Each year, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution visits thousands of homes to ensure its customers enjoy a reliable power supply. While SSEN takes pride in carrying out work safely, it understands that unexpected visits can sometimes cause anxiety for pets - and occasionally their owners too.
As a pet-friendly company, SSEN is committed to creating a non-threatening and positive experience for all; customers, engineers, and beloved pets alike. That’s why the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for central southern England and the north of Scotland is taking steps to further adapt its way of working to help keep all involved safe and happy.
All of SSEN’s engineers and customer-facing colleagues follow strict protocols are highly trained to respect your property and prioritise safety. To provide an even better service and experience, they are now including additional measures when working at homes and businesses where pets are present.
These further measures include:
- Approaching pets calmly, avoiding sudden movements and maintaining a composed demeanour to help keep pets feel more at ease
- Keeping any interaction to the very minimum, so unless invited, engineers and visiting customer advisors will avoid direct engagement with pets to prevent any unintended stress or discomfort.
In turn, SSEN is asking its customers to help make all of its visits a paw-sitive experience by taking a few simple steps:
- Think about putting pets in a separate room or safe area before the engineer or customer advisor arrives
- Communicate any concerns you have, especially if your pet has any specific needs or behaviours, so visiting staff can listen, understand and adjust accordingly
- If possible, allow your pet to see the visiting worker at a safe distance first to reduce any territorial reaction
- Keep your pet’s favourite treat or toy nearby to help distract and calm them during visits
- For everyone’s safety, please don’t encourage pets to greet visitors directly, even if they’re friendly.
Garry Black, one of SSEN's experienced engineers and dedicated dog lover shares his tips on keeping your pets calm during our visit:
Barry Eggleton, SSEN’s Occupational Health and Safety Manager said:
“At SSEN we know pets are part of the family, because so many of us are pet owners ourselves and we want to make sure that we respect their territory and don’t cause any stress for them during times when our engineers or customer advisors might need to be in homes or gardens to carry out work.
“By introducing these simple, additional measures SSEN is ensuring that its visits are not only safe and efficient, but also respectful of the special bond our customers share with their furry friends.”
SSEN is dedicated to delivering safe and reliable power solutions while fostering strong connections with the communities in which its colleagues live and work. With a focus on respect, professionalism and care, SSEN aims to provide exceptional service for all of its customers, and their four-legged companions.
SSEN colleagues are trained in dealing with service and assistance dogs, so they can best respond to customers who need help at home, without distracting their working dog.
They know to approach with care, ask the dog’s handler before any interaction and respect their boundaries at all times.
Animal Safety
