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The government’s climate change watchdog has pushed back the publication of its blueprint for the upcoming sixth carbon budget as it seeks to understand how the coronavirus response feeds into the net-zero journey.
4 years ago
Centrica has confirmed Chris O’Shea as its permanent chief executive - less than a month after he assumed the role on an interim basis. Recently appointed chairman Scott Wheway said he had reviewed internal and external applicants for the role and come to the conclusion that O'Shea was "comprehensively the best candidate".
Ofwat chief executive Rachel Fletcher has highlighted some of the “important choices” water companies face in responding to coronavirus and warned that “the public is watching and judging”. But, has the regulator provided enough clarity to reassure firms?
Fuel Bank Foundation chair, Matt Cole, says the charity is seeing an increase in people who would never have otherwise needed help due to coronavirus. He is calling for government and the energy supply industry to use this opportunity to put in place a safety net for the most vulnerable customers, especially those using pre-payment meters.
Scottish Power, Bulb and Shell Energy have all told Utility Week they will not be following industry peers in furloughing staff. EDF has said that while it continues to monitor the situation, it has not put any employees on leave.
Northumbrian has urged the CMA to listen to the "crystal clear" message from its customers to let it invest in resilience and proactively combat the impacts of climate change. Chief executive Heidi Mottram talks us through the Statement of Case defending the original plan.
A suite of measures to mitigate the impacts of coronavirus have been introduced by EDF across its nuclear power stations, Utility Week has learnt. As well as moving to two shifts per day, the company is also bolstering the ranks of those who are authorised for nuclear operational roles. It has stressed it is “extremely unlikely” plants will have to be quarantined.
Igloo Energy has announced a 30 per cent cut to its gas prices as coronavirus continues to impact global wholesale prices. However, industry observers do not expect other suppliers to follow suit.
Ovo Energy has unveiled a series of measures to extend credit and temporary payment reductions to its most vulnerable customers. The supplier added it was working with other retailers and Ofgem to find a solution to longer-term financial hardship. Meanwhile Thames Water has revealed it is working with more than 170 care homes and hospitals across its region to bolster resilience plans during the coronavirus pandemic.
Utility Week has seen a letter from Energy Ombudsman chief executive Matthew Vickers advising energy suppliers on new complaints handling measures, which will allow them an additional month to submit evidence. Going forward the service will also prioritise the most urgent cases.
The four water companies appealing to the CMA have submitted their grounds for requesting a redetermination. As part of a short series Utility Week will explore each of their Statements of Case and the reasons for not accepting Ofwat’s final determinations. In this piece, we examine the arguments from Anglian.
Matthew Vickers, chief executive of the Energy Ombudsman, has said any government intervention in the energy supply market would be better directed at consumers rather than the retailers themselves. However, another industry expert took a differing view while stressing that suppliers would simply have to accept a dip in revenue from business customers.