Utilities staff challenged despite key worker status

Despite the extra measures utilities companies are taking to assist customers through the uncertainty of the pandemic, some workers have been challenged by members of the public about why they are continuing to work.

After being identified as key workers, many utilities companies are having to remind the public of the vital role they play to ensure services are secured.

Thames and Yorkshire are among the companies that have highlighted the tasks they do as essential and asked the public not to assume they are flouting social distancing rules because maintenance and repairs are carrying on.

“Utilities workers are one group where there is no visibility for the value of their role,” Sue Ferns, deputy general secretary at Prospects Union said during the Utility Week #AskUsAnything webinar today (27 March).

“This can lead to people who are out doing this work being challenged by members of the public who think that they shouldn’t be doing it. More visibility about the key role that utilities play is important, but we need balance and discipline about how that’s applied.”

Talking about the need for clearer definition of “key workers” and what are classed as critical tasks, she said more clarity would allow staff to get on with their jobs while practicing social distancing.

Water UK said the industry had put pandemic plans into place from the start of the outbreak to ensure it could continue to provide clean, safe, and reliable drinking water for everyone.

Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK, reminded the public not to approach staff while they are working and allow them to carry out maintenance while respecting social distancing.

Meanwhile Severn Trent turned to social media to tell people to keep a two-metre distance from workers so they can work safely.

To help households get through this time, individual companies, backed by Water UK, have introduced financial packages to assist with payments and invited people to inform them if they need extra assistance in the coming weeks.

Tailoring services to customers’ new circumstances and offering all the help they can will be remembered positively by customers, based on experiences from other unexpected events according to CCW.

Working to maintain vital services through unprecedented times and supporting often worried customers is far from business as usual but for water companies there are lessons to learn from other periods of disruption such as the freeze / thaw events and the Beast from the East.

Hannah Bradley senior policy manager of market intelligence at the consumer watchdog for water told Utility Week that communication in ways customers would actually see was essential.

She suggested posts to community or town pages on Facebook reached more people than assuming customers followed their water company’s Twitter account, for example.

Making and maintaining a range of ways to contact was one of several measures the watchdog wanted to see water companies reaching out to householders during this period.

Early in the outbreak, many businesses began offering payment breaks or extending their existing financial packages to more customers than before.

CCW’s senior social policy manager Andy White said the watchdog wanted to see patience and flexibility from all firms during this time.

He advised:

• offering payment breaks to help in the short term;
• providing alternative options for people who usually paid bills over the counter;
• households applying for meters should be given a fair adjustment to their bills where installation must be delayed;
• ensuring social tariff schemes meet the needs of those impacted;
• taking a patient approach to collecting outstanding charges because many households’ circumstances could have quickly altered;
• identifying vulnerable people – and those who may have become vulnerable due to illness and isolation – to offer bottled water in the event of supply interruption. The aim should be to deliver water to anyone impacted during the general lock down period.

He added: “Many companies have already indicated they will be doing some or all of these things and we’re continuing to engage with companies at an individual and sector level as they develop their thinking and approaches.”