Well Justified Business Plan: Annexes 1

ZĞŐŝŽŶĂů ǁŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ ƐƵŵŵĂƌLJ

Electricity North West ran a series of stakeholder workshops in different parts of its service area during Autumn 2012, to have informed discussions with key stakeholders about its proposed investment plans under the next Ofgem price control period.

The workshops were organised as independently‐facilitated focus groups, with each event tackling specific themes and bringing together between five and ten key stakeholders with three or four representatives from Electricity North West. The stakeholders represented generators, major industrial and commercial customers, developers and development consultants, local authorities, environmental organisations and business groups. Each event was hosted by the Electricity North West regional operations manager for the geographic area, supported by colleagues with particular knowledge of the themes under discussion.

A total of 34 key stakeholders took part in the workshops, and a further two key stakeholders who were unable to attend submitted written comments. As expected from a diverse group of stakeholders, many different opinions were aired and there were some conflicting views about investment priorities. Some stakeholders were keen to see more investment in certain areas, even if it would mean increases in customers’ bills, while others saw opportunities for savings that would help to reduce bills.

However, a number of key themes emerged on which there was broad agreement, if not full consensus, as follows:

Communication

Across the workshops, the key stakeholders asked for more and better communication from Electricity North West, particularly around power outages.

Suggestions included greater use of Twitter and social media, and inviting customers to register their email and mobile phone contact details via a website so they could receive automated message updates during outages. Business stakeholders wanted more detailed and accurate information about both planned and unplanned outages so they could mitigate against business risks, and several asked if Electricity North West would consult some business representatives about how they would like to see communication and account management improved.