Beels to leave MOSL board

MOSL non-executive director Margaret Beels is to step down from the board on 15 July.

Beels (pictured) joined the MOSL board in July 2015 as the company was established to lead the opening of the market in 2017. She helped prepare MOSL and the market for opening, and has subsequently supported the organisation as it has matured. Her service included a stint as interim chair of both the Codes Panel and MOSL board.

Beels’ previously worked as chief executive of the Electricity Pool, which enabled wholesale trading in the new electricity market; and led British Gas’ efforts to separate its gas supply and network businesses. MOSL chair, Anne Heal, said: “I would like to take the opportunity to thank Margaret for her tremendous contribution to both MOSL and the market over the course of the last six years. She has been an integral part of MOSL’s development.” Covid-19 Repayment Schemes requirement extended to 31 July In light of the Government’s decision to delay withdrawing the remaining Covid restrictions, Ofwat has extended its obligation on water retailers to provide Covid-19 Repayment Schemes to non household customers affected by the pandemic. These tailored payment scheme requirements were scheduled to be in place until 30 June. As the final step of the reopening roadmap – the easing of all legal limits on social contact – will now not take place until 19 July, Ofwat has extended its Covid-19 Repayment Scheme requirement until 31 July. Under the measure, retailers must offer pandemic-hit non household customers tailored repayment schemes until the end of July. There is nothing to stop retailers continuing to operate Covid-19 schemes beyond that date. In line with the decision, the associated requirement for retailers to submit monthly reports to Ofwat and CCWater, relating to the customer uptake of repayment plans and debt recovery action, was also extended until 31 July 2021. Ofwat consults on new debt guidelines Ofwat is consulting until 28 July on updates to its 2015 debt guidelines for residential customers. The regulator has reorganised its guidelines into principles and minimum service expectations for different customer groups – those in debt; those in vulnerable circumstances including those at risk of falling into debt; all residential customers; and those whose accounts are managed by others such as housing associations and local authorities. It has also introduced new expectations to encourage companies to proactively identify and contact customers that need help. Ofwat said the changes – which follow a call for revision from CCW’s Affordability Review as well as Ofwat’s own #ListenCareShare work and the Covid pandemic – seek to balance “allowing companies sufficient flexibility to devise, manage and improve the way they recover money for the benefit of all customers; and setting out as clearly as possible what we believe to be reasonable protection for individual customers – so that these customers receive outcomes that are as good as for other customers”. The new principles were: • Help make it easy for all customers to pay their water bill. • Make sure customers who are eligible for help receive it when it is needed. • Treat customers that have their accounts managed by agents as customers of the company. • Be proactive in contacting customers in debt. • Be clear, courteous and non-threatening to customers in debt. • Agree payments that are right for each customer in debt. • Treat customers facing debt recovery by debt recovery agents with care. Ofwat allows bilateral flexibility Ofwat has allowed the programme to bring standardisation to bilateral transactions in the business retail market more timetable flexibility, but confirmed the overall scheduled end date must be met. In a new change proposal to CPW070 (which set out the timetable for the bilateral programme – originally issued in July 2019 and amended in October 2020) the regulator has removed the hard delivery dates for each phase of the programme but restated that the final report for all phases must be with Ofwat by no later than 30 November 2022. Specifically, the latest amendments: Confirmed the delay sought by MOSL to the implementation timeframe of ‘Phase 2’ from the end of July 2021 to 22 September 2021. Moved from the current approach of specifying a minimum number of processes delivered by the end of each phase on a fixed date, to using the Panel process detailed in the MAC to determine which deliverables will be delivered and the date on which their use will be mandated. Reaffirmed that the project’s end date remains no later than 30 November 2022. Established a companion change proposal (CPM043) to incorporate proposed changes to the MAC as they arise over the course of the CPW070 timetable. Business Stream saves Scottish public sector £1m in a year Business Stream has reported delivering savings of £1.4m and 885,000m3 of water during the first year of a three year contract to Scotland’s public sector. This will also contribute to the Scottish Government’s net zero carbon targets.

Business Stream won the £200m, three-year Scottish Government Public Sector Procurement contract in early 2020 and onboarded over 17,000 sites last year, including local authorities, NHS Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Police Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, universities and colleges and Scottish Government. A spokesperson from the Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate utilities team, said: “Scottish Procurement acknowledges the Business Stream approach to pro-active water management. They have identified issues and worked with customers to improve the efficiency and management of our water resource. This practical approach has reduced water consumption and provided financial savings for public sector customers of the Water and Waste Water Framework and benefits everyone.” Scottish Water Horizons launches service to get developer assets up to scratch Scottish Water subsidiary Scottish Water Horizons has launched a new service for developers to remediate their water and wastewater assets to a standard that will enable Scottish Water to adopt them. The end to end service includes consultation, advice and upgrade work for assets like that don’t currently meet the standards and specifications necessary for adoption. The ownership of such assets – which could include sustainable drainage systems, pumping stations or small networks –sits with the developer, and leaves them with operation and maintenance risk. The new service is part of a wider offering from Scottish Water Horizons designed to support economic growth and sustainable development in Scotland. Horizons supports carbon reduction, Hydro Nation and circular economy policy by making the most of Scottish Water’s assets. Its activities include renewable generation and food waste recycling.