[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":100},["ShallowReactive",2],{"B5nPMLLcAp":3},{"data":4},{"id":5,"status":6,"title":7,"split":8,"strap":9,"intro":10,"blocks":11,"stats":71,"commitments":86,"next":87},18,"published","Customer satisfaction",null,"Keeping customers satisfied","\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Our culture focuses on understanding what our customers want and expect and providing service that meets those needs, tailoring it to their individual requirements whenever we can. This approach has earned us another year of increased customer satisfaction.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">While the safety of our employees and the public is always our number one priority, customer satisfaction has been a key strategic focus for UK Power Networks since its formation in 2010.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We have built a culture in which everyone who works for the company recognises the importance of doing what is right for our customers. Since those early days of UK Power Networks, we have improved our customer satisfaction ratings every year. This year, 2023/24, we once again achieved an industry-leading Broad Measure of Customer Satisfaction (BMoCS) score from Ofgem of 94%, up from 93.8% in the previous year.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We provide a safe, reliable, cost-effective power supply. As the economy reduces its reliance on fossil fuels and progresses towards Net Zero emissions, ever-greater pressure on the clean electricity network means we are continually upping our game. We have met the twin challenges of increasing customer service expectations and the inexorable rise in demand for renewable generation head on, increasing our customer satisfaction on an already high base. The culture we have built at UK Power Networks means our people are highly motivated to put themselves in the shoes of our customers and deliver better and better service every time.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p2\">A more granular approach\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We are now one year into the new regulatory period, RIIO-ED2, which began in April 2023. This has heralded a more granular approach to measuring customer satisfaction; we now measure it in categories such as business customers, low-carbon technology customers and vulnerable customers. This gives us a far superior level of detail that supports our targeted approach to taking care of our customers. These insights mean that we have adapted some of the ways that we approach customer service, such as how to triage customer enquiries and which partners we work with to deliver that service. For example, we have changed the order in which things happen in the connections process. Having an engineer visit the property early in the process means we understand the customers’ requirements better. This in turn means that the connection is much more likely to be right first time, particularly in the case of a complex installation.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">Challenging assumptions to free up connections\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">Our commitment to excellent customer satisfaction applies throughout the business: in the field, at the corporate level and everything in between. We want to support customers in their wish to decarbonise their lives and we recognise that there are infrastructure challenges thwarting that ambition. The vast majority of projects that want to connect to our network can do so, and individual householders who want to connect clean energy technology like electric vehicle charge points and solar panels can continue to do so. Constraints on the national transmission network mean there is not always enough capacity to connect much larger projects in all areas. UK Power Networks is leading the industry in accelerating large-scale connections.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">We are challenging established industry assumptions to free up capacity for renewables to connect. We are leading a UK-wide project called Technical Limits which is freeing up nearly 4 GW of capacity for new connections in our licence areas alone, cutting years off the waiting times for large renewable energy projects to connect.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">Data driving our approach\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">Our business, along with many others, is hungry for more and better data. The insights from well-managed data are driving change at UK Power Networks. Our user-focused approach to data management has had a significant impact on operational success throughout the business. Our systematic improvements in data handling and analysis have contributed to that success. Rigorous data quality measures have helped instil deep trust in our data, so we can make informed decisions based on reliable insights.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">In relation to how we serve customers, for instance, we now have same-day tracking of customer service performance.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">This means we can see the detail of how we are performing at a granular level as well as being able to see trends mapped against the customer journey. This attention to detail means we can spot where there are problems in the process and act quickly to rectify them.\u003C/p>",[12,59],{"item":13},{"id":14,"title":15,"intro":8,"pages":16,"items":17,"case":58},28,"Our performance highlights",[],[18,33,41,50],{"id":19,"status":6,"sort":20,"title":21,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":22},117,1,"UK Power Networks average",[23,28],{"stat_id":24},{"id":25,"figure":26,"caption":27,"stat_fid":8},43,"94%","Customer Satisfaction Scores",{"stat_id":29},{"id":30,"figure":31,"caption":32,"stat_fid":8},44,"Ranked No. 1","Ofgem ranked us No.1 DNO for our Broad measure of Customer Satisfaction Score",{"id":34,"status":6,"sort":35,"title":36,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":37},149,2,"East",[38],{"stat_id":39},{"id":40,"figure":26,"caption":27,"stat_fid":8},71,{"id":42,"status":6,"sort":43,"title":44,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":45},150,3,"London",[46],{"stat_id":47},{"id":48,"figure":49,"caption":27,"stat_fid":8},72,"95%",{"id":51,"status":6,"sort":52,"title":53,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":54},151,4,"South East",[55],{"stat_id":56},{"id":57,"figure":26,"caption":27,"stat_fid":8},73,[],{"item":60},{"id":61,"title":62,"intro":8,"pages":63,"items":64,"case":70},29,"How we are keeping our customers satisfied",[],[65],{"id":66,"status":6,"sort":20,"title":67,"key":8,"fkey":61,"body":68,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":69},118,"Infrastructure for 12 new ultra-rapid charge points","\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">I welcome this further investment by Extra, UK Power Networks and IONITY, which will improve EV charging provision on England’s motorway network. This will not only support EV drivers on UK roads, but also help the Government’s drive towards a greener motor industry.”\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2 u-sig\">\u003Cstrong>Anthony Browne\u003Cbr>\u003C/strong>Former Decarbonisation Minister\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">UK Power Networks has delivered new electricity infrastructure to power 12 new IONITY ultra-rapid charge points between J9 and J10 of the M25 at Extra Motorway Service Area’s (MSA) Cobham Services to support EV uptake, reduce carbon emissions and improve local air quality. As part of our Green Recovery programme, power upgrades are progressing at several motorway service stations to connect more electric vehicle chargers. At Cobham, UK Power Networks has installed 5 km of new 33,000-volt cabling and new equipment at a substation in Effingham.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"u-block-panel\">\n\u003Ch5 class=\"p1\">What this means for our customers\u003C/h5>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">This investment in power infrastructure for the motorway network at Cobham Services will enable more drivers to make the switch to EVs, improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. It will also promote jobs and economic growth.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/div>",[],[],[72,77,81],{"stat_id":73},{"id":74,"figure":75,"caption":76,"stat_fid":8},5,"No.1","Awarded the best Distribution Network Operator (DNO) in Ofgem’s Broad Measure of Customer Satisfaction",{"stat_id":78},{"id":79,"figure":26,"caption":80,"stat_fid":8},6,"Our best ever Customer Satisfaction Score of 94%",{"stat_id":82},{"id":83,"figure":84,"caption":85,"stat_fid":8},67,"92%","Customer Satisfaction Score for low-carbon technology customers",[],{"id":88,"status":6,"title":89,"split":8,"strap":90,"intro":91,"next":92,"blocks":93,"stats":96,"commitments":99},19,"Value for money","Delivering value for money","\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Two central elements of our vision are to be a respected and trusted corporate citizen and to be sustainably cost efficient.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Providing value for money for our customers is a fundamental responsibility that we take with the utmost seriousness, particularly in these times of financial pressure caused by the cost-of-living crisis. Many of the innovations we have introduced in 2023/24 are designed with value for our customers’ money in mind.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p2\">Customer videos speed up LCT connections\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">As people want to connect equipment such as EVs and heat pumps in ever-greater numbers, more of them are coming directly to us rather than going through installers. The Fuse Upgrade that is required is complicated and requires information customers don’t have and uses technical language many won’t understand. This can lead to them submitting incorrect information which makes the process longer and more complicated for the customer.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Building on work we’ve already done to make the process easier for installers, we can now use video surveys that customers complete at their own convenience. These allow our staff to identify what work is required, without the need for complex, technical questions. For example, an external view of the customer’s home tells us if their supply is fed through overground or underground cables, and this is not necessarily apparent to customers. The information we gather allows us to assign the correct engineer for the job quickly and increases the proportion of work that is delivered right first time. This speeds the process up considerably, reducing customer frustration and saving both time and money.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">During 2023/24, we supported 300 customers through video calls and in 100 cases, the video calls told us that the faults were internal; without those calls we would have sent an engineer to investigate, so we saved 100 unnecessary engineer visits.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We are building on the success of this project, and are now looking to roll this solution out to other areas of the business to make better use of our resources, thereby reducing our operating costs thanks to fewer aborted connections engineer visits.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">Automated Tunnel Data Capture\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">In 2023/24, we started using a robot (see \u003Ca href=\"/operational-performance/network-reliability\">here\u003C/a>) to carry out tunnel and shaft inspections. The robot can work tirelessly and accurately, with none of the safety risks involved in sending a person into these confined spaces. It works more quickly and, thanks to AI, detects anomalies and defects that are not obvious to the naked, human eye, so we fix the problems sooner. This project was funded by UK Power Networks, and the savings that it will make on behalf of customers are significant.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">Flex provides saving on reinforcement costs\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">We consistently market test all future network needs to identify the lowest cost option to deliver capacity. This year we market tested £470m of network investment across 450 sites through our twice-yearly flexibility tenders and delivered £91m benefits to customers by using flexibility to defer distribution network investment. The independent DSO Supervisory Board (see case study, below) challenged us to ensure our network investment levels remain sustainable to meet future demand, while keeping costs low for consumers. We are on track to deliver our business plan commitment of a £410m reduction in network reinforcement spend during RIIO-ED2. 100% of these savings flow to bill-payers rather than shareholders. The savings this year will result in customer bills being lower than they would otherwise have been.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">£1.3m worth of free electricity for 24,000 households\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">We worked with Octopus Energy to launch an offer that allows customers with a smart meter to use spare green electricity at no cost (see \u003Ca href=\"/operational-performance/innovation-path-to-net-zero\">here\u003C/a>). 24,000 customers enrolled for this in 2023/24, with 77% taking part at each event. The offer makes use of the excess green electricity that is generated when it is sunny or windy. This is another example of us finding ways to provide value for our customers.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">We ran sessions with Octopus Energy, to share our learnings with other DSOs, to support the service to scale up, so that more customers across Great Britain can take part. We are pleased to see National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) committing to introduce demand turn-up from 2025. Building on the success of our work with Octopus, we engaged with other energy suppliers with significant customer bases to understand their appetite to provide flexibility and identify any barriers we could help address. This resulted in us awarding contracts to British Gas and OVO which, together with Octopus, supply energy to more than 50% of domestic customers in the UK.\u003C/p>",20,[94,95],52,53,[97,98],7,34,[],1737733128374]