FTSE 100 news / Companies and sectors / Utilities / 16 October 2026
Utilities: sector news on Friday 16 October 2026
Average tone +2.6 (slightly positive) across 6 companies with relevant coverage, from 50 stories.
Company by company
| Company | Tone | Stories | What the coverage was about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centrica | −3.7 | 13 | Coverage was dominated by Unite's campaign over the future of the Rough gas storage site, with warnings about jobs, energy security and calls for nationalisation. |
| National Grid | +6.3 | 13 | Coverage centred on National Grid's further transmission investment proposals to Ofgem, a £2.2bn addition to its re-opener request, a lifted earnings outlook and a rising share price. |
| United Utilities | −0.8 | 9 | Coverage was mixed: a £13m penalty, a sewage discharge and road closures for repairs weighed on the company. |
| Metlen Energy & Metals | +7.5 | 7 | Coverage mainly covered the opening of Metlen and Karatzis Group's large battery storage project in Greece, described as the country's largest. |
| SSE | +8.3 | 4 | Coverage of SSE leaned positive, led by higher earnings goals on networks spend and renewables. |
| Severn Trent | −2.3 | 4 | Coverage was mixed: Severn Trent became IPFRA's first water company supporter and refreshed its board while its shares held value. |
Strongest stories in the sector
- +10.0 FTSE 100 Group SSE (LSE:SSE) Networks Spend and Renewables Lift Earnings Goals
Networks spend and renewables lift SSE's earnings goals. - +10.0 National Grid lifted earnings outlook. National Grid stock gains 1.68 percent - ad-hoc-news.de
Lifted earnings outlook and shares up 1.68 percent - +9.2 Handelsblatt praises Metlen: Its gallium can "break" the Chinese monopoly, how it will help Europe
Handelsblatt praise for gallium capability to challenge Chinese monopoly. - +9.2 What's behind National Grid's latest stock surge?
Stock surge coverage - +8.3 National Grid submits further transmission investment proposals to Ofgem to support Britain’s energy future
Further transmission investment proposals to Ofgem - −8.3 United Utilities issues statement over £13m penalty as UK households could see money off water bills
£13m penalty and bill reductions hit reputation and finances. - +8.0 Greek PM says ‘storage should accompany renewables’ as Metlen, Karatzis inaugurate 790MWh BESS - Energy-Storage.News
Major 790MWh battery inaugurated with Greek PM backing. - +8.0 National Grid Submits Further Transmission Investment Proposals To Ofgem
Further transmission investment proposals to Ofgem - +7.5 National Grid adds £2.2bn to re-opener request to meet connection demand
£2.2bn extra investment request to meet connection demand - +7.5 National Grid shares technical analysis: Uptrend likely to challenge GBX1,218 resistance soon
Technical uptrend expected to test resistance - +7.0 METLEN, Thales Alenia Space and Thales Hellas join forces to support Greece's future defense space ambitions
Partnership in defence space expands Metlen's strategic reach with Thales. - −7.0 Live updates as residents have no water supply in this area of Worcester
Residents without water supply in Worcester, service disruption.