United Utilities Group plc

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United Utilities is the UK's largest listed water company, and manages the regulated water and waste water network in North West England. It collects water from catchment land; extracts water from Lake Vyrnwy in Wales for customers in Merseyside and Cheshire; and from the River Dee, boreholes and streams.

The company is also involved in property management services, corporate trustee, financing, and the provision of consulting and project management services.[1]

Company

Shareholders

Total float: 99.8%
Source: MarketScreener.svg, Mar.2020

Structure

  • United Utilities Group plc, CH
    • United Utilities plc, CH
      • North West Water International Ltd, holdco, [2344587]
      • United Utilities Energy Ltd, non-trading, [CH]
      • United Utilities Healthcare Trustee Ltd, corporate trustee, [CH]
      • United Utilities International Ltd, consulting + management, [CH]
      • United Utilities North West Ltd, holdco, [CH]
      • ... see A/cs 2018, p.106 + Annual return to Aug.2015 w/shareholders
      • 50%: Water Plus Group Ltd, CH

ToDo:
  • > https://www.unitedutilities.com/corporate/subsidiaries/
  • > p.170 2017 a/cs
  • United Utilities Water Ltd (No. 2366678)
  • United Utilities Utility Solutions (Industrial) Ltd (No. 4204293)
  • United Utilities Operational Services Ltd (No. 4184686)
  • United Utilities Property Services Ltd (No. 2380021)
  • United Utilities Energy Ltd (No. 08641719)
  • United Utilities Total Solutions Ltd (No. 2380133)
  • United Utilities Renewable Energy Ltd (No. 08914992)
  • United Utilities Water Finance plc (No. 09227416)
  • United Utilities Bioresources Ltd (No. 10419293)

Timelines

United Utilities Group plc

Jun.2016 Water Plus Group Ltd was formed by United Utilities and Severn Trent Water, in preparation for providing retail services to their non-household customers.ref,ref From Apr.2017, non-household English customers could choose their supplier of water and wastewater retail services (eg. billing). Both companies entered the business market in Scotland, which had been open to competition since 2008.ref
The Competition & Markets Authority granted UU and Severn Trent approval in May.ref (Water Act 2014, Guidance Notes)
Oct.2011 Lake Vyrnwy: United Utilities and the RSPB were selected as the preferred bidders by Severn Trent Water to purchase the estate.ref The enormous land sale was conducted in secret, side-lining a local businessperson, and completely ignoring the community.ref Lake Vrynwy history
Oct.2010 United Utilities exited the waste management sector by selling its interests in all of its PFI bids to Renewi plc.ref
Jun.2010 United Utilities Electricity Services Ltd: UU sold the company, which operated and maintained the North West distribution network, to Electricity North West Ltd, which had acquired the network in Dec.2007.
Jun.2010 UU agreed to sell its principal non-regulated water interests in Europe and the UK to Veolia Water UK plc. The UK interests were a stake in a 2010-2015 capital management contract with Southern Water; another capital delivery contract with Southern Water to manage the design and build of a new wastewater treatment works in the Brighton & Hove area; and a UK industrial solutions business. The sale also included stakeholdings in 3 PFI projects in Scotland: a 33.33% stake in Catchment Moray Holdings Ltd, a 33.33% stake in Catchment Tay Holdings Ltd and 50% in Catchment Highland Holdings Ltd.ref In Europe, United Utilities sold its remaining stakes in the water companies in Sofia, Tallinn and Bielsko-Biala (Poland), to Veolia, completing its withdrawal from international activities.[1]
May.2010 United Utilities Australia, UU's Australian subsidiary, was sold to ??.ref
??.2009 United Utilities sold its shares in Manila Water and other overseas ventures.[1]
Nov.2009 UU sold its 15% interest in non-regulated Northern Gas Networks Holdings Ltd (Yorkshire) to China's Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd and Australia's SAS Trustee Corporation.
Jul.2008United Utilities Group plc: United Utilities formally became a group, with a shiny new holdco. United Utilities Group plcOpenCorporates-sm.svg

United Utilities plc

Feb.2008 United Utilities Facilities Management Ltd, UU's facilities management division, was acquired by Europe Facility Holdings Ltd, backed by private equity US firm HIG Capital.ref,B'berg Europa was later acquired by Bilfinger SE in Dec.2013.ref,ref
Dec.2007
Deals-Arrow-Right.svg
United Utilities Electricity Ltd, the distribution network business (formerly Norweb Distribution, formerly Norweb), was sold to a Jersey-registered, private-equity consortium trading as Electricity North West Ltd.ref UU was granted a contract to manage the assets until 2010.
Jun.2007United Utilities disposed of its 22.63% stake in THUS Group plc as part of its strategy to focus on core utility skills.ref
Mar.2007United Utilities delisted from the New York Stock Exchange to facilitate deregistration under the Securities and Exchange Act 1934, with the aim of reducing compliance costs. The company retained its American Depositary Shares on an unlisted basis.
Mar.2007 Vertex Data Science Ltd: United Utilities disposed of Vertex as part of its strategy to focus on core utility skills. The business was sold to a consortium of US private equity firms, led by Oak Hill Capital Partners, and including GenNx360 and Knox Lawrence International. (A/cs Mar.31.2007, p.20), ref,ref
Feb.2006 Your Communications Ltd: United Utilities sold the business to Thus Group plc in exchange for a 21.7% stake in Thus.ref,ref In Feb.2007, United Utilites increased its stake in Thus to 22.63%.
Jun.2005 Northern Gas Network Holdings Ltd: United Utilities held a 15% stake in the Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd-led consortium that purchased the north of England gas distribution network, following National Grid Transco's decision to sell off some of its network. UU won the contract to operate the gas network across the North of England, covering the North East and parts of Yorkshire.ref
May.2005 Marlborough Stirling: Vertex completed the acquisition of the the provider of outsourcing services and technology to clients in the financial services sector; the rationale was to give Vertex an entry point into this market. (A/cs 2005, p.3), ref,ref
Dec.2004 Green Energy: UU sold its Green Energy operation assets to Novera Macquarie Renewable Energy Joint Venture Ltd,ref,ref a Bermuda-registered company jointly owned by Novera Energy Ltd and Macquarie Bank Ltd. A/cs Mar.31.2005, p.20, A/cs Dec.31.2004, p.16,ref,ref
Mar.2004 Eurocall Holdings Ltd, a telecoms reseller based in north west England, was acquired by Your Communications.ref
Mar.2001
Capgemini-CGEY-2000.svg
Capgemini: Vertex Data Science Ltd entered into a 5-year alliance of business process outsourcing operations with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young UK. CGEY took a 14.6% interest in Vertex Data Science Ltd. (A/cs Mar.2001, p.54), ref The alliance was short-lived; UU re-acquired CapGemini's 14.6% stake in Nov.2004.
2001 Branding: United Utilites rolled out a group-wide identity. In Apr., North West Water became United Utilites Water Ltd ref; and Norweb Telecom was renamed Your Communications.ref In Nov., Norweb became United Utilities Electricity.ref, (A/cs Mar.2002, p.56)
Dec.2000 Hyder Industrial Ltd (CH), and Hyder Energy Services Ltd (CH) were acquired from Hyder Industrial Group Ltd. (A/cs Mar.2001, p.54). Hyder Industrial went on to become United Utilities Green Energy Ltd, developing and generating power from renewable energy schemes.ref, p.14
Aug.2000 Norweb Energi, the retail electricity supply business, was sold to TXU Europe, as a result of tough pricing controls set by OfGem.ref,ref,ref TXU added Norweb Energi to its existing regional electricity and gas supplier Eastern Electricity plc.link,ref
Norweb Telecom and the distribution network Norweb Distribution were retained.ref
Mar.1997 Keadby Power Station: UU sold its 50% stake (held by Keadby Generation Ltd), which it had acquired along with Norweb, to Scottish Hydro-Electric plc.
Nov.1996 Norweb Retail, a chain of 57 high street shops plus 81 out-of-town superstores, was sold to Kingfisher plc's Comet Group.ref
Mar.1996 Vertex Data Science Ltd, specialising in CRM, e-CRM and billing services, was created to manage the back office functions of both regulated utility businesses; it went on to become a leading business process outsourcer.ref, CH
Nov.1995 United Utilities plc: The combined water, electricity and gas businesses of Norweb and North West Water became United Utilites.

North West Water Group plc

Oct.1995 Norweb plc was acquired by North West Water Group plc.
Apr.1995 NWW Engineering Ltd, North West Water's engineering arm, was disposed of to Bechtel Holdings Ltd.
Nov.1994 Bechtel Corporation: North West Water Group signed an MOI with Bechtel to enter into a global partnership.A/cs Mar.1995, p.8 North West Water continued its expansion outside the UK. The partnership established International Water Ltd in 1996, offering construction and engineering services.ref
Jun.1994 Norweb Telecom launched its services as a national network operator, delivering voice, data, mobile and Internet solutions for its target small and medium sized enterprises customer base in North West England, the Midlands, and nationally, through specialist sector teams and indirect sales channels. ref,ref
Apr.1994 Norweb Energi, the trading name of joint venture Norweb Gas Ltd, was launched to attack the industrial gas market. Norweb held 75%; partner UtiliCorp United Inc held 25%.ref In Mar.1999, Norweb purchased Utilicorp's 25% shareholding in Norweb Gas.
Apr.1992Northern Gas Ltd: Norweb moved into the gas market, trading to small businesses under the name Northern Gas.OC
Dec.1990 Norweb plc, formerly North Western Electricity Board, was privatised and floated, along with the other 13 Regional Electricity Companies.
Apr.1989 North West Water Group plc was privatised and floated. North West Water Group plcOpenCorporates-sm.svg
Additional Sources: United Utilities Group plc Companies House. Accessed Jan.20.2019. ♦ United Utilities plc Companies House. Accessed Jan.20.2019. ♦ About United Utilities: Our recent history. United Utilities. Original archived on May.22.2011.

Articles

  • Aug.03.2018: United Utilities puts wildlife at risk with plea for drought permits. A water company has been criticised for calling off a hosepipe ban while seeking drought permits that would harm wildlife by lowering river levels. United Utilities had been planning to impose the ban on three million homes on Sunday in northwest England. It had been widely condemned for threatening customers with £1,000 fines for using hosepipes while itself wasting water by failing to fix leaks. The company has asked the Environment Agency to grant 5 drought permits to extract water from lakes including Ullswater, Windermere and Ennerdale Water in the Lake District. The permits would allow rivers to fall below the minimum levels that protect wildlife. Steve Mogford, the company’s chief executive, was paid £2.3m last year, a 49% increase on 2013. United Utilities lost 453m litres of water a day last year because of leaks in its network, the 2nd-highest leakage level among water companies after Thames Water. Ben Webster, The Times.
  • ^ a b Water companies in Europe 2010. David Hall, Emanuele Lobina, Public Services Internationa Research Unit (PSIRU), Sept.2010.