4 March 2024
ISG online meeting
The ISG focus this month was on how stakeholder and customer insights were being used to shape up NGN’s plans for customer service and support for customers in vulnerable situations during the next price control period.
Whilst NGN is already meeting high standards of customer service, we are encouraging it to focus on areas that customers are less satisfied and where customer outcomes can be improved.
Insights from various sources and engagement with different customer and stakeholder groups has been triangulated. We had an overview at our last meeting but this month we homed in on how those insights were being used to positive effect by the Customer Services and Vulnerability Teams.
Proposed changes to regulatory standards, incentive schemes and allowances that underpin customer services were discussed and we encouraged NGN to be ambitious and innovative to meet customers needs.
We also considered NGN’s review of its brand – its corporate goal, purpose and values. These are being tested with customers and internal stakeholders to ensure they ring true and reflect expectations.
The narrative of doing its best for stakeholders and offering value for money was welcomed by the ISG and it would be a future role for the group to monitor how NGN’s ambitions and commitments are delivered.
In recent weeks the group had reviewed NGN’s draft response to Ofgem’s consultation on Sector Specific Methodology for RIIO-3 – which is basically the way in which Ofgem will assess the network companies’ business plans and agree revenues for 2026-31.The same overarching framework is being applied as for RIIO-2 ( the current plan running 2021-2016), but Ofgem is aiming to reduce the reporting burden on companies whilst ensuring investments are made in customers interests and are delivered to meet network needs for the future.
The ISG has also offered its own comments to Ofgem (also on this website). We make the case for safety, customer benefits and value for money to be top considerations. We also stress the need for coordinated efforts to support customers in vulnerable situations across the region and incentives that encourage cross utility collaborations.