1. Customers in vulnerable circumstances
MALG, 11 April 2019

2. P18002: Priority Services – MALG presentation
What are priority services?
Services provided by both water and energy companies for customers customers who from time to time may benefit from additional non-financial support
Additional support may be beneficial to those facing ill-health, age-related issues, mobility issues, mental health, or alternative communication requirements
Customers can register to receive priority services from utility companies, but the data systems are not fully joined up across water and energy. As a result, registrations and data are handled separately
What are we proposing to change?
In future, customers registering for priority services with one sector will be given the option to be registered for similar priority services within the other sector at the same time. This will save customers having to register separately and will help the relevant utility companies coordinate their responses in an emergency situation
United Utilities and Electricity North West successfully completed a pilot study in 2018 that tested single registration, and the necessary legal and operational principles that support the joint project (next slides)
We are now working together to facilitate a single registration onto the PSR across England and Wales in water and energy for customers who give their explicit consent, incorporating lessons from the 2018 pilot

3. P18002: Priority Services – MALG presentation
A joint water/energy sector project will align the existing Priority Services arrangements in the two sectors so that customers benefit from consistent support without needing to register with each of utility provider individually. To minimise the ultimate cost to both energy and water consumers, we will extend the existing processes as much as possible rather than create new ones. Water companies and electricity network companies across England and Wales are on track to share priority services data in both directions by April 2020.
Out of Scope: Defining the operational delivery of Priority Service: this will be done by individual water and energy companies. The project will incorporate lessons from a successful pilot study carried out by United Utilities and Electricity North West.

4. P18002: Priority Services – MALG presentation Mandate
As a result of the differing regulatory regimes, the project mandate is as follows:
In energy: Standardisation of priority services and sharing of data within the energy sector is a licence condition, and the exchange of data is facilitated via the central market data system. Energy participants share appropriate data to provide excellent customer services and fulfil their licence obligations. Energy network companies have recognised the benefits of alignment with the water sector and extending data sharing to the water sector, and have committed to do so by April 2020.
In water: While there is no current licence condition in the water sector mandating the sharing of data for priority services, water companies have recognised the benefits for customers of doing so. water companies have publicly committed to align the approaches to priority services between water and energy and implement data sharing between the sectors by April 2020.

5. P18002: Priority Services - MALG presentation Joint sponsorship
Our sponsors own the scope, challenge the proposals in conjunction with their membership and ensure delivery
Energy networks
Energy suppliers
Water sector
Trade association sponsor:
Tony Glover
Director of Policy,
Energy Networks Association
TBC
Energy UK
Rob Wesley
Head of Policy
Water UK
Energy sponsor:
Jo Giles - Customer Safeguarding Manager, Cadent
Chair of the ENA Safeguarding Customers Working Group
Water sponsor:
Louise Beardmore - Customer Services and People Director, United Utilities

6. P18002: Priority Services - MALG presentation The current state
Existing energy market system
(MRA)
Energy participant system
Water company system
Energy participant system
Water company system
Separate Registration
Separate Registration
Utility company customers

7. Joint Priority Services Project
P18002: Priority Services - briefing pack
The primary deliverable
Existing energy market system
(MRA)
Energy participant system
Water company system
Joint Priority Services Project
Data Transfer
Energy participant system
Water company system
Single Registration
Single Registration
Separate Registration
Separate Registration
Utility company customers

8. Deep dive : Needs codes to enable energy – water data sharing

9. P18002: Priority Services - UKRN visit
Needs codes to enable energy-water sharing
Needs codes underpin the collection and recording of priority services data and its transfer between data sharing participants
Initial assumption: extensive work to standardise energy sector needs codes would meet most (but probably not all) requirements for energy-water data sharing
Tested through joint water – energy project board, dedicated needs codes work stream, and 3rd sector feedback
Constructive challenge reduced number of proposed changes to minimise burden on energy sector:
No change required for 22 of 27 current needs codes
Description changes for 4 current codes
1 current code to be split into two
1 new code for water dependency

10. P18002: Priority Services - UKRN visit
Needs codes to enable energy-water sharing
The proposed changes:

11. Milestones to PSR go live in April 2020
Rob Wesley

12. P18002: Priority Services – UKRN visit
Our joint milestones – recap (1)
Dec 2018 
Water 
Water registration pilot started to test different technical solutions to sending information to the correct DNO 
Complete
Feb 2019 
Energy 
Energy registration pilot started to test technical solution(s) for DNOs to send information to the correct water company 
In progress
Mar 2019 
Water registration pilot completed and report provided to all water companies with recommendations on which approach(es) to adopt; all water companies confirm their approach 
ENA confirm agreement to change current energy sector only needs codes to meet combined energy and water requirements and make required formal submissions for these changes
May 2019 
Energy registration pilot completed and all DNOs confirm their approach to sending information to the correct water company 
July 2019 
Formal ratification of changes to needs codes to meet combined energy and water requirements
Aug 2019 
All water companies procured and installed gateway for message transfer

13. P18002: Priority Services – UKRN visit
Our joint milestones – recap (2)
Sep 2019
Both
Training materials for shadow operation, including mandatory business rules, provided to all energy network and water companies
Confirmation that energy network and water companies ready to enter shadow operation in October
Oct 2019
Start of shadow operation
Jan 2020
Lessons learnt from shadow operation shared with all companies
Feb 2020
Energy
Formal implementation of changes to needs codes to prepare for live operation
Mar 2020
Confirmation that all energy network and water companies have acted on lessons learnt from shadow and are ready for cut over from shadow to live
Apr 2020
Live operation starts; combined needs codes used consistently by water companies and DNOs, including for the two-way transfer of data between water companies and DNOs

14. Any questions?