Utility Week

Customers UTILITY WEEK | 3RD - 9TH APRIL 2020 | 25 Despite the extra measures utilities companies are taking to assist customers through the pandemic, some employees have been challenged by members of the public about why they are continuing to work. Aer being identified as key workers, many utility companies are having to remind the public of the vital role they play to ensure services are secured. PAN-UTILITY Utilities staff challenged by public despite key worker status Thames Water and Yorkshire Water are among those that have highlighted the tasks they do as essential and have asked the public not to assume they are flouting social distancing rules because maintenance and repairs are carrying on. "Utilities workers are one group where there is no visibility for the value of their role," Sue Ferns, deputy general secretary of the Prospect union, said dur- ing the Utility Week #AskUsAny- thing webinar last Friday (p23). "This can lead to people being challenged by members of the public. More visibility about the key role that utilities play is important, but we need balance and discipline about how that's applied," she added. Talking about the need for clearer definitions of key work- This week Clarity needed over smart meter rollout Calls for government to clarify whether smart meter rollout can continue during Covid-19 crisis Industry insiders have expressed confusion over what the corona- virus pandemic means for the smart meter rollout, following a lack of clarity from government. Following on from the ban- ning of all but essential travel, Energy UK said its members had halted non-essential field-based activities due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Smart meters will still be installed, but only in emergency situations, such as a loss of supply. A spokesperson added that due to the rapidly evolv- ing nature of the situation, and uncertainty around how long any restrictions may be in place, it is too early to assess the implications for the rollout in general. Government advice issued on 25 March states that work carried out in people's homes can continue, pro- vided the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms and that Public Health England guidelines are followed. However, while emergency measures agreed between the government and suppliers mean retailers may have to enter homes to repair meters to keep consumers on supply, there is no clear guidance from government as to how this affects the smart meter rollout. Speaking to Utility Week, one source said it would appear suppliers had taken it upon themselves to halt the rollout. They said: "Energy suppliers seem to have taken this decision themselves and the likelihood is this will continue until the restrictions have been lied." According to a report in The Telegraph, Ofgem had instructed suppliers to continue with the smart meter rollout despite government advice on social distancing threatening a mutiny by some energy companies. More formal lockdown measures were announced later in March. AJ WATER Government agenda to reduce water demand 'ineffective' Efforts by governmental bodies including the Environment Agency (EA) and the Depart- ment for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have yet to make a significant impact on the amount of water people use at home and in industry. A report from the National Audit Office points out that Defra had not announced a national per capita consumption target, despite promising to do so in 2018. The report mirrors Utility Week's Mind the Tap initiative by calling for a nationally led water efficiency campaign and suggests Defra should imple- ment and monitor the impact of a coherent message on valuing water. It says efforts by the EA and trade association Water UK to start a national efficiency cam- paign called Love Water have been limited to a Twitter feed since its launch in 2019. The report further shows that persuading customers to consume less water has been le to companies, but notes "there is no evidence this has any impact on consumers' behaviour". WATER No set policy for water bill breaks Water companies will offer customers flexibility over their bills during the coronavirus out- break but there is no sector-wide policy, Water UK has said. To limit risk of exposure to the virus, payment collection visits will stop, but companies will continue to contact custom- ers in other ways and proactively communicate with those who have not paid their water bills. Financial assistance for cus- tomers affected by corona virus was one of the earliest ways the industry responded to the pandemic. Individual companies have offered payment breaks and reduced rates for house- holds, but Water UK told Utility Week there is no obligation or umbrella policy that companies are following. The trade association said companies will review the mes- sage and wording they use in communications to soen the language as a way of recognising the difficult time households are experiencing. Furthermore, cus- tomers who have self-identified as vulnerable or in need of extra support over the coming months will not be referred to a debt collection agency. People who pay their water bill in cash will be contacted by their company, and if they are unable to leave the house, they will be offered additional sup- port and alternative ways to pay. Water UK chief executive Christine McGourty said: "We know that it's an extremely dif- ficult time for everyone, and the last thing we'd want is for any- one to worry about how they'll pay their water bill." Smart meters: installations could be postponed ers and critical tasks, Ferns said greater clarity would allow staff to get on with their jobs while practising social distancing. Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK, reminded the public not to approach staff while they are working and allow them to carry out main- tenance while respecting social distancing. See Story by Numbers, p4

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