gas

  • Power and gas networks

    Gas DSR reforms ahead of winter 2022-23

    National Grid has recently carried out a review of the Gas Demand Side Response (DSR) voluntary curtailment mechanism through July and August. The Gas DSR allows shippers to offer a consumption curtailment service to National Grid Gas (NGG) during periods of acute gas supply constraint called a Gas Deficit Emergency...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Russian gas dependency and impacts on net zero

    Tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border have been escalating since November last year when satellite imagery showed a fresh build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border. Fast forward to the 24 February 2022, Ukraine and Russia are now at war following a Russian invasion. In response to these actions from...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    EU Commission publishes climate change mitigation taxonomy

    An excerpt from our European Weekly Bulletin, part of our Energy Spectrum Europe package. On Wednesday 2 February, the EU Commission presented its Taxonomy Complementary Climate Delegated Act on climate change mitigation and adaptation covering certain gas and nuclear activities. The commission states that it aims to prevent greenwashing and...

  • Announcement

    Your invite to our wholesale Summer Outlook 2021 webinar

    We are delighted to invite you to our wholesale Summer Outlook webinar. On 12 May, Cornwall Insight will be hosting an open webinar covering our independent views, analysis and outlook of the upcoming summer 2021 period. As part of this session, we will explore a range of both historic and...

  • Regulation and policy

    Ofgem “hands-on” in RIIO-2 as net zero route unfolds

    During the next round of the RIIO price controls, Ofgem can be expected to take a more hands-on approach to outputs the networks are required to provide and the allowed revenues they can charge their users or consumers. This will have impacts for network development including the enabling of electric...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    A look back at 2020 part 4

    As we take our first steps into 2021, we take our final look back at the biggest developments in the UK energy markets in 2020, setting us up for the significant year ahead. Ofgem issued its decarbonisation Action Plan on 3 February as Jonathan Brearley became Ofgem CEO, setting out...

  • Regulation and policy

    New gas transmission charging requires early charge changes

    New gas transmission charging arrangements were implemented in October 2020 under UNC678A Amendments to Gas Charging Regime (Postage Stamp) in order to achieve alignment with the EU Tariffs Code (TAR). The change introduced a framework around capacity charges to cover transmission revenues with a methodology to calculate reserve prices based...

  • Regulation and policy

    New horizons: DCC plans to expand remit over next 5 years

    The government awarded the Data Communications Company (DCC) licence to Capita subsidiary Smart DCC Ltd in 2013. As an Ofgem-regulated monopoly, the DCC’s remit was to set up the smart metering communications infrastructure, linking up 53mn electricity and gas meters with the systems of energy suppliers, network companies and third...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    CRU implements COVID-19 supply suspension scheme

    On 1 May, the CRU set out the details of its decision to implement a temporary supply suspension scheme for eligible SME electricity and gas customers due to the impact of the pandemic. It said that the unique and extraordinary circumstances of the current situation require a modification to the current approach...

  • Low carbon generation

    Podcast key takeaways | James Brabben discusses the role of gas in the UK power market

    James Brabben, our Wholesale Manager, spoke to William Powell, Editor in Chief, in the inaugural podcast for Natural Gas World. The podcast discusses the latest issues of the day in the gas market and includes a deep dive into the GB gas market by James. In this blog, we take...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    The 2020 oil price crash: How does it compare to previous events?

    This feature is part of our new Energy Market Watch coverage where each week we will provide insights and analysis on the latest trends in commodity markets, grid balancing and market fundamentals as the impacts of COVID-19 continue to emerge. You can sign up for the regular free update here. Brent crude oil...

  • Low carbon generation

    Editor’s Pick | The green shoots of the Capacity Market auctions

    A pivotal year for the Capacity Market (CM) draws to a close, with the first long-term auctions for capacity since 2018. But for once the CM is the least interesting thing happening in the market, and the scheme itself seems out of step with the net zero future. In this Energy...

  • Home supply and services

    Ring of fire: Cost of energy falling

    In this week’s blog, we discuss reductions in wholesale prices from Bord Gáis' recent report, the Energy Index, released on the 14 January. The Index explores market developments and price movements in oil, gas, coal and electricity. Despite reductions in wholesale prices, which make up a substantial proportion of retail bills, energy...

  • Low carbon generation

    Does net zero mean zero gas?

    The electricity industry has been experiencing fundamental change for the past decade, during which time structural changes to the gas industry have been rather more limited. However, this will have to change in the coming years as the move towards net zero sees decarbonisation intensify. Few would dispute that the...

  • Power and gas networks

    Rock the boat: Exploring the commercial merits of Shannon LNG

    Back in April, we delved into Ireland’s growing import dependency amid a backdrop of record gas imports into the SEM. Four months on and the trend has persisted, with figures out to the end of July showing imports at a two year high, 29% higher than last year at 2.6bcm....

  • Announcement

    BBC Radio 4 Interview: Energy tariff differences across Scotland

    Robert Buckley, our Head of Retail and Development, headed over to BBC Radio 4’s studios in London to talk about our latest research, that highlights the energy price divide between the north and south of Scotland. The research showed a stark difference to what customers are paying for their energy...

  • Power and gas networks

    Help! – Ireland’s gas import dependency

    Imports have been intensified recently by falling NBP gas prices and an oversupplied UK gas system aided by strong liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries, a trend which has continued since winter. The high imports of January 2019 were driven by below-average temperatures, rising power demand and periods of low wind...

  • Low carbon generation

    Lumos: Shining a light on the Irish fuel mix

    This week, the government committed to raising the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources from 30% to 70% by 2030. Minister for Communications and Climate Action Richard Bruton said the commitment would require “significant changes” that will require strengthening the grid. In this week’s blog, we take a closer...

  • Power and gas networks

    Parachute: gas proxy and SEM forward markets

    The ability for market participants to hedge their power price exposure remains limited in the SEM, with a lack of forward products available for trading. This means that market participants are often left fully exposed to the spot market – meaning power contracts for almost immediate delivery – but the...

  • Regulation and policy

    Garbage in; garbage out – Gas industry takes action to improve settlement accuracy

    Two Uniform Network Code (UNC) modifications have been raised that would place obligations on shippers to provide more information to Xoserve for the purposes of improving the allocation of gas, and hence reduce Unidentified Gas (UIG) volumes. UNC652 Obligation to Submit Reads and Data for Winter Consumption Calculation was raised...

  • Home supply and services

    Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs | March 2018

    Government policy costs drive up the Index of Domestic Electricity Supply Costs in April Policy costs exerted a 52 point increase on the Cornwall Insight Index of Domestic Electricity Supply Costs in April as the charges for subsidising renewable electricity, paying for the Smart DCC’s smart metering infrastructure, and social...

  • Low carbon generation

    Commodity highs the culprit behind bullish power prices

    Wholesale power prices have hit highs recently. The May and June power contracts both hit their highest levels since the turn of the year, while seasonal power contracts out to winter 2020 reached record highs spanning one to three years. This blog highlights the main causes of such notable bullishness,...

  • Home supply and services

    Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs | February 2018

    The Cornwall Insight Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs is updated monthly, tracking the costs that electricity and gas suppliers face. It is baselined to a value of 1,000 points in January 2012 and is calculated using Ofgem’s typical domestic consumption values (TDCVs) for medium users. In February 2018 the...

  • Home supply and services

    Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs | December 2017

    The Cornwall Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs is updated monthly, tracking the costs that electricity and gas suppliers face. It is baselined to a value of 1,000 points in January 2012 and is calculated using Ofgem’s typical domestic consumption values (TDCVs) for medium users. In December 2017 the electricity...