Customer and community teams from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) have been taking part in events across Thames Valley to raise awareness of the free additional services that SSEN has in place to help its customers this winter.
The distribution operator’s Customer and Community Advisors (CCAs) are preparing for winter - and the adverse weather events the colder months can bring that have the potential to cause power cuts - by attending and hosting events that enable them to speak directly to customers who could benefit from the free assistance provided by SSEN’s Priority Services Register and YES Energy Solutions.
Over the last month, SSEN’s Thames Valley team have been able to give guidance on staying safe during power cuts and energy saving advice to a host of customers across both rural and urban areas through events including:
- SSEN’s Older Persons’ Day in Reading Town Centre
- The Worshipful Company of Farmers' Health and Wellbeing Forum
- SSEN’s Whitley Wood Community Engagement Session
SSEN’s Customer Relation Manager for Thames Valley, Bryan Puszkar said:
“Across our Thames Valley region, SSEN has nearly one million customers in both rural and urban settings, and with a wide variety of different cultures and languages. As we approach the winter, we want to speak to as many customers as possible about the services we can provide to help them through the colder months.
“We have a large number of customers already signed up to our popular Priority Services Register, but we know there are still people in Thames Valley who may need additional assistance due to vulnerability or circumstances of fuel poverty, and we want to encourage them to speak to us or go to our website to find out how we can help them.”
Bryan continued:
“In addition to our Priority Services Register and the free assistance it can provide, we can also refer customers to YES Energy Solutions for ways to save energy and money. It costs nothing to sign up for either of these services, but the benefits of doing so can help bring our customers some peace of mind this winter.”
Through the network operator's Priority Services Register (PSR), customers who could find themselves in a vulnerable situation during planned or unplanned power outages are offered free extra support, which varies according to the individual customer's needs, and through YES Energy Solutions is also offering free, expert advice on energy efficiency; all part of SSEN's ongoing commitment to supporting its customers.
Priority Services Register
Customers are eligible for the Priority Services Register if they:
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have a disability
- Live with children under five
- Are blind or partially sighted
- Have a chronic illness
- Use medical equipment/aids reliant on electricity
- Are over 60
- Are categorised at ‘high risk’ or ‘extremely high risk’ of severe illness from coronavirus
For more information on our Priority Services Register, click here or call 0800 294 3259. SSEN’s PSR information leaflets are available in 11 different languages.
YES Energy Solutions
By registering at ssen.co.uk/energyadvice, eligible customers can access a range of free services including:
- Saving energy
- Switching energy suppliers
- Grants and loans available for insulation and heating systems
- Money they could be claiming such as the Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment
- Heating hot water and thermostat advice
- Smart meters and how to use them effectively
- Income maximisation
Customers are able to self-refer to receive advice from YES' expert advisors, who will offer guidance on how to save energy and money on home heating bills.
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