Companies In England Research Articles

Assessing energy efficiency and its dynamic changes in the water sector integrating heterogeneity and carbon emissions

Enhancing the energy performance of water utilities is a critical step towards achieving a net-zero carbon industry. Traditional energy performance assessments in the water industry often overlook heterogeneity among water companies and fail to account for changes in energy efficiency (EE) over time. To address these shortcomings, this research employs Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) techniques to assess energy performance of two types of water companies such as Water and Sewerage Companies (WaSCs) and Water-only Companies (WoCs) within a single energy frontier model. Empirical analysis of water companies in England and Wales reveals an average EE score of 0.940 over the 2010–2020 period, suggesting a 6% energy-saving potential. English and Welsh water industry exhibited an overall 0.3% annual improvement in energy productivity change (EPC). This improvement was primarily attributed to efficiency changes (average 1.005), which offset the negative shift in technology change (average 0.998), while the scale effect remained negligible (average 1.000). WaSCs experienced a slight increase in EPC, with an average value of 1.018, indicating an improvement in energy productivity. In contrast, WoCs exhibited a decrease in EPC, with an average value of 0.989, suggesting a decline in energy productivity. These disparities were due to opposite shifts in the efficient production frontier; WaSCs had a positive shift (average 1.012), while WoCs had a negative shift (average 0.984). The study also highlights the impact of regulatory policies on energy performance. The 2009 price review involved modest improvements (average EPC = 1.013), while the 2014 price review yielded unfavorable results (average EPC = 0.993), emphasizing the need for long-term policies to facilitate sector-wide transformation towards carbon neutrality.

A descriptive analysis of individually compounded home parenteral nutrition prescriptions provided to adults with chronic intestinal failure

Background & AimsHome Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) prescriptions should be tailored to a patient’s nutritional requirements and comprise of individually compounded regimens (IC-HPN) or standard licensed multi-chamber bags (MCB). There is a paucity of research exploring factors associated with admixture type. This study aimed to evaluate the nutrient composition of adult IC-HPN prescriptions and variance in nutrient dosing, make comparisons with the range of MCB available and dosing recommendations stated in international guidelines. MethodsThis cross-sectional observational study analysed anonymised prescription data for adults under the care of a single home care company in England, commencing IC-HPN after January 2021. ResultsThere were 155 patient prescriptions (245 HPN bags) included, with body weight available in 82 (52.9%) cases. Data were reported for each HPN bag, and summarised as an average daily amount, considering the number of different HPN bags and their daily frequency per patient prescription.A vast range of nutrients were prescribed, with variance in dosing highest for lipid, phosphate, and calcium; with coefficient of variance of 106%, 74% and 67%, respectively. One-hundred-thirty-four (54.7%) bags contained lipid, resulting in variable ratios of lipid to aqueous bags provided weekly.Negligible amounts of at least one electrolyte were prescribed in 93 (38.0%) bags, of which 52 (21.2%) contained < 2 mmol calcium. Compared with MCB (65 bags), IC-HPN bags contained higher amounts of all nutrients, apart from nitrogen and phosphate. Mean sodium intake differed substantially between types of bags (IC-HPN 187.5, SD 100.1 mmol versus MCB 49.1, SD 31.7 mmol, p<0.001). A substantial number of patients received HPN dosages beyond guideline recommendations, with higher amounts of sodium and fluid provided in 41 (50.0%) cases; conversely, lower than recommended dosages were seen in 55 (67.1%) for potassium and 61 (74.4%) for calcium. ConclusionsThis study has demonstrated vast variance in IC-HPN parenteral nutrient dosing, with minimal or an omission of at least one nutrient seen. Further research is needed to explore factors that influence usage of IC-HPN, clinical reasons related to lipid dosing and around the variation in doses prescribed outside of guideline recommendations.

The evolution of benchmaking the carbon efficiency drinking water companies in England and Wales

Water utilities face the challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon urban water cycle while reducing operational costs. This study evaluates the static and dynamic carbon efficiency of a sample of water companies from 2013 to 2018 operating in England and Wales. Each company was evaluated relative to itself and its peers using cross-efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis techniques. The results showed that the carbon performance of the water industry improved by 2.1% per year, mainly due to efficiency change. In contrast, the contribution of factors driving technical and scale change was almost negligible.

Technologies for customized housing in modular construction

In the modular construction, the range of customization options is limited compared to traditional construction, which can be seen as a negative aspect. Different customization strategies can be adopted by companies, but the choice of the appropriate strategy is related to the technologies used in the operational process, with emphasis on the design and production stages. This study aims to compare the technologies used in the design, production and exchange of information in the development of customized housing in modular construction companies in Brazil and England. To achieve that, three case studies were conducted in English modular construction companies operating in the residential sector. The results of the case studies were compared with the literature on technologies used by Brazilian companies. It was noted that English companies, regardless of their size and type of customization offered, use Revit software to develop the design, and communication between different designers is done via cloud computing. However, communication between designers and production is often done on paper, which leads to errors. The machinery used on the shop floor varies between companies. The results found are similar to the Brazilian reality. It was noted that companies do not make use of all available potential; however, larger companies that are able to perform mass customization invest more in technologies for control and integration between operations. To ensure greater productivity and efficient use of technologies, companies should adopt mass customization.

Conspiracy, Congregation, Company, and Commerce in England, 1680–1688: The Narratives of Edward Massey of Braintree

AbstractIn 1683, Edward Massey, an obscure office‐holder in Braintree, Essex, provided the state with one of the most explosive accounts of conspiratorial activities in England during the so‐called ‘Exclusion Crisis’. Massey, a prisoner in the King's Bench, named dozens of individuals in his native Essex, as well as the West Country and London, who apparently aired seditious grievances with King Charles II and his Roman Catholic brother and heir, James, Duke of York, and compassed participation in a national plot to ensure the succession of a Protestant in the form of Charles's illegitimate son, James, Duke of Monmouth. The colourful details of the alleged conspiracy bear reproduction in this article. Nevertheless, the difficulty of crediting the most radical implications of Massey's narratives calls for a cautious assessment of their reliability and value to historians. Fortunately, additional evidence enables us to treat Massey's account as a detailed testimony of how those marginalised by the Stuarts’ post‐Restoration settlements were able to mobilise behind and sustain their discontents, and the anxious secrecy and cautious trust which, amid heightened state surveillance, defined their encounters. Moreover, the article demonstrates how necessarily secretive political and religious networks mapped onto, and drew strength from, bonds which were forged in experiences of parochial administration and business, particularly the production of and trade in cloth. The result is an account of the Restoration's ‘politics of religion’ which highlights the communicative and ideological importance of the politics of local office and (inter)national trade.

Assessing energy efficiency of water services and its drivers: A case study from water companies in England and Wales

Understanding how energy efficient the water services are and what drives inefficiency can greatly assist water utilities in delivering sustainable services. This study employs a neural network (NN) approach to measure the energy efficiency of water services in relation to the volume of drinking water supplied and the number of connected properties. Unlike other non-parametric approaches, NN allows capturing the complex relationships and dependencies between various factors influencing energy efficiency of water companies. An empirical application for English and Welsh water utilities embracing water only companies (WoCs) and water and sewerage companies (WaSCs) over 2008–2020 was conducted. The average energy efficiency score was found to be 0.411, indicating that water utilities could potentially save 0.54 kWh per cubic meter of drinking water supplied. Notably, WaSCs exhibited better energy performance compared to WoCs, with energy efficiency scores of 0.559 and 0.239, respectively. Nevertheless, based on the volume of water delivered, WaSCs could save 0.65 kWh/m3 whereas WoCs potential energy savings are 0.24 kWh/m3. Energy efficiency remained relatively stable across the years, with average values of 0.440, 0.388 and 0.454 for the periods 2008–2010, 2011–2015, and 2016–2020, respectively. The analysis conducted using decision tree methods highlighted the relevance of water treatment quality and the source of raw water as key variables influencing the energy efficiency of water utilities. These findings can be valuable for policymakers, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the driving factors behind energy efficiency in water service provision.

Shades of violet: Study of the compositional variability of historical Methyl violet dyes

Bright violet-coloured aniline dyes were developed and produced from the late 19th century onwards. Primarily used for dyeing of textiles, they were also employed in inks for letters and drawings. The industrial production of these dyes comprised numerous companies in Germany, France and England and concurrent chemical synthesis methods rapidly evolved. ‘Methyl violet’, also known as ‘Violet de Paris’, is an example of an aniline dye that made a large impact in Europe and was widely used. This study aims to provide insight into the composition of historical ‘Methyl violet’ dyes to gain a better understanding of the formulation of past inks, their degradation and to support colour reconstruction of old drawings and manuscripts. Thirty-nine ‘Methyl violet’ reference samples, dating from the late 19th century until the 1930′s, originating from leading dye producers in Europe, were analysed. UHPLC-PDA-HRMS was applied for the identification of the dye compounds. It was revealed that a significant part (ca. 35%) contained not only methylated, but also benzylated pararosanilines. Although benzylated compounds are mentioned in historical sources as ‘Methyl violet’, ‘Violet the Paris’, and ‘Methyl violet 6B’, they have only once been reported in modern literature and are now elucidated in detail for the first time. The relative amount of highly substituted pararosaniline increases when benzylation is performed resulting in an overall “bluer” dye mixture. The benzylated Methyl violets were mostly found in ‘Methyl violet 6B’ samples, but not exclusively. This exploration of the composition of a large number of historical ‘Methyl violet’ samples highlights the complexity and compositional variety of early synthetic dyestuff productions and the importance of large-scale studies of historical references.

Google Trends indicators to inform water planning and drought management

AbstractIndicators are important tools for tracking the socio‐environmental impacts of droughts and building resilience to climate change. We begin with an overview of metrics used for water planning and drought management, with particular emphasis on the UK. We explain how considerations of cost, immediacy, access, consistency, relevance, reliability and others denote the suitability of information for developing new indicators. We then demonstrate the potential of Google Trends (GT) online search data as drought indicators for England and Ireland. We show that search terms such as ‘drought’, ‘water butt’ and ‘hosepipe ban’ correlate significantly with conventional hydroclimatic data as well as with newspaper reports of various drought impacts during the period 2011–2022. GT data also show evidence of rising interest in water saving technologies, especially for outdoor water use. Meanwhile, online searches for ‘Defra’ and ‘Environment Agency’ have declined and are more often associated with flood episodes than droughts. Interest in water companies in England is more likely around hosepipe bans than water leakage (although this varies by company). We discuss the implications of these findings for targeting information campaigns, plus prospects for monitoring drought impacts and public sentiment in near real‐time.

Pinpointing Persistent Polluters: Environmental Offending and Recidivist Companies in England

ABSTRACT The extent to which firms can be deterred from offending has received significant attention. Despite this, the evidence for such deterrence remains inconclusive. This article suggests that instead of focusing on the deterrence aimed at companies, we should instead begin with a less contentious observation; that companies are frequently recidivists, and that an emphasis on the factors associated with company recidivism would be a useful starting point for thinking about offending by firms. The article explores this through an investigation of companies pursued by the UK’s Environment Agency in England between 2000 and 2016. The logistic regression analysis suggests that being a utilities company, a large enterprise or a new company were all predictive of repeat offending. Conversely, whether a company was fined after its initial offense was not predictive of whether it would re-offend. The implications of these findings for regulatory work and future research are discussed.

The association between domestic hard water and eczema in adults from the UK Biobank cohort study.

Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Domestic water with high mineral content (hard water) is a risk factor for eczema in children, but this association has not been assessed in adults. To examine the association between domestic hard water supply and eczema prevalence and incidence in adults aged 40-69 years and the contextual effect in eczema outcomes by postcode in adults in the UK. We used data from the UK Biobank study collected in 2006-10 (baseline) and 2013-14 (follow-up). Eczema prevalence at baseline (2006-10) and at follow-up (2013-14) and incidence (new onset between baseline and follow-up) were determined from the touchscreen questionnaires and nurse-led interviews. Domestic hard water information was obtained in 2005 and 2013 from the local water supply companies in England, Wales and Scotland as CaCO3 concentrations. We fitted multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts for postcode areas to examine the effect of domestic hard water on eczema outcomes, and we measured components of variance. In total, 306 531 participants with a mean age of 57 years nested across 7642 postcodes were included in the baseline analysis, and 31 036 participants nested across 3695 postcodes were included in the follow-up analysis. We observed an increase in the odds of eczema at baseline [odds ratio (OR) 1·02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·01-1·04] per 50 mg L-1 of CaCO3 increase. Furthermore, exposure to domestic hard water (> 200 mg L-1 of CaCO3 ) was associated with increased odds of prevalent eczema at baseline (OR 1·12, 95% CI 1·04-1·22). Moreover, there was a significant linear trend (P < 0·001) in which increasing levels of hard water increased eczema prevalence risk. No association was observed with incident eczema or eczema at follow-up. The intraclass correlation coefficient for postcode was 1·6% (95% CI 0·7-3·4), which remained unexplained by area-level socioeconomic measures. Increasing levels of domestic hard water, as measured by CaCO3 concentrations, were associated with an increased prevalence of eczema in adults but not increased incidence. Ongoing efforts to reduce hard water exposure may have a beneficial effect in reducing the burden of eczema in adults. Further research is needed to explore area-level factors that may lead to eczema. What is already known about this topic? Hard water is formed when minerals are dissolved in water from filtration through sedimentary rocks. Several studies have reported a higher prevalence of eczema in areas with hard water. However, all studies on this topic have assessed this in infants and school-aged children, while this association has not been explored in adults. What does this study add? Our findings suggest that exposure to higher concentrations of domestic hard water is associated with an increase in eczema prevalence in adults aged 40-69 years. Ongoing efforts to reduce hard water exposure may have a beneficial effect in reducing eczema prevalence in adults.

Does the past dictate the future? Exploring the impact of employability programmes on adults experiencing multiple disadvantage

ABSTRACT The research explored the impact of an employability programme, delivered by a Community Interest Company and other third sector partners in England. The programme was designed to increase the employability of people aged between 16–72 years-old who were unemployed or economically inactive. To measure the impact of the programme on participants, 1,098 people engaging in the project completed questionnaires designed to capture demographic data and measure general self-efficacy (GSE) upon joining the programme (Time 1); whilst 163 of the same participants completed the questionnaire upon completing the programme (Time 2). Interviews were conducted with 26 participants engaged with the programme. Results of the questionnaire data analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between levels of disadvantage experienced by the participants and GSE at Time 1; statistically significant increases in GSE levels between Time 1 and Time 2 for participants who completed the programme; and a statistically significant relationship between GSE at Time 2 and employment/training outcomes. Triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative results revealed the positive impact of the programme on participant’s self-efficacy and employability. This paper is the first of its kind in the UK to explore the impact of employability programmes on adults experiencing multiple disadvantage.

Water fluoride concentrations in England, 2009-2020.

Contemporary research, surveillance and monitoring of water fluoridation requires an understanding of the population coverage of this intervention. The aims of this research are to create the first publicly available record of water fluoride concentrations in England and to describe and visualise the observed variation in water fluoride concentrations and optimal fluoridation (⟩/= 0.7 mg F/L) between 2009-2020. Routine water quality sampling data were requested from water companies in England from 2009-2020 under the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Fluoride concentrations of Water Supply Zones (WSZs) were assigned to Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) using population-weighted centroids. Between 2009-2020 4247 LSOAs (12.9%) had an annual mean water fluoride concentration of ⟩/= 0.7 mg F/L in at least one year, and 3019 LSOAs (9.1%) had a grand mean fluoride concentration of ⟩/= 0.7 mg F/L. Coverage of optimal fluoridation varied over time; from 10.9% of LSOAs in 2014 to 6.3% in 2016. This study confirms previous work identifying variability in the coverage and achieved concentrations of water fluoridation programmes. The current provision for accessing, collating and utilising these data are a barrier to essential monitoring, surveillance and research. An annually maintained and publicly accessible database of water fluoride concentrations is urgently required.

Prediction of the efficiency in the water industry: An artificial neural network approach

The measurement of efficiency of water utilities has been traditionally carried out using econometric methods or linear programming techniques. Alternatively, in this study a data mining non-parametric method is used, such as an artificial neural network (ANN) approach, to predict the efficiency of several water companies in England and Wales. The further use of a regression tree model allowed us to visualize and quantify the impact of operating characteristics on efficiency. The average efficiency score for the water industry was 0.411. Average scores for water only companies and water and sewerage companies were 0.210 and 0.626, respectively. Only one water company was identified as being fully efficient. This indicates that most of the English and Welsh water companies need to make substantial improvements in their managerial practices to catch-up with the most efficient ones in the industry. Several operating characteristics such as water leakage, water taken from different sources and population density were found to influence efficiency. The percentage of water leakage was identified as the most relevant operational variable influencing the efficiency of water companies. The findings of our study aim to support benchmarking analysis in regulated industries and to get a better insight on what drives efficiency.

Assessment of the pollution incident performance of water and sewerage companies in England.

Comparison of the severity, frequency and self-reporting of pollution incidents by water and sewerage companies is made difficult by differences in environmental and operational conditions. In England, the deterioration in pollution incident performance makes it important to investigate common trends that could be addressed to improve pollution management. This study presents the first external analysis of available national pollution incident data, obtained through Environmental Information Regulations 2004 requests to the English Environment Agency. The study aimed to assess and compare the pollution incident performance of water and sewerage companies in England. Results indicated that there were significant variations in numbers of pollution incidents reported and the severity of the impact on the water environment for different asset types (operational property). There were significant positive relationships between the self-reporting percentages and total numbers of reported pollution incidents per 10,000 km sewer length for pumping stations and sewage treatment works. These results indicate that in at least these asset types, an estimated 5% of pollution incidents could go unreported. Pollution events that go unreported can lead to more severe impacts to the water environment, so rapid and consistent reporting of incidents is crucial for limiting damage. The results have significance for the water industry internationally, because the issues presented here are not restricted to England. In the short-term, research should focus on investigating best practice and standardising reporting of pollution incidents, so that an accurate baseline of the number of pollution incidents occurring can be determined.

Comparing Operational, Environmental and Eco-Efficiency of Water Companies in England and Wales

The assessment of performance of water companies is essential for their regulation. In doing so, several variables and models can be employed. This study evaluates and compares the performance of a sample of English and Welsh water companies from the operational, environmental and eco-efficiency perspectives by applying the non-radial data envelopment analysis range adjusted measure model. This methodological approach allows integrating greenhouse gas emissions as undesirable output. The results indicated that the water industry performed well from an operational perspective. However, environmental inefficiency considerably exists which illustrates the difficulties of the water companies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The average eco-efficiency was 0.783 which means that while expanding water services, water companies could further reduce costs and carbon emissions by 11.7% on average. Other factors such as water treatment complexity and population density significantly affect water companies’ eco-efficiency. Several policy implications are finally discussed.

The impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the performance of water companies: a dynamic assessment.

The water industry plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and therefore, moving to a low-carbon urban water cycle is of great importance. However, traditional performance assessment of water companies ignores GHG emissions. To overcome this limitation and to compare productivity change estimations of water companies excluding and including GHG emissions, this study computes the Luenberger productivity indicator (LPI) and the Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index (MLPI), respectively. Moreover, in a second stage, we investigate the impact of exogenous variables on environmentally sensitive productivity change estimations. The empirical application conducted for a sample of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales over the period 201-2019 has illustrated that when GHG emissions were considered in the assessment (i.e., MLPI estimations), average productivity decreased. By contrast, when productivity estimation ignored GHG emissions (i.e., LPI), average productivity increased. Hence, it is concluded that the inclusion of GHG emissions in productivity analysis impacted the results. This finding is very relevant from a policy perspective as it illustrates the importance of considering GHG emissions when evaluating the performance of water companies for regulatory purposes.

Water company productivity change: A disaggregated approach accounting for changes in inputs and outputs

The assessment of the productivity change of water utilities provides essential information to sector managers and regulators. This study uses the Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen Productivity Indicator (LHMPI) to evaluate productivity change as it can be further decomposed into three components namely technical change (TC), technical efficiency change (TEC), and scale efficiency change (SEC). This study evaluates the productivity of several water companies in England and Wales from 2001 to 2018. We found that productivity declined 1.2% per year due to the use of inputs that increased by 1.4% per year relative to outputs that increased by 0.2% per year.

Marginal abatement cost of carbon dioxide emissions in the provision of urban drinking water

Abstract Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a major challenge faced by cities seeking to improve their environmental sustainability. Doing so requires a good understanding of the costs associated with lowering emissions and factors that may influence this cost. This study estimated the marginal abatement cost of reducing both direct and indirect CO2 emissions in the provision of drinking water by several water companies in England and Wales. The results indicated that during the years 2013–2018, the average cost to the English and Welsh water industry to prevent 1 kg of CO2 emissions was 0.264₤ which was equivalent to 61% of the price of the delivered drinking water The results of the Morishima elasticity of substitution between water delivered and carbon emissions revealed that on average it was costly for the water companies to reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, a positive correlation existed between the marginal abatement cost of CO2 and a set of company's operational factors. These included: i) water taken from boreholes and reservoirs, ii) high levels of drinking water treatment, and iii) the need for pumping to abstract, treat, and distribute drinking water. Finally, policy implications were discussed based on these findings.

Kunene and the King and The Fall in the Age of #MeToo, #FeesMustFall and Black Lives Matter

This article pairs and compares John Kani’s play Kunene and the King (in which Kani has starred opposite Antony Sher) and the collaborative Baxter Theatre production The Fall. Kunene and the King – devised in South Africa, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, exported to Cape Town’s Fugard Theatre in May 2019, and revived at London’s Ambassadors Theatre in the West End in early 2020 – employs King Lear as a scaffold. It is a two-hander about race in contemporary South Africa: an encounter between two very different men, who find themselves trying to span the gap between black and white. The argument presented in this article is that the play’s ostensible realism is a screen, behind which lies complex metaphorical and allegorical depth. Whereas Kunene and the King attempts to deal with the present by evoking and working through memory and history located in two separate, exemplary consciousnesses, The Fall, though narrated in the past tense, is rooted in the necessities of the present. The latter play is a response to, and a re-telling of, the student protests of 2015–16; as the characters finally split along differentiated lines of regret, anger and aspiration, #RhodesMustFall is challenged by #MeToo. In this way, The Fall exposes a fatal silence between the two men of Kunene: women have no voice in Kani’s play. The article ends with a coda re-situating the two plays under discussion in the context of Black Lives Matter and other protests in 2020.

Organizational Publicness and Mortality: Explaining the Dissolution of Local Authority Companies

ABSTRACT Organizational publicness is likely to have important implications for the mortality or survival of local authority companies. Majority-owned companies and those experiencing more political control may be less prone to dissolution due to greater government commitment to their survival, than their minority-owned and more politically autonomous counterparts. Using survival analysis to test these ideas, this study finds that dissolved local authority companies in England are more likely to be minority-owned, but have more politicians on their board of directors. They also have fewer directors in total, and tend to take a not-for-profit rather than a profit-making form.