Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 24TH - 30TH NOVEMBER 2017 | 3 This week 4 | Seven days 6 Policy & Regulation 6 | News Review of embedded benefits cut granted 7 | Chief executive's view Lawrence Slade, Energy UK 9 Finance & Investment 9 | News Chief financial officer to leave Bristol Water 11 | Market view Cutting debt with revenue assurance 12 Operations & Assets 12 | High viz Severn Trent's Roundhill AD plant 13 | Expert view Tony Andrews, Bentley 14 | Analysis Water company innovation projects 16 | Market view Cyber security compliance 19 | Market view Getting the most out of data 19 | Pipe up Debi Bell, Lanes Group 20 | Market view Positive discrimination and legal pitfalls 21 Customers 21 | News Ofgem to investigate SSE's tariff messaging 23 | Analysis Fuel poverty in Scotland 24 | Column The Money Advice Trust 25 | Opinion Jo Causon, Institute of Customer Service 25 | Expert view Thomas Fink, SCHOTT 28 | Market view Rethinking district heating 30 Community 31 | Disconnector GAS 6 | News CMA minded to free Centrica over Rough 11 | Market view Cutting debt with revenue assurance WATER 9 | News Chief financial officer to leave Bristol Water 12 | High viz Severn Trent's Roundhill AD plant 14 | Analysis Water company innovation projects ELECTRICITY 6 | News Review of embedded benefits cut granted 24 | Column The Money Advice Trust 28 | Market view Rethinking district heating ENERGY 7 | Chief executive's view Lawrence Slade, Energy UK 16 | Market view Cyber security compliance 19 | Market view Getting the most out of data 20 | Market view Positive discrimination and legal pitfalls 21 | News Ofgem to investigate SSE's tariff messaging 23 | Analysis Fuel poverty in Scotland 25 | Opinion Jo Causon, Institute of Customer Service Pitney Bowes: Make self service smarter and more engaging http://bit.ly/2nAa2rC CGI: Demand side flexibility in UK utilities http://bit.ly/2hrMapA Knowledge worth Keeping Visit the DownloaDs section of Utility week's website http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/ downloads Leader Ellen Bennett Distrust means offers of help are ignored Across the UK, the use of food banks is on the rise, even as house- hold debt is once again spiralling out of control and the mass rollout of Universal Credit is widely predicted to cause terrible hardship. Against this backdrop, it has never been more important for utilities to identify and support vulnerable customers – those with financial difficulties and those with other vulnerabilities – in order to signpost the help available and to offer appropriate support, whether that's a social tariff, a place on the Priority Services Register, or a different or enhanced form of communication. And utilities are trying. As we report this week, Energy UK has launched a vulnerability taskforce, working closely with the Money Advice Trust, to issue guidance to suppliers on vulnerability and mental health (see p24). In the water sector, nearly all water compa- nies offer social tariffs; and in energy, most networks actively seek out customers who require a place on the Priority Services Register. But these good intentions are oen frustrated. As we heard at a recent meeting of the Utility Week and WNS Customer Trust Council (see p26), low levels of trust in utilities and poor engagement too oen mean customers are reluctant to identify themselves as vulner- able, and genuine offers of help go unheeded. Perhaps the most dispiriting thing about the demonisation of utilities in the national media is the negative impact it has on how likely vulnerable custom- ers are to accept such offers of help. It's galling to hear of social tariffs that have just a handful of applicants when the real level of need out there is so apparent. It's not just utilities that suffer with a problem of trust. We heard how one water company won the support of its customer base for a social tariff on the condition that customers were individually assessed, rather than passported through the benefits system – because people don't trust the benefits system to identify those truly in need. There are solutions, or the beginnings of solutions, out there. Data sharing is being trialled; face-to-face contact is markedly more successful than other forms of communication around vulnerability; and working with trusted third parties such as charities is effective. Over the coming months, Utility Week will be working closely with industry to highlight the good work that is happening on this critical issue, and looking at innovative ways of overcoming some of the challenges. Let us know if you'd like to be involved. Ellen Bennett, Editor, ellenbennett@fav-house.com

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