FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Utilities / 2 October 2026
Utilities: sector news on Friday 2 October 2026
Average tone +2.9 (slightly positive) across 6 companies with relevant coverage, from 40 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Grid | +2.8 | 16 | Coverage was mostly about National Grid's investment in substations and transmission lines, plus a partnership to speed industrial connections in South Wales. |
| Centrica | +6.8 | 9 | Coverage centred on Centrica signing a 20-year LNG supply agreement with the Ksi Lisims project in Canada, which reads as a clear positive. |
| SSE | +8.0 | 8 | Coverage centred on SSE's trading update, which reiterated its 2026/27 EPS guidance, with networks lifting earnings and renewables output set to rise 20%. |
| United Utilities | +4.8 | 4 | Coverage focused on progress in its wastewater and drainage investment projects, including milestones in the £200m Windermere programme and a £30m Liverpool rain garden. |
| Severn Trent | −4.8 | 2 | Coverage was mainly about local service problems, with pumps failing and leaving north Shropshire residents with water disruption, and emergency works closing a road in Wolverhampton. |
| Metlen Energy & Metals | 0.0 | 1 | The only relevant coverage was a routine update on Metlen's share capital and voting rights structure, which is purely factual and leaves the picture neutral. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +9.7 Centrica secures two-decade-long LNG supply from Canadian project
Secures two-decade LNG supply from Canadian project. - +9.7 Centrica secures two-decade-long LNG supply from Canadian project - offshore-energy.biz
Same two-decade LNG supply deal, positive for supply security. - +9.7 SSE investment plan stays on track as Jefferies retains 'buy' rating
Jefferies keeps buy rating, investment plan on track - +9.2 Ksi Lisims LNG Signs 1 MMtpa Agreement with Centrica
Signed 1 MMtpa LNG agreement with Ksi Lisims. - +9.2 SSE renewables output set for 20% surge
Renewables output expected to rise 20% - +8.3 Key facts: SSE PLC reiterates 2026/27 EPS guidance; £2.5bn H1 spend
EPS guidance reiterated, £2.5bn H1 spend supports growth - +7.7 Trading update
Trading update with outlook broadly on track - +7.5 Ksi Lisims LGN secures another tentative supply deal
Centrica is counterparty in another LNG supply deal. - +7.0 SSE expects lower seasonality in H1 as networks lift earnings
Networks lift earnings, lower H1 seasonality expected - +6.7 National Grid, Net Zero Industry Wales and Celtic Freeport partner to accelerate industrial electricity connections in South Wales
Partnership to speed industrial connections in South Wales - +5.8 Key facts: Centrica plc 20-yr FOB LNG HoA; Sells Cygnus for £33m
20-year LNG heads of agreement plus £33m Cygnus sale. - +5.8 National Grid tests faster industrial connections - transformer-magazine.com
Trial of faster industrial connections