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CE Electric UK, the electricity distribution network operator for the north east, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, has scooped the pot in a national competition organised by the industry’s regulator Ofgem to find the companies in the sector that provide the best service to vulnerable customers.

In the two categories of the award, CE Electric took the first place in the Wider Communications category and came first equal with EdF Energy in the Priority Care category.  Of the total award available of £1 million, CE have been awarded £700,000.

The scheme is now in its second year.  It aims to provide a financial incentive to electricity distribution businesses to go beyond their licence obligations in respect of customers with particular needs.  The Priority Care category looks at approaches to customers with particular needs, such as the elderly, the less able and the long term sick, and the Wider Communications category covers customers who may find it hard to communicate with the companies, such as those with sight or hearing problems or those who do not speak English as a first language.  The scheme particularly looks for companies who build on best practice from other distribution businesses and engage with voluntary and community groups.

The panel was impressed by CE’s holistic approach, the enthusiasm of the presentation and the fact that it targeted a wider range of customers than those traditionally associated with the priority care register.  CE’s entries described the work that has been done in the last few months to engage with voluntary groups and others to improve the service provided to particularly disadvantaged customers. 

Customer Liaison Manager, David Gill, said:  “We aim to provide a high quality of service to all our customers, but we realised that if we were to meet the needs of vulnerable customers we had to try a little harder.  The judges recognised what we were trying to do.”