Welcome to the Summer 2024 issue of

Buying and Using Utilities.

Published four times a year, B+UU magazine is delivered direct to the country’s most influential corporate energy and water buyers.

The theme of this issue is The challenges in driving businesses towards Net Zero targets.

Articles include: A review of the BUU Live Spring Conference and Exhibition; Data’s role in cost efficiency and sustainability; The steps toward future Net Zero targets; Will current policy meet our renewable energy needs?; The pivotal role of CFDs in driving sustainable energy initiatives; The possibilities, challenges, and impact of on-site energy generation; Smart meter insights for reducing water costs across sites; Net Zero pledges require decarbonisation and rapid carbon credit market expansion; Navigating CPPAs; Sustainability tips, emphasising trade effluent’s role in water management; Aligning decarbonisation goals with capital strategies amid energy volatility.

Key insights from Buying and Using Utilities Live
Page 4

Robin Hale, Chief Executive, MEUC provides an overview of our Spring Conference and Exhibition at the IET in London.

The future of energy
Page 6

MEUC’s Technical Adviser, Eddie Proffitt, delves into the current state and future outlook of the UK’s energy supply, highlighting significant trends and developments in renewable and nuclear energy, as well as government policies aimed at ensuring energy security.

Making smart metering measure up
Page 8

By 2030, three-quarters of water supply points should be smart metered. MEUC Water Adviser, Karma Loveday, looks at the plans and the need for consistency for customers.

DESNZ cranks up its plans for changes ahead
Page 10

Geoff Davies of WWAM Writers Ltd. picks a way through a complex flurry of announcements.

The data revolution
Page 12

IMServ Head of Strategic Innovation, Jonathan Briggs, looks at how increasingly granular data unlocks the twin challenges of cost efficiency and sustainability.

Bringing it all together – cost, consumption and carbon
Page 14

Kath Chapman, Managing Director at Ameresco, looks at how we can take steps toward future Net Zero targets.

Playing catch up: will current policy meet our renewable energy needs?
Page 16

Vish Sharma, Head of Power Purchase Agreements at npower Business Solutions (nBS), explores the challenges and the vital role of renewable energy adoption in driving businesses towards Net Zero targets.

Managing volatility in Contracts for Difference
Page 18

Uncovering the pivotal role of Contracts for Difference (CfD) in driving sustainable energy initiatives, Daniel Starman, Energy Market Lead at Drax Energy Solutions, provides valuable insights.

Empowering the public sector and C&I environments on the Net Zero journey
Page 20

Implementing solar energy in both private and public sectors is crucial for achieving Net Zero in the UK. Rob Murphy, Sales and Originations Director at SAS Energy, will discuss the possibilities and challenges of on-site energy generation and its impact on achieving emission balance by 2050.

Data-driven water management: Insights from Smart Meter Rollouts
Page 22

In BUU’s spring edition, Wave’s Head of Water Efficiency Services, Oli Shelley, shared some of the known plans around the smart meter rollout for Non-Household (NHH) customers. In this issue, Oli explores the insight that existing smart meter rollouts have provided and what that could mean for reducing water consumption and costs across your sites.

Decoding the Voluntary Carbon Market: Past trends and future engagement
Page 24

The global surge in Net Zero pledges demands deep corporate decarbonisation. Robert Brown, Senior Director of Sales & Marketing at ENGIE Impact says achieving these targets also requires effective use of carbon credits for residual emissions,  necessitating rapid expansion of the carbon credit market.

Navigating the landscape of Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs)
Page 26

Jon Kirby, Head of Development at SSE Energy Solutions, navigates the landscape of CPPAs. He plots a course toward renewable energy, tracing it back to its source at an SSE wind farm.

Sustainable trade effluent management – how to improve efficiency and reduce impact
Page 27

Scott MacIndeor, Head of Advanced Services at Water Plus shares sustainability tips highlighting the critical role of trade effluent in water management and Net Zero strategies.

Guide to industrial decarbonisation
Page 28

David Kipling, CEO at On-site Energy, explores the challenge of aligning decarbonisation goals with capital allocation strategies amidst fluctuating energy prices and rising borrowing costs

Supporters Directory
Page 33

A to Z Directory listing of MEUC Supporters; companies that provide supply, procurement and management expertise and services. Click through for further details and to see how they can assist your energy and water strategy.