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24 | 20TH - 26TH NOVEMBER 2015 | UTILITY WEEK Customers Analysis A ccording to the Carbon Monoxide Awareness charity, in the UK 47 peo- ple have died this year alone from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The char- ity says government and industry efforts to reduce preventable deaths from CO poison- ing are a "lamentable state of affairs" with endless "talkshops" achieving little. The only obligation on gas distribution networks (GDNs) as regards CO is to attend emergencies to ensure safety, but in prac- tice they do much more. GDNs are taking on an active role by embracing innovation in the form of smart monitor technology and trying to raise awareness through novel approaches such as "gamification" to bring home to youngsters the lethal danger of CO poisoning. The Energy Networks Association (ENA) says GDNs are doing "a significant amount" both individually and together to address the issue of CO. In the first two years of RIIO- GD1, the four GDN owners have collectively funded 25,000 free CO alarms for vulnerable customers. Wales & West Utilities says each CO alarm given out represents a conversation to try to encourage the necessary behaviour change, such as servicing appliances, actually hap- pens. This is key to the GDNs' efforts. Not only do they want to raise awareness, they also want to "inspire the behaviour change necessary" to prevent future deaths. Smart technology is revolutionising all areas of the energy market and CO monitor- ing is no different. A joint project between three of the network owners, called the Inno- vative CO Monitor project, is trialling a new type of monitor that automates the detection and notification process. It sends a text mes- sage to a nominated mobile phone if the dan- gerous gas is detected, and also self-checks the battery every week, saving the house- holder that chore. (See column, p6) The project is being funded by the GDNs through the Network Innovation Allowance at an estimated cost of £352,476 and will con- tinue until the middle of 2016. The networks involved say the project has been a success and has been extended by six months. The monitor manufacturer says the trial has proved successful enough to justify it rolling out the technology across the rest of the UK. CO poisoning does not just occur in the home, so GDNs have joined forces again to try to draw attention to this fact. Games have long been recognised as an effective way of engaging people, especially the younger Breaking the silence on CO This week is the tenth annual Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, yet despite all the publicity, carbon monoxide poisoning continues to take a lethal toll every year. Lucinda Dann investigates. iFEST: a very serious game iFEST is a game funded and created equally by all four network owners, with the ENA's support. Players of the game have their attention drawn to the dangers of cooking on barbecues within tents and the possible effects of CO poisoning to look out for, in the context of a festival. The game evolved from an app that sought to raise awareness of the issue but fell short of the necessary requirements set out by the regulator. The game allows GDNs to see how many people have played the game, for how long, and whether they share it with friends on social media. Consequently, assumptions can be made around how much the player has learnt. The game was shared with revellers at Glastonbury, Leeds and T in the Park festivals with a big social media push using the hashtag #TunesNotFumes. http://gdngames.co.uk generation, and this helps explain why the GDNs decided to fund and develop a game explaining the dangers posed by the gas at festivals. They launched iFEST this summer, a game that raises the issue of the dangers of barbecues and gas canisters in tents at festi- vals. The game was promoted at Glastonbury, Leeds and T in the Park music festivals this summer. Social media was also embraced as a promotional tool with #TunesNotFumes used along with prizes given out for sharing the game. The ENA says GDNs feel that this type of joint working is actively encouraged by RIIO and is one of the "really positive" aspects of the new regime. The networks also fund their own initia- tives for households and communities, and they have input into legislation and aim to influence national policy. Wales & West Utili- ties has worked on behalf of all the networks on the All Fuels Action Forum, and has taken the lead in developing a consistent campaign approach for the industry. The GDNs will be using the attention Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week (16-20 November) brings to promote another collab- orative initiative with the Gas Safe Register.