There are other reasons to celebrate this festive season, too – and here are just a few of them:
1. No-one in the industry would have wished for energy bills to become a political football – but there is now the opportunity for a sensible debate about the energy trilemma of affordability, security and sustainability in the run-up to the 2015 election;
2. The water companies have stepped up to the challenge of PR14 and submitted their business plans on time and with more customer consultation than ever before;
3. RIIO too has been introduced with relatively little pain and WPD is set to forge the way on the fast track, with the networks between them pledging to save billions of pounds through innovation;
4. There were moments when it looked impossible, but EDF and the government finally struck a deal and the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation is set to go ahead at Hinkley Point C;
5. The Energy Bill was set to be signed off as Utility Week went to press. It may not be perfect, but it creates at last the environment to bring forward much-needed investment in new generation in 2014.
There’s an exciting 12 months ahead for all of us. In the meantime, enjoy the festive season and stay up to date with all the news at utilityweek.co.uk. We’ll be back in print on January 10.