Water and Energy sectors working together on Priority Services

Transcription

1 Water and Energy sectors working together on Priority Services Stephanie Trubshaw Electricity North West Amanda Phillips United Utilities 1. Priority Services Water and Energy data share Energy and Water sector working together to jointly identify and register customers onto their Priority Services who may find themselves in vulnerable circumstances, ensuring services are tailored and delivered effectively, safeguarding customers when needed. 1 2 What are Priority Services? Building an established data share across energy ambition for one Priority Services Register (PSR). Onus currently on the customer to register multiple times Utility companies are often jointly responding 1

2 2. What are Priority Services? The Priority Service Register (PSR) is a free service, provided to customers who need help if our services are removed There are nearly 6 million customers registered on the Electricity PSR 4.8 million customers on the Gas PSR Water PSR growing thanks to the project Each utility has previously held their own register, we are now working together to simplify processes for customers and deliver Call us once service for registering across the industry The services range from ensuring accessibility to information, providing water or hot drinks, overnight accommodation and more frequent updates during incidents 3. Why is knowing who needs support central? Climate is changing Over the recent years we have seen large scale weather events impact the customers of the UK from flooding, the Beast from the East and more recent hot weather These events can extend the impact for customers, together we need to minimise disruption to our customers lives Our network s are improving and restoring of services quickly is key Provide those who are most affected with an enhanced service (PSR) If our services are disrupted not all customers contact us, they don t know who to contact and sometimes they don t have the means to contact us Customers pay for a service that we provide and rely on for daily activities Some of our customers need additional support at a time of disruption or distress, it is up to us to provide that help and guidance 2

3 4. Building on established data share Call us once Best practice across utilities is in place and we need to leverage what we already know over 4 million shared customers Customers are concerned about: Customer bills Protecting their data Nuisance callers We share information with consent and the customer has a simple, fast, single contact way to register with their supplier, the DNO and their water company Promotion of the services Working together, we can spend less and access more customers through advertisement as it is one scheme not three 5. Building on established data share - working together Collective working across five critical work streams from both sectors Needs codes: Explicit consent: Data and systems: Customer proposition: Communications: Standardising needs codes across both sectors to enable registration and data share Ensuring all data consents and exchange complies with new GDPR requirements The data structures, protocols, exchange and storage of data across systems The service provision for priority customers (minimum standards and best practice) Communication with stakeholders, third sector and customers on Priority Services 3

4 6. Our ambition by 2020 By 2020, there will be a fully joined approach to Priority Services for Energy and Water companies that will see data and registration of Priority Service customers shared (where consent is given) across Energy and Water companies in the UK Customer benefits Company benefits Stakeholder benefits One PSR that Energy and Water will introduce together 25 million homes in the UK one contact, clean and simple Customer confidence and trust in the support being received Joint working to continually use our combined efforts to keep customers bill low Advertising campaigns, cleansing data, shared resources, representing each other Clear on which customers need additional support, allowing us to design and prioritise service response accordingly Single focus within a region working together to support each other on wider social issues - bringing utilities together Clarity on the service proposition Ability to speak with one combined voice to communicate and promote to the third sector Driving efficiencies of joint working together affecting the same household 7. Our ambition by 2020 By 2020, there will be a fully joined approach to Priority Services for Energy and Water companies that will see data and registration of Priority Service customers shared (where consent is given) across Energy and Water companies in the UK Our Design Principles Working in partnership across utility companies towards a common goal to support our customers who become vulnerable without our services A voluntary code of practice supported by industry-wide commitment Focus on promotion, identification, registration and data exchange Individual companies will design and deliver their Priority Services Scope includes Electricity, Gas and Water sectors potential for expansion to other sectors once established Experiences, insight and best practice will be shared across organisations to benchmark and improve service for the benefit of customers Using best practice from the existing Social Customers Working Group design once and deploy many times Speaking with one voice with third sector communities to promote and engage Covering England, Wales and potentially Scotland 4

5 8. Utilities jointly working Pilot completed using a rapid learning approach to test approaches to data sharing Approach How is the pilot working? Covers all customers in the North West who are supplied by UU and ENW (2.4 million properties) Standardised needs codes already established, with secure and safe data protocols for data exchange Designed and deployed training for both organisations with specific focus on explicit consent to share and the ability to communicate benefits of both companies Priority Service Register Manual system configuration and exceptions management keeping it simple while we learn and develop Sharing Learning How will we ensure the learning is communicated from the proof of concept trial? Monthly lessons learnt to working groups and stakeholders to inform wider design Enable learning of regulatory considerations Enable the opportunity for clarity on exclusions and exceptions key in driving an industry-wide programme Clear visibility of independencies and the opportunity for risk mitigation to be established before wider deployment 9. Utilities jointly working Findings Next steps Volumes We have registered over 4,000 customers so far. Of the records sent (both directions) Reviewing why some customers don t want to provide their explicit consent GDPR is the challenge Confidence and knowledge of your people will be key Exceptions Matching data Customer feedback Commercial properties with domestic elements, such as farms and housing associations The criteria has been matched by: Postcode House number Street name Surname Positive feedback with customers welcoming two companies working jointly and only having to register once Creates a sense of community for customers Documented a process now working with MOSL to notify the retailers to add a sensitive flag to the system IT system improvements to be made with difficulties in matching data, e.g. Upper or lower case characters used Husband s name on account instead of wife Spelling differences in names Reconciling data used by different utilities and different sources Weekly reviews of any customer feedback positive or negative reviewed 5

6 If your company wants to learn more, get involved or has any other lessons we can learn from, let us know Thank you for listening 6