Uncertain times for energy

Electricity Market Reform (EMR) is the biggest shake-up of the energy market since privatisation. This ongoing regulatory reform aims to help the UK meet its low-carbon objectives while ensuring future energy security, but the changes are also set to have a major impact on business. As significant energy users, this puts manufacturers at the front line of the reforms, as many will be funding the wide-ranging changes through pass-through charges in their energy bills. At npower, we fully support EMR's objectives and understand its aims for the UK to have modern, efficient energy infrastructure with a diverse mix of technologies to ensure our economy can grow and compete globally. However, from speaking to businesses, it's clear that many feel confused about how EMR will work and are concerned about its impact on UK competitiveness. We compiled the views of businesses into an in-depth report and presented it to government. The key finding is that businesses want more information on how each part of EMR will impact them in terms of financial and administrative cost. They are also calling for greater transparency on how EMR schemes will operate, with further details needed on how costs will be set and markets regulated. Putting the UK's energy market on the right track is an urgent priority. However, with manufacturers playing a key economic role in the UK's financial recovery, EMR's impact on business is something that needs to be given careful consideration. Fortunately, there are solutions manufacturers can implement now to protect themselves from energy risk, such as implementing an energy management strategy. Businesses can do this by working in partnership with their energy supplier. We work with customers to monitor energy consumption and identify areas of potential wastage. Once identified, we can help implement the energy-saving actions needed to reduce consumption and take control of energy costs. To find read the full report feeding business views on EMR into government, go to http://bit.ly/EMRRepo. To have your say on EMR, fill in our quick survey and we'll feed your views into government. Go to http://bit.ly/EMRpulse.