Utility Week

Customers UTILITY WEEK | 2ND - 8TH NOVEMBER 2018 | 25 Ofgem has labelled findings that revealed 58 per cent of utili- ties companies failed to wipe the memory of redundant IT equipment before disposal as "concerning". In the two months aer the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), 58 per cent risked financial penalties by failing to ensure old equipment had its memory PAN-UTILITIES Utilities sector 'among worst' in risking GDPR penalties cleared, the study by IT com- pany Probrand found. The research also revealed that 92 per cent of workers in the sector admitted they would not know who to approach within their company to cor- rectly dispose of old or unusable equipment. A spokesperson for Ofgem said: "This is concerning and we expect energy companies to take steps to ensure their data and systems are properly pro- tected, which includes ensuring that devices are wiped before disposal." Probrand surveyed 1,002 UK workers in full or part-time employment. The utilities sector placed fourth out of ten in a list of industries shown not to clear the memory of IT equipment before This week Struggling customers need more help Despite helping more households in difficulty, water firms must 'dip into their own pockets' Water companies should plough more of their profits into help- ing struggling customers, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has said. The water watchdog has warned that about three-quarters of nearly three million custom- ers who say their water bills are unaffordable will not receive "a penny of support unless water companies dip into their own pockets" to bolster assistance schemes. However, it highlighted the fact that more than half a million low- income households now receive financial help to reduce their water bills. CCWater's report – Water for all: affordability and vulnerability in the water sector 2017/18 – shows that the industry made good progress last year increasing the number of households in vulnerable circumstances that received support with their bills or other specific needs. This included a rise of just over 50 per cent in the number of people on a low income whose water bills were subsidised through customer-funded social tariffs. But the watchdog suggests the growth and impact of these schemes remains "heavily constrained" by other customers' willingness to fund them. Andy White, senior policy manager at CCWater, said: "We are calling on water companies to bridge the gap by dipping into their own pockets to expand the support available, rather than exhausting the goodwill of their customers. People are far more willing to chip in when they see their water company playing its part." CCWater is also urging companies to work together to address "significant regional variations". The type of help available and access to it depends largely on where customers live. KP ENERGY Smart Energy GB to reword advertising Smart Energy GB has informally resolved a case about smart meter advertising with the Adver- tising Standards Authority (ASA). Concerns were raised about an advertorial in the Daily Tel- egraph which said smart meters would be installed for "free". Aer an informal intervention by the ASA, Smart Energy GB the national campaign for the smart meter rollout, has agreed to reword its advertising. The ASA found it was not acceptable for the meter to be offered as a free item because the devices will be paid for through energy bills. Informal resolutions are a "very fast, efficient way of hav- ing an ad corrected" and do not constitute rulings. Smart Energy GB said: "As a responsible advertiser, we always want to be crystal clear with our advertising. "Following concerns about an advertorial written by and published in the Daily Telegraph, we were very happy to take on board the ASA's informal advice and ensure that consumers clearly understand the way in which their energy meters are reflected in their bills." ENERGY 'Record' number of switches in 2018 Electricity switching figures for 2018 have hit a "new record", with more than half a million customers moving to a new sup- plier in September. The figures from Energy UK, which take the total figure to 4.2 million, represent the highest number of switches in a month so far this year. September's figure is a 12 per cent increase on the previous month's switching numbers (494,839 in August 2018). With more than 70 suppli- ers in the market, increasing numbers of customers appear to be taking advantage of the deals on offer. In September, for exam- ple, 31 per cent (172,193) of all electricity switches were to small and mid-tier suppliers. Of all switches during the month, 42 per cent were from larger to small and mid-tier suppliers, 11 per cent were from small and mid-tier to larger sup- pliers, 26 per cent were between larger suppliers and 21 per cent were between small and mid-tier suppliers. Lawrence Slade, chief execu- tive of Energy UK, said: "It is great that switching reaches a new high in 2018 – with over half a million customers making a move last month reaping the benefits of increasing competi- tion and innovative services. "With the proposed price cap expected to be in place by the end of the year, it is crucial that switching doesn't suffer, with Ofgem's own impact assess- ment suggesting there could be a significant impact on switch- ing levels." CCWater: water companies must play their part its disposal. It followed transport (72 per cent), sales and market- ing (62 per cent) and manufac- turing (59 per cent). Matt Royle, marketing direc- tor at Probrand, said: "This is especially startling to see from businesses within the utilities sector, where sensitive customer information including address details and card numbers are handled all the time."

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