Utility Week

Operations & Assets 28 | 23RD - 29TH NOVEMBER 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Utility Week Awards winner case study Utility of the Year 2017 Category sponsor: Capgemini Award winner: Northumbrian Water • Category title: Utility of the Year • Category sponsor: Capgemini • Annual company turnover: £805.5 million • Number of directly-employed staff: 3,030 • Entry criteria: 1. Customer satisfaction and engagement 2. Shareholder/owner's return 3. CSR and sustainability 4. Staff development (own staff and sup- ply chain) 5. Stakeholder (including supply chain) relationship 6. Acting as an exemplar company; an ambassador for utilities that promotes trust and confidence 7. Innovation and/or evidence of busi- ness transformation within the past two years 8. How the company has outperformed 9. Statement detailing why the company deserves to win Utility of the Year The Utility Week Awards are held in asso- ciation with CGI and Capgemini The 2018 Utility Week Awards shortlist is available to view at: www.utilityweekawards.co.uk Sponsorship opportunities are avail- able – contact Utility Week business development manager Ben Hammond on benhammond@fav-house.com or 01342 332116 for more information. N orthumbrian Water Group (NWG) takes pride in put- ting customers "at the heart" of everything it does. In its entry submission for the 2017 Utility of the Year Award, the company described itself as the "national leader in customer sat- isfaction" referencing its Ofwat annual service incentive mecha- nism (SIM) score of 88 out of 100. At the time this was the highest of any water company and above the industry average of 82. Meanwhile, the Water Mat- ters customer survey from the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) showed that NWG had the highest satisfaction level with value for money for water services (84 per cent), 11 per cent above the industry average. The Water Matters report also showed NWG to be the most trusted water company over the previous three years. It had a score of 7.95 compared to an industry average of 7.59. At 79 per cent, NWG demon- strated it had the highest pro- portion of customers who think the company cares about the service it provides – this was shown to be 10 per cent above the industry average. Its cus- tomers were also revealed as the most likely to agree that the charges they pay for their water services are fair, with a score of 83 per cent – again 10 per cent above the industry average. In addition, the company has the highest proportion of cus- tomers (83 per cent) who feel their water charges are afford- able, which is 9 per cent above the industry average. The water company said it doesn't just use other utility companies as its benchmark but instead looks to the leading companies in customer service in whatever field they may be working in. With a net promoter score of 46, the company high- lights the fact that its customers rate it among the "very best" of companies they experience. Aim to be the best – then be the best Last year Northumbrian Water busted all the metrics and walked off with the the coveted 2017 Utility of the Year Award. Here are some pointers to how you too can be the big winner.

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