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson has suggested. He made the claim whilst arguing that energy bills could be reduced by making better use of Britain’s existing infrastructure.

Read more

£15bn Warm Homes Plan at risk of becoming ECO-style scandal

The £15 billion set aside for the Warm Homes Plan is at risk of being abused unless the government implements accountability standards. That is according to the chair of Parliament’s Fuel Poverty Committee Caroline Flint, who told Utility Week that lessons must be learned from the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) scandal, which saw thousands of customers ripped off.

Read more

United Utilities asks for extra £1.4bn for Windermere, data centres and housing

United Utilities has submitted a re-opener request to Ofwat for £1.4 billion incremental investment including circa £190 million for projects around Lake Windermere. The North West water company is also seeking permission to spend circa £770 million more for its growth programme and £410 million for its proactive asset replacement.

Read more

Scottish Power boss rails against competitive tenders for grid upgrades

Scottish Power boss Keith Anderson has railed against plans to invite companies to compete to design, build, own and operate parts of Great Britain's onshore transmission network. Anderson claimed the only way they will be able to deliver infrastructure at a lower cost than the incumbent transmission owners is by taking on higher levels of debt.

Read more