The positive effects of collaboration within the utilities sector Alex Wilkes Stakeholder & Social Obligations Manager Utility Week Consumer Vulnerability Conference - 27 th June 2019
WHAT WE DO ▪ Operate the local electricity network, distributing power to 7.9 million homes & businesses (+20 million users) ▪ Covering the East and West Midlands, South Wales and South West England ▪ 2.1 million customer contacts a year Operate a smart Keep the lights Maintain Fix the network Connect on customers system equipment
VULNERABILITY & THE ‘PRIORITY SERVICES REGISTER’ (PSR) ▪ WPD’s core focus is always on the impact of power cuts on customers in vulnerable situations ▪ Free, confidential Priority Services Register – enabling proactive, tailored assistance during power cuts, e.g. proactive contact and welfare support such as warm meals and drinks ▪ Eligibility ranges from medical dependencies on electricity to temporary circumstances ▪ Currently, 1 in 3 eligible customers are registered (1.8 million), up from 1 in 5 in 2015 ▪ The services this enabled in the last 12 months: Targeted Valued Identify the hard-to-reach Holistic support service & provide joined-up services support
PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION ARE KEY TO OUR SERVICES ▪ The factors impacting vulnerability can be varied and complex ▪ Partnerships underpin our strategy: – Utilise expert knowledge and trusted services of others as a gateway to engage – Combine efforts, resources and messages across utilities to make it simpler for customers
COLLABORATION TO DATE ▪ First & foremost: we always comply with data protection regulations and only share data where customers have given their explicit informed consent to do so ▪ We collaborate in four key respects…
COLLABORATION TO DATE Identify customers Engage the Support via joined- Deliver value hard-to-reach up services Outputs: Drivers: Outputs: Outputs: Drivers: Outputs: Drivers: Outputs: Drivers: Outputs: Outputs: ▪ Extensive social ▪ Vulnerability can be ▪ Extensive social ▪ 29,051 customers ▪ Supporting the ▪ 29,051 customers ▪ Some funding is ▪ 18 schemes working ▪ Many projects are ▪ 1.1 million PSR ▪ 1.1 million PSR indicator maps – 36 indicator maps – 36 hard to find identified and signed vulnerable means identified and signed available to carried out by with 142 partners customers a year customers a year ▪ Supported 17,764 vulnerability vulnerability up direct last year engaging with up direct last year agencies for energy agencies, but few contacted to update contacted to update ▪ Mapping and data datasets datasets services they trust efficiency fuel poor customers are comprehensively their details their details ▪ 87 PSR referral analysis is a key first ▪ User-friendly tool evaluated to save £6.4m ▪ Direct engagement ▪ But little available to ▪ 6,661 outbound fire step network partners, ▪ WPD requires ▪ Core interventions: open-sourced for all working across 91 can be challenging find and support service referrals ▪ But local knowledge ▪ Engaged 156 – extensive evidence Income maximisation locations (e.g. with the health customers with a – Tariff switching ▪ 36,832 also and combined existing schemes in of the value we – sector) wide range of Energy efficiency ▪ Including Gas & WPD’s region expertise is vital registered with deliver, as it is measures Boiler interventions ▪ Many utilities have ▪ Working with Gas & customers’ money Water Water replacements – ▪ This is an Behaviour changes networks (e.g. Water to combine we are spending ▪ Social indicator data ▪ Cross-utility – Health, wellbeing & ▪ Utilities working voluntary sector opportunity for WPD with their key outreach schemes – used to target areas befriending measures agencies) and links to enable more indicators (e.g. off – together combines Managed referrals to e.g. “Keep Warm of greatest need to other services we holistic approaches water social tariffs gas grid & water resources and costs MK” with Scotia Gas – CO monitors and can build on social tariffs) and drives value FPNES applications
SUMMARY ▪ Many of us are working to achieve shared goals - collaboration allows us to go further and be more targeted than if we acted alone ▪ The utilities sector remains confusing for some customers – particularly the vulnerable ▪ Collaboration shares costs, avoids duplicated effort and makes things simpler for customers – Building trust is key ▪ A “one -stop- shop” approach to data sharing is a vital first step ▪ Opportunities stretch way beyond this to co-deliver positive outcomes for customers and offer the most holistic schemes possible ▪ Looking ahead, it is essential we work together to make “leave no customer behind in a smart future” a reality – Fuel poverty partnerships Come and talk to – Joint promotion or referral partnerships us about: – Where next with your ideas, collaboration and support?
Recommend
More recommend
