Scotland sets out plans to introduce charges on single-use coffee cups

A panel of environmental advisers previously suggested a charge of between 20p and 25p – but it was not legislated as work was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Bristol Clean Air Zone: Online car checker for charges launched

Bristol City Council estimates around 71% of vehicles travelling into the city already meet the zone’s emission standards

Government unveils new plans to boost recycling in England

Plans being considered include the introduction of statutory guidance on new minimum service standards for rubbish and recycling collections, subject to an assessment of affordability and value for money

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Elexon to return £1.5m of savings to the industry

The move has been driven by a number of cost efficiencies and savings made by the company, which administers the Balancing and Settlement Code

Energy networks help customers and suppliers by deferring £350m of charges

Ofgem has confirmed that the scheme will be available as a last resort option

UK’s anaerobic digestion fees labelled ‘unjustified’

The UK’s anaerobic digestion trade body has said the Environment Agency’s proposals to increase charges and fees for operators are “unjustified”. The Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) said significant increases in the majority of charges associated with environmental permits and applications will have financial implications for the bulk of both new and existing AD […]

Ministers plan to change levies on bills, not cut them

Ministers plan to change the way the levies on energy bills work, rather than cutting them entirely. Reports from the BBC claim government insiders have said they want the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) introduced earlier this year to be implemented over a longer period – four years instead of two. They also want the Warm […]

Ofwat wants more money to pay for price review

Ofwat is proposing to increase the fees it charges water and sewerage companies to help pay for its next price review. The regulator is changing the way it performs the reviews and says it now needs more money for the next one in 2014. The reviews are paid for with charges levied on the companies […]

Thames Water wants to bump up water bills

Utility firm Thames Water has applied to add £29 to its customers’ water bills. The company puts the demand down to “significant” extra costs from taking on an extra 40,000km of private sewers at the Government’s request in 2011, rises in Environment Agency charges and increases in bad debt “as a result of the economic […]

UK businesses back Ofgem’s rules for energy brokers

Almost half of UK businesses said they value help from third parties to compare energy prices across suppliers and negotiate the complexity of their contracts. That’s according to a new survey of 508 businesses, which claims a majority of them back Ofgem’s Code of Practice. It aims to increase the confidence of business customers engaging […]