MOSL has published its response to the government consultation on smarter ways to regulate in the water, energy and telecoms sectors. Our response focuses on several elements directly relevant to the business water retail market:
- We agreed that uncontentious and non-substantive changes to the Wholesale Retail Code (WRC) could be delegated from Ofwat to streamline decision-making and free up Ofwat’s expertise and resources
- We also agreed the consultation requirements in the Water Industry Act for WRC changes could be removed as there is not a need to consult every time for uncontentious or non-substantive changes
- We welcomed government consulting on the potential for Ofwat to have the power to allocate a water retailer if an incumbent retailer becomes insolvent, but highlighted we see this as a backstop measure. Such a change must complement the changes Ofwat has recently consulted on.
The Strategic Panel and Code Change Committee endorsed the key points (1&2) in the response around code changes. The Strategic Panel also endorsed key point 3 around interim supply.
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