Utility Week

💻 Digital Weekly: Regulator pay is broken (£) With the government looking at moving both Ofgem and the water sector’s new regulator outside of civil service pay bands, we ask if the proposed change will stem the churn at utility regulators? SP Energy Networks chief executive Nicola Connelly also shares lessons from the Western Link for the construction of five new electricity superhighways, in an issue which also highlights the importance of data, digitalisation and systems thinking for CP2030. https://lnkd.in/eSAzr7Jd

You only have until midnight tomorrow, Friday 7 November, to save £250 on your place at Customer-First Forum 2026. Book now and join your peers on 5 February to align business priorities with a customer-first mindset. https://bit.ly/4gXbpN0 #CustomerFirstForum #customerfirst #conference

Webinar: Planning for the grid of tomorrow 🗓️ 19 November 2025 | 3:30pm In association with IFS Copperleaf With electricity demand in Great Britain forecast to rise by 40% over the next decade, utilities must rethink how they plan and invest. Join Utility Week and IFS Copperleaf for an in-depth discussion on how to connect short, mid and long-term capital and asset plans to deliver a resilient, affordable and low-carbon grid. 📢 Hear from: 🔹 Maryam Nazemi, Manager of Integrated Grid Planning Solutions, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) 🔹 Marc Lamoureux, Senior Product Manager, IFS Copperleaf They will share global insights on unifying planning horizons, reacting to real-time change and defending investment decisions. 👉 Register now for free: https://bit.ly/48ZbEp5 #UtilityWeek #EnergyTransition #GridModernisation #AssetManagement

We're pleased to share that Horizon Water Infrastructure have joined the line-up of #UtilityWeekAwards sponsors! Will you be at the 2 December ceremony to meet them? Secure your place ➡️ https://bit.ly/3LEb03i

Top stories today (£) 🚨 Offshore wind developers have been ‘sold down the river’ https://lnkd.in/eZxsRD3E A senior figure at an offshore wind developer has said they feel “sold down the river” after the government set the auction budget for the technology at a level which is “completely inconsistent” with its plans for decarbonising the electricity system. The source, who did not want to be named, suggested the government had tried to “play it clever” by initially setting a low budget to drive down bids, but then allowing the energy secretary to increase it retrospectively using their new “peeking powers". However, when combined with its decision to allow unconsented projects to bid, they warned that this ploy could backfire, encouraging speculative bids by less developed projects.  💷 Ofwat blocks over £4m of water sector bonuses https://lnkd.in/eHqKdS-3 Ofwat has blocked more than £4 million in performance bonuses for the bosses of six water companies. In a major crackdown, the directors of Anglian Water Services, Southern Water, Thames Water, United Utilities, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water will not be given their annual bonus and other relevant performance related pay this year.    🔥 Ofgem to tackle gas shrinkage at transmission level https://lnkd.in/eGeize_V Ofgem has signalled its intention to crackdown on gas shrinkage by publishing a call for input on the national transmission system. Former Ofgem senior partner maxine frerk said it was a “sensible effort by Ofgem to get a better understanding of shrinkage at transmission level", however she told Utility Week that she "would like a similar focus at distribution level". 🚨

Top stories today (£) 🚨 High Court challenge against Ofwat is ‘fundamentally misconceived’ https://lnkd.in/er2yAVZr A legal challenge being faced by Ofwat in the High Court has been slammed as “fundamentally misconceived” by the water regulator. The hearing, which began on Tuesday (4 November), was brought by River Action UK which alleges the regulator acted unlawfully by potentially allowing water companies to charge bill payers twice for infrastructure improvements. Yet Ofwat has hit back and has accused the charity of “making inchoate and inaccurate complaints about Ofwat’s internal deliberations and public statements”.   🔥 Reform would stop heat pump roll out overnight https://lnkd.in/e2dF6avP The slow uptake of heat pumps means that Reform UK will halt progress “overnight” on decarbonisation of home heat if the party wins the next election, the government’s ex-head of energy strategy has warned.     🤔 How to sell the 8kW lifestyle? https://lnkd.in/eYpYVscp To truly unlock flexibility, Energy Systems Catapult executive adviser Eric Brown argues that the narrative around constraint needs reframing not as a sacrifice but as strategy.

The urgent utilities meeting, Utility Week Forum, is almost here, and we have added even more expert voices to the agenda. Limited tickets remain: https://lnkd.in/ekVvwNej On 25-26 November at Convene, London, leaders from across #water and #energy will come together to share business strategies shaping the UK’s utility transition and delivering on national targets. The meeting will drill into themes including:  #Financing and #investment for #lowcarbon, resilient #infrastructure  Infrastructure delivery at pace  #Consumer experience and engagement  Strategy for #netzero, linking #economic growth, community engagement and circular economy  Strategic planning between #local and #national developments  #Digitalisation & #AI  …and more. Speakers include:  Paul Hickey, Senior Director, RAPID (Ofwat)   Rob Mustard , Director of Capital Investment, Scottish Water Greg Bradley, Partner, PA Consulting  Jodie Giles, Deputy Director, Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund (Innovate UK)   Phil Jones, CEO, Northern Powergrid  Join the room where leaders share how they’re responding to #government expectations and industry challenge: https://lnkd.in/ekVvwNej 🗒️ Full agenda: https://lnkd.in/e5nZ6BAt 📍 25-26 November, London

Think of a self-healing grid as an immune system for the energy network, one that detects, diagnoses and fixes problems automatically. From sensor data to smart algorithms, this technology could transform how we manage resilience and reliability across power systems. Read more from Utility Week in association with Zühlke Group 👉 https://bit.ly/47m9HAB #EnergyInnovation #Digitalisation #NetZero #Utilities

Utilities and their supply chain agree on the urgency of infrastructure investment, but not on how achievable it is. Our new report with PA Consulting explores what is behind this confidence gap and what needs to change for successful delivery. Featuring insights from leaders at SP Energy Networks, SP Electricity North West, Tideway London, Thames Water, Anglian Water Services and more. Read The Deliverability Divide: From Infrastructure Pipe Dreams to Collaborative Delivery here 👉 https://bit.ly/43nm6mA #Infrastructure #Utilities #Energy #Water #CapitalDelivery

Top stories today (£) 🚨 Energy UK: VAT cut not the best way to lower bills https://lnkd.in/eThugumK Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves should look to lower consumer energy bills in this month’s Budget by reducing environmental levies rather than scrapping VAT, Energy UK has urged. Ministers have signalled that the government will take action to axe VAT on domestic energy bills, currently set at a rate of 5%, as part of wider moves in the Budget to alleviate cost of living pressures on households.   ⚡Rule change to prevent unfeasible projects winning Capacity Market agreements https://lnkd.in/e83T85qx The government has proposed urgent changes to the Capacity Market rules to stop unfeasible projects being brought forwards during the auction process. Under the proposals, new build and demand-side response (DSR) capacity market units (CMUs) would be prevented from changing location after an auction agreement had been awarded. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) claims that the rule change is needed to ensure “projects entered at prequalification are genuinely deliverable at their stated site”.    🌊 Lessons from the super sewer https://lnkd.in/epmcMvyp In an extract from a major new report, the man behind THAMES TIDEWAY TUNNEL speaks to Utility Week about the challenges of delivering mega projects, including the evolving role of contractors. As he prepares to step down as chief executive of Tideway, Andy Mitchell CBE also gives his view on how water companies can balance short and long term projects – and why they need to stop blaming the regulator.