Utility Week

Customers UTILITY WEEK | 3RD - 9TH NOVEMBER 2017 | 27 EDF Energy is trialling a new digital home services platform called Hoppy, Utility Week has learned. Using "trusted partners", the platform offers to connect customers with local trades for a range of household jobs. It will also provide information about the best available deals for energy and broadband supply, as well as TV packages. ENERGY EDF Energy trials digital home services platform Sharing news of the new ven- ture, Beatrice Bigois, managing director of EDF Energy's Custom- ers business, said: "We know that customers are looking for digital services that make their lives easier, particularly in the growing home services market, and we are trialling Hoppy in response to this." Bigois added that the trial reflected the "constantly chang- ing" competitive dynamic of the energy market in which suppliers and third parties are scrambling to "differentiate their offerings to stay ahead". "By supporting the creation of new ideas and testing new business models like Hoppy we have a great opportunity to provide customers with much more choice and services that will make their lives easier." This week UU cryptosporidium advice was 'unclear' Water inspectorate urges United Utilities to review its emergency and contingency plans The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has urged United Utilities to carry out a full review of its emergency and contingency plans aer a cryptosporidium outbreak in 2015 directly affected 712,000 residents and consumers in North Lancashire – the largest of its kind in Britain since 1989, according to the DWI investigation report. The DWI also recommended that United Utilities implement a programme of work to ensure all its treated water-retaining tanks and reservoirs are "properly maintained and secured". The report suggested that consumers had received "unclear" information and advice which le them "confused". It accepted the company had made "every effort" to communicate with consumers, but argued it could have "communicated better". The DWI said that households should be given written advice within 24 hours of an emergency, as well as access to alternative sources of supply. It also recommended the use of a temporary treatment plant during a contamination outbreak and a review of cryptosporidium sampling equipment. DWI chief inspector Marcus Rink said: "My conclusion was that the company supplied water that was unwholesome as a direct result of actions and decisions made by the company, and that if a consumer were aware of the presence of the parasite they would have rejected it for consumption." On 6 August 2015 United Utilities advised customers to boil water before drinking it aer it identified the presence of cryptosporidium in water supplied from its Franklaw water treatment works. KP WATER Slowdown in non- domestic switches The pace of water switching has slowed, with the latest figures from the market operator showing just 25,010 supply points switched water retailer in the second quarter since the business market opened. It brings the total number of switches since April to 61,311 – just 2.3 per cent of the 2.7 million supply points in the market. In its second quarterly market review, MOSL said the number of switches was fluctuating around 1,000-2,000 a week, as in Q1. However, Alan Lovell, chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said: "About 40 per cent of businesses are now aware the competitive market exists, which is an astonishingly good number considering it was only about 10 per cent this time last year." The report revealed that around 70 per cent of all switches were away from the largest five retailers, while new entrants gained around 35 per cent of switched supply points. WATER Business customer complaints treble Businesses made more than 550 complaints to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) in the second quarter of the year, around three times as many as the same period in 2016. Complaints to the watchdog rose faster in Q2 compared with Q1, and CCWater said it will be putting "pressure on all retailers" to reverse the trend. Billing and charges made up the majority of complaints for the quarter. CCWater said more customers were likely to have received their first bill from a new retailer during the quarter. There was also a significant rise in complaints about administration, compared with the same quarter in 2016, with 124 customers unhappy about communication with their retailer. Other reasons for complaint included water (37), retail competition (35), metering (13) and sewerage (9). ENERGY AND WATER Call to pool efforts to help vulnerable Ofwat and Ofgem have urged their respective sectors to pool their efforts to ensure that vulnerable customers get the support they need. A new report produced by the watchdogs said water and energy companies had more to do in working together to help vulnerable customers. In particular, it called on both sectors to pool their efforts and ensure vulnerable customers are able to access the extra help that is available. It said companies should offer vulnerable customers priority support, provide bills in formats that are easier to read and understand, and move meters when they are difficult to reach. Tap water was undrinkable for up to a month The trial of Hoppy makes EDF energy the third major supplier in the UK to launch an online platform to help customers identify trades. In June British Gas launched its Local Heroes business and in April, First Utility announced that it had acquired an equity stake in Bizzby, an established online tool for identifying trusted local suppliers for the completion of household jobs like boiler repair and plumbing and electrical tasks.

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