Claire Slade, Data and Communications Manager, MEUC
Large energy and water users across the UK are dealing with a utilities system that has become far more complicated than simply finding the best price. Markets remain unpredictable, non‑commodity charges continue to rise, and ongoing reforms are changing how costs appear on bills. On top of that, organisations are under greater pressure to show resilience and sustainability while still keeping spending under control.
Wholesale prices may draw the most attention, but for many organisations they are no longer the element that shapes overall costs. A growing share now comes from networks, system charges, policy schemes, settlement processes and data quality issues – areas that are often poorly understood and difficult to influence. At the same time, grid constraints, climate impacts and ageing infrastructure mean that energy and water resilience can no longer be treated as side concerns. These risks affect day‑to‑day operations just as much as budgets.
This situation leaves energy managers, procurement teams and finance leaders with decisions that must hold up for years, not just for the next contract. Yet many of these decisions must be made while rules, relief mechanisms and longer‑term strategies are still uncertain. The problem isn’t a shortage of information – it’s the lack of clear connection between market changes, real costs, shifting risks and the practical steps that can help organisations stay ahead.
This is the focus of Buying and Using Utilities Live, returning this April. MEUC’s Spring Conference and Exhibition brings together major users, practitioners and specialists for a day designed to give organisations clearer footing in a complicated system. Instead of treating energy, water and sustainability as separate subjects, the programme shows how cost control, resilience and long‑term planning are now tightly linked.
Sessions will look at how bills are changing beyond the commodity element, how settlement and data reforms can create avoidable charges if not actively managed, and where efficiency, flexible demand and on‑site solutions can provide real operational and financial benefits. Later discussions explore procurement strategies when non‑commodity costs dominate, how policy relief works in practice, and how to build investment‑ready approaches to PPAs, renewables and flexibility that finance teams can trust.
Equally valuable is the chance to compare experiences with other major users. In a system defined by continual change, shared insight and open discussion often provide as much value as formal presentations.
For organisations aiming to regain control, strengthen resilience and make well‑founded decisions amid shifting conditions, the conversation continues at MEUC’s Buying and Using Utilities Live on Tuesday 21 April at IET Savoy Place, London. More details can be found at: https://meucnetwork.co.uk/events/buu-live-spring26/
This article appeared in the March 2026 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.