Customers are less satisfied with how suppliers handle complaints, despite the number of complaints having halved since 2014. Big six suppliers Npower and Scottish Power, alongside independent First Utility, recorded the highest proportion of “very dissatisfied” complainants. SSE, Eon and EDF Energy performed better but failed to
Construction and infrastructure firm Morgan Sindall has been selected to build a £16.9 million highways and waste distribution depot in Houghton Regis, Dunstable. The scheme for Central Bedfordshire Council has already begun and will include the construction of a household waste recycling centre and a depot for the highways team
Two construction companies have benefited from a national scholarship scheme which will allow them to take on an apprentice who is entirely funded to work for them for one year. The scheme was launched by leading construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and
Launched at the House of Lords on Tuesday, October 11, 2016, at an event hosted by Lord Aberdare, the Skills Accord is a new way of advancing the energy and utilities sector and their supply chain to generate the workforce capacity and capability that is needed. Amey, National Grid, SSE,
A new study by Arup, released this week at the 23rd World Energy Congress, shows that cities have more power to secure their own cleaner energy supply than they realise. Growing cities, which already account for more than 50% of global energy consumption, can no longer afford to rely on
Carrickfergus-based Woodburn Engineering is set to nearly double its workforce as part of strategic growth plans supported by the Invest Northern Ireland group. The family business is creating 10 new jobs and investing in extra machinery (plus marketing) in an attempt to secure new tender opportunities in the UK, in
Research from June 2016 carried out by building society, Kent Alliance, has shown that 40% of landlords are planning to increase their rents by an average of 5.6% over the next 6 months. Three quarters of these have blamed new Government legislation for the increase, while a study by the
Customers are less satisfied with how suppliers handle complaints, despite the number of complaints having halved since 2014. Big six suppliers Npower and Scottish Power, alongside independent First Utility, recorded the highest proportion of “very dissatisfied” complainants. SSE, Eon and EDF Energy performed better but failed to show any significant improvement in overall complaint handling since 2014. The biennial survey from Ofgem compares how the largest and medium sized suppliers deal with their domestic and micro-business customers’ complaints. However, the survey also showed that 77 per cent of domestic complainants said that it was easy to find the right contact details to make a complaint, up from 65 per cent in 2014. Following the initial contact, the experience deteriorated and 42 per cent of customers whose case had been closed by the supplier thought it remained unresolved. Of the customers surveyed, 52 per cent were planning to switch as a result of their experience compared to 44 per cent of domestic complainants and 47 per cent among micro-businesses in 2014. A majority of Npower and Scottish Power domestic customers who complained (71 per cent and 59 per cent respectively) said that they had or were planning to switch as a result of their experience. The regulator has demanded that the worst performers – after Npower and Scottish Power – First Utility and Utility Warehouse, conduct and publish a thorough independent audit of their complaints handling procedures. Ofgem’s chief executive Dermot Nolan has also written an open letter to all suppliers surveyed to demand improvement and asked them to respond publicly setting out how they have made, and intend to make, improvements. In December last year, Ofgem took action over Npower’s complaints handling and fine the supplier £26 million as a result of its failings. In April this year Scottish Power had to pay out £18 million for similar failures. Source link
Construction and infrastructure firm Morgan Sindall has been selected to build a £16.9 million highways and waste distribution depot in Houghton Regis, Dunstable. The scheme for Central Bedfordshire Council has already begun and will include the construction of a household waste recycling centre and a depot for the highways team of Central Bedfordshire. The main building on the 14-acre site will feature modular offices for 60 staff at Highways England, a maintenance workshop for seven vehicles and a big dry storage area. The site will also house fuel and salt stores and will be used to offer support for works at the Dunstable Northern bypass (A5 M1 link) which is currently being built. The household waste distribution centre will feature two small office buildings for 10 members of staff, a retail unit and a 250 vehicle car park. Area Director at Morgan Sindall, Neil Franklin, commented: “We’re pleased to be working closely with Central Bedfordshire Council to advance the long-term waste management plans for Dunstable. “The new highways and waste distribution depot will provide a key service for the area, and much-needed office accommodation and vehicle maintenance space for the council. The centre will also provide an essential facility for storing road-salt and house the council’s gritting fleet during the winter months. We look forward to completing the project in summer 2017.” Last month, Glasgow City Council selected Morgan Sindall to deliver infrastructure work for the vast Sighthill Transformational Regeneration Area. The £36.5 million contract will see construction works for roads, earthworks, utilities, drainage, landscaping and public realm begin in November with completion expected in early 2019. Morgan Sindall was awarded the contract after a tender process in which 64 firms expressed an interest; eight supplied PQQs and five were invited to submit a tender. The £250 million scheme will see the 50 hectare site redeveloped to create a new neighbourhood with around 800 homes for sale and rent.
Two construction companies have benefited from a national scholarship scheme which will allow them to take on an apprentice who is entirely funded to work for them for one year. The scheme was launched by leading construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and also provide opportunities for two young apprentices who hope to take their first steps on the construction career ladder. Having received entries from construction companies throughout the UK, Hudson Contract’s judging panel awarded the scholarship to H&L Construction Solutions in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and Matthews & Leigh in Chorley, Lancashire. Resulting from the awarded funding, on-site carpentry firm, H&L Construction Solutions, has welcomed Joe Ladbery (21) who will begin his apprenticeship while attending his place at Oaklands College in St Albans. Construction and civil engineering business, Matthews & Leigh, is now able to take on Jordan Goulding (18) who is about to start his Level 2 Apprenticeship in Construction Operation at Preston College. Office Manager at H&L, Emma Hunt, commented: “Joe is one of the first apprentices we have ever taken on. We’re a young company, so fully financing the course, with day release, would have been extremely difficult. We really want to support young people in the area who will play an important part in growing our company, so we were thrilled when we found out we had won the scholarship scheme.” Joint Managing Directors for Matthews & Leigh, Ian and Andrew Leigh, added: “We really value the contribution apprentices make to our company. They are the future of our workforce and it’s vital for them to have the skills and training they need to produce quality work and fully understand the industry’s health and safety requirements. To be awarded this scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for us as we recognise that today’s apprentices are to become the next generation of supervisors and managers, which is so important to the long-term growth of the industry.”
Launched at the House of Lords on Tuesday, October 11, 2016, at an event hosted by Lord Aberdare, the Skills Accord is a new way of advancing the energy and utilities sector and their supply chain to generate the workforce capacity and capability that is needed. Amey, National Grid, SSE, Thames Water, and UK Power Networks, along with 22 key supply chain firms have pledged their commitment to a new and innovative Skills Accord. The Skills Accord is one element of the sector’s new approach to strategic workforce renewal and will make sure that market contractors stay competitive while embedding relevant skills development in their organisations through their commitment to an annual contribution to the sector’s overall training target of 5%, and encouraging the same through their supply chain. Chair of the Energy & Utility Skills Group, Jan Ward, congratulated the 27 firms who pledged their commitment to a sustained investment in skills: “This Skills Accord is one of the key priorities of the new sector partnership now underway, and I applaud these companies for testing the art of the possible and by collaborating with each other to recruit and train skilled workers, increase mobility and efficiency, widen the available talent pool and consequently bring about strategic workforce renewal.” During the event, Senior Advisor at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (part of the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury), Keith Waller, commended members of the Energy & Utility Skills Group: “One of the key challenges stated in the 2015 National Infrastructure Plan for Skills was how to incentivise skills investment through procurement. This requires innovative approaches to encourage the retraining and up-skilling of the workforce to meet future skills demands. “The fact that employers within the energy and utilities sector were already working towards this remit in conjunction with Energy & Utility Skills through the management of the Procurement Skills Accord Project is very much welcomed.”
A new study by Arup, released this week at the 23rd World Energy Congress, shows that cities have more power to secure their own cleaner energy supply than they realise. Growing cities, which already account for more than 50% of global energy consumption, can no longer afford to rely on a centralised energy supply and will need to take more control to meet the rising demand. The Arup “Innovating Urban Energy” perspective paper provides insight for the World Energy Council Scenarios Report and shows that new technologies, innovative financing mechanisms and political changes are opening up opportunities for cities to secure their own energy. Technology drivers, such as advanced power electronics, smart metering and local generation are allowing cities to diversify their energy portfolio. Transactive energy is shown as an approach to change the way energy is purchased and sold. This combines economic and control mechanisms to allow for a dynamic balance of supply and demand which uses value created as a key operational parameter. It is allowing cities to develop lower cost, more stable networks capable of handling a much bigger share of renewable sources. This particularly applies to electricity, however the report shows that account needs to be taken of the other energy sectors. A number of cities have existing energy and transport infrastructure that need integrated planning. Not all energy can sensibly arrive as electricity from renewable sources so other vectors such as district heating and hydrogen gas networks have a role to play in this integrated planning. Importantly, these technology developments are blurring the line between producers, distributers and consumers by allowing non-traditional energy players, such as technology companies, to enter the market. Corporates are increasingly looking for opportunities to become power producers in the new urban energy rush and could become significant contributors in the future.
Carrickfergus-based Woodburn Engineering is set to nearly double its workforce as part of strategic growth plans supported by the Invest Northern Ireland group. The family business is creating 10 new jobs and investing in extra machinery (plus marketing) in an attempt to secure new tender opportunities in the UK, in particular in the infrastructure and ports sectors. It specialises in the fabrication of light and heavy steelwork and the associated site installation work. Commenting on the firm’s expansion, managing director Tony Cowan said: “This investment is a significant development for the business; it will enable us to target and secure new high-value projects outside of Northern Ireland. “We have seen an upturn in Great Britain’s construction sector, and bolstering our management and production teams is giving us greater in-house technical expertise and resources to deliver more-complex engineering projects. “Invest NI’s support is helping us to position ourselves to compete for new business. We have already seen the first fruits of our efforts, securing contracts valued at £2 million with Glasgow and Chesterfield City Councils.” Invest NI has offered Woodburn Engineering £45,000 towards its plans for growth. The 10 new jobs are for seven skilled welders along with a production supervisor, contracts manager and draughtsman. Commenting on the expansion, Invest NI’s eastern regional manager, Moira Loughran, said: “This is an important and strategic investment for Woodburn Engineering and a positive news story for Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. “The recovery of Great Britain’s construction sector is benefitting this family firm, which is experiencing encouraging growth.” Meanwhile, Northern Ireland food packaging manufacturer Boran-Mopack has spent £2.4 million and created 10 new jobs in Strabane as part of an export growth drive. The business, whose processes include extrusion and flexographic printing, is attempting to double exports over the next two years after the investment in machinery and equipment at its premises in Strabane, which was bolstered by a £250,000 fund from Invest NI.
Research from June 2016 carried out by building society, Kent Alliance, has shown that 40% of landlords are planning to increase their rents by an average of 5.6% over the next 6 months. Three quarters of these have blamed new Government legislation for the increase, while a study by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) earlier in the month also shows that most landlords plan to raise rents on their tenants. 56% of these intend to do so within the next 12 months and the majority blame new Government legislation and changes to mortgage interest relief. However, the latest research from property classifieds site, TheHouseShop.com, has discovered that nearly half (42%) of private renters would not be able to afford a rise of up to 5% in their monthly rent costs – which shows quite how precarious the UK rental market has become. The YouGov survey of more than 1000 renters and mortgage holders asked people to estimate the minimum percentage that their monthly mortgage or rent payments would have to go up by before they became unaffordable. Shockingly, an increase of just up to 1% would be unaffordable for 16% of private tenants, which demonstrates how many tenants are already paying the upper limit of what they can afford. In comparison, homeowners (with mortgages only) were much more likely to be able to withstand smaller increases in their monthly payments: with just 3% saying they could not afford an increase of up to 1%, compared to the 16% of private renters who said the same thing. Mortgage-holders were more able to absorb larger increases in monthly payments, with 24% saying monthly mortgage payments would have to increase by more than 20% before they became unaffordable, compared to just 7% of private tenants who said the same of their monthly rent payments.
