Renewable Energy Gets Early Connection Date
National Grid has announced that a number of Scottish renewable energy generation projects will connect to the grid sooner than expected, reports utilityweek.co.uk. As many as 12 projects could connect to the grid earlier than expected.
Under new connection guidelines 12 wind projects will receive earlier connection dates in many cases bringing their connection to the grid forward by 6 years.
Previously new electricity generating plants had to wait for grid reinforcement before they could be connected which meant many projects were delayed.
National Grid said that as a result of the changes “no generation project in Scotland is now waiting for wider reinforcements to the existing transmission system to be completed and all can connect as soon as the local connection to the grid is ready”.
Source and further details: http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/news/uk/electricity/national-grid-offers-early-con.php
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Business supplies supplier expands
UK and Ireland’s biggest wholesaler of business supplies, VOW Europe, has today confirmed an agreement to take on more than 255,000 sq ft of warehouse distribution space at ProLogis Wakefield Europort with a 20 year lease on the business premises.
The relocation is a result of an early vacation by the previous tenant and means that VOW will now surrender a smaller lease for an adjacent building at the site, where ProLogis European Properties, one of Europe’s largest owners of modern warehouse distribution facilities, is just behind Wakefield Europort.
VOW’s chief financial officer, Mark Johnston was pleased to have signed a new lease agreement because it provides the company with a practical solution after outgrowing their current facilities, he also commented that VOW Europe has enjoyed a successful relationship with ProLogis and always received a high standard of customer service.
If you have recently or are about to move business premises then let Utility Exchange find you the cheapest gas, electricity, telecom and mobile tariffs on the market. Simply request a quote at;
Source;
Thebusinessdesk.com/ Commercial Property (VOW sees wow factor at Wakefield Eurport)
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Smaller Gas and Electricity Suppliers
uSwitch provides free, impartial online and phone based comparison and switching services to help customers compare prices on a range of services including gas, electricity, home phone, broadband providers and personal finance products, and according to their press release feature – ‘Why small can be beautiful when choosing energy suppliers’ it believes consumers should welcome news that small energy suppliers are taking on the bigger suppliers with market beating plans – offering more choice, especially for those looking for an alternative to the big six energy suppliers who dominate the market including British Gas, npower, E.ON and Scotish Power.
Two recent challengers include – OVO Energy and First:Utility – who have each launched highly competitive online energy tariffs; OVO averages out at £978 a year, while First:Utility averages out at £967 a year – making it £16 cheaper than EDF Energy’s online energy plan, costing £983 a year on average, being the cheapest plan offered by one of the big six.
Energy expert, Will Marples for uSwitch.com commented that this is the first time a ‘challenging’ provider has gone head-to-head with the major utility suppliers on price and actually beaten them!
He continued by saying that the reason for this is because their size is in fact working in their favour – they are nippy, nimble and therefore able to react quickly to falling wholesale prices which is beneficial for those consumers who have been looking for a viable alternative to – British Gas, npower, EDF, Scotish Power, E.ON and Scottish and Southern Energy – but were concerned about paying more for their energy as a result.
OVO and First:Utility are still new to the supplier market, and although they are small companies they are achieving big successes in differentiating themselves from the bigger suppliers; First:Utility was the first supplier offering all customers the opportunity to have a smart meter installed, giving householders a greater control of their energy usage, and now, they are positioning themselves as the UK’s cheapest provider.
uSwitch.com’s article concludes this is exactly the type of challenge the market needs and will result in consumers watching with interest to see how other suppliers respond!
Why not utilise the expertise of Utility Exchange to compare the market for cheaper gas, electric, and telecommunication utilities, for both your home and business, saving you time, energy and most of all money; www.utility-exchange.com
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Severn Trent acquires Spain’s P.S. Apliclor
Severn Trent Services, a leader in water and wastewater technology, operations and analytical services, has acquired P.S. Apliclor S.A., a leading supplier of water and wastewater solutions in Barcelona, Spain, forming part of Severn Trent Services’ significant plans to expand its business presence in Europe, reports waterandwastewater.com.
Severn Trent Services and Apliclor previously won major contracts for Tetra® LP Blocks™ rapid gravity dual parallel lateral filter floors including two contracts for a new clean water filtration design that will ensure significant savings in capital cost for new filters.
(Tetra technology is a worldwide leader for wastewater filtration applications, including some of the biggest deep bed and denitrification filters in the world)
Following the acquisition, the company subsequently announced the appointments of a general manager for the P.S. Apliclor Division and a sales manager and financial controller for Spain.
Severn Trent Services’ broad range of products and services concentrates around disinfection, instrumentation and filtration technologies and contract operating services. Their analytical services group is the UK’s leading environmental testing organisation, and their international management services business provides support in all aspects of water and wastewater utility operations development and business transformation.
Sources;
e-bulletin:Newenergyfinance.com
Waterandwastewater.com/ Industry News (Severn Trent Services acquires P.S. Apliclor S.A.)
Severntrentservices.com
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iSave with First:utility
First:utility supplies electricity and gas to homes and businesses at reduced costs through low tariffs, energy efficiency and smart metering, and as an independent energy supplier the energy company has announced its new dual fuel iSave deal – claiming to undercut every other UK energy tariff, offering customers savings of 14.5% compared to the likes of British Gas.
The iSave deal will incentivise customers to submit regular meter readings, with financial rewards for doing so and will also produce monthly billing.
Mark Daeche, chief executive of first:utility, stated that it is their goal to supply home and business consumers with a real alternative to the ‘Big Six’ energy players, including e.on, npower and ScotishPower.
The iSave tariff is an online tariff only and customers are encouraged to register their details via first-utility.com or through one of the many switching sites in the first instance.
Why not utilise the expertise of Utility Exchange and let us search the electricity, gas, telecom and mobile markets for you. We provide you with the cheapest tariffs available, saving you time, energy and most of all money;
Source;
Utilityweek.co.uk/ Electricity (First:utility launches UK’s cheapest dual fuel deal)
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POWERful Jobs
Power-technology.com has reported that 500 jobs could be created over the next five years following plans for a long-term lease at a nuclear energy site in England, according to union leaders, when the current contract ends in March 2010.
Multi-national utility Westinghouse Electric has confirmed that it is in advanced discussions with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) regarding the future of its fuel site at Springfields near Preston, where since it’s origins in the 1940′s, Springfields has provided nuclear fuel, chemical and mechanical fabrication for AGR and Magnox fuel, and conversion services for uranium hexafluoride.
Aris Candris, Westinghouse’s president and CEO advised The Press Association that the proposed arrangement would give Westinghouse an opportunity to consider significant investment at the site following strong signs of a nuclear revival thus bringing with it an increased demand for fuel supplies.
Union – Unites’ national officer Dougie Rooney commented that:
“This is excellent news for skilled manufacturing jobs. The agreement would mean the retention of 1,500 jobs and create a further 500 jobs over the next five years”
Source;
Power-technology.com-daily update/ Industry News
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Instant contamination detection
EADS UK the aerospace, defence and engineering company, is in talks with Ofwat – the water regulator, about introducing a new process that will allow utility companies to detect whether their reservoirs and supplies have been contaminated – in an instant.
EADS owner of Airbus, has designed and created automated systems that can be installed within pipes or reservoirs and will monitor water quality constantly thus allowing suppliers to detect contamination before it gets to household users – cutting current analysis time from days to less than 15 minutes.
Water companies have to test their supplies regularly but it can take several days before they receive the results, therefore any serious contamination first likely to show up by having an effect on the people who drink the water.
EADS is showcasing the technology to Ofwat where it is believed the regulator is considering mandating the system for all utility companies to increase protection the UK against terrorist attacks or accidental contamination.
Source article;
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article6828226.ece
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Businesses get British Gas help
Utility company British Gas has launched a new energy management subscription service that has been designed to help businesses identify better ways of using energy and consequently pinpoint measures that can be implemented to reduce electricity and gas bills.
British Gas, a trading name of Centrica Plc, supply gas and electricity to residential and businesses across the UK and confirmed that the new service, to be known as Energy Locum, has the potential to help organisations save 10% on their energy consumption.
The utility supplier’s business division has bought to light research which indicates that nearly two-thirds of companies do not know who was responsible for energy efficiency or do not have a dedicated energy manager.
This new service will offer businesses a dedicated energy manager via a subscription basis for example; a few days per quarter or several days per month, which provides all of the benefits of an energy manger without the associated costs and commitment by employing one full-time.
Source;
Utilityweek.co.uk/ News/ Gas (British Gas launches energy management help for businesses)
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Ofgem takes on tackle burden
The UK’s gas and electricity regulator, Ofgem, has announced expansion plans in an attempt to tackle the burden of measures for tackling climate change, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Costs for funding new schemes, for example smart metres and offshore wind turbines, are expected to double from 9% to 18% of bills over the next few years, so experts think this will underestimate the scale of taxes and levis that have been set aside to tackle climate change and energy security.
Following these concerns, the Government had been expected to increase Ofgem’s supervision as to whether energy companies are complying with complex taxes, schemes and rules regarding renewable obligation certificates (incentives to generate green energy).
Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary earlier this year decided that the regulators remit would change to incorporate climate change and energy security – and so, a new division called Ofgem E-serve will manage £3.9 billion of current environmental schemes.
Analysts claim that in the future, this new department might handle taxes on customer’s bills like paying for capturing and storing carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants or levis to new nuclear power plants, for example.
Ofgem maintains that they will continue to monitor energy prices for consumers.
The Daily Telegraph/ Business 09.09.09
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Peak Season Sparks
Spark Energy call themselves one of the “Little 6″ energy businesses specialising in delivering a better power and gas supply service and price proposition for tenants, property management firms and landlords across the UK.
However, due to the busy move in and move out period for tenants, the utility company has admitted that they are currently experiencing particularly high volumes of enquiries in their customer care departments and are apologising via their website for any delay that may be experienced in speaking to one of their customer service agents.
The company is also undertaking their quarterly account reviews which could result in increased demand on the team – however they are resourcing up and working extra hours to ensure the extra demand is met.
Sparkenergy.co.uk/ News (Peak season – bear with us!)