Treating domestic customers fairly

What is SLC10AA (Treating Domestic Customers Fairly)?

Our role as a network operator is governed by a set of license conditions, these are called Standard License Conditions. In 2023, Ofgem, our regulator, introduced a new license condition called “Treating Domestic Customers Fairly” to ensure that as a provider of an essential service, our processes, and services we offer are fair for our customers.

We take our responsibilities towards our customers very seriously, and delivering excellent customer service is central to everything that we do. We recognise that our customers rely on us in their day-to-day lives. We operate our networks and respond to our customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

SLC10AA is a principles-based licence condition that requires electricity distributors to treat all domestic customers fairly, including vulnerable customers. It supplements other obligations on us.

What are the principles of the license condition?

There are several requirements we need to comply by as part of this condition, and these have been summarised below;

· Behave and act in a Fair, honest, transparent, appropriate and professional manner

· Providing information which is complete, accurate and not misleading

· Providing information which is communicated in an accessible format in plain and intelligible language, with more important information being given appropriate prominence

· Providing information which relates to products or services which are appropriate to Domestic Customers to whom that information is directed

· Providing information which, in terms of its content and how it is presented, does not create a material imbalance in the rights, obligations or interests

· Providing information which is sufficient to enable the Domestic Customer to make informed choices about the services provided by, or on behalf of, the licensee

· Making it easy for a Domestic Customer to contact the licensee

· Acting promptly and courteously to resolve any mistake made by the licensee or any Representative

· Ensuring that customer service arrangements are complete, thorough, fit for purpose and transparent

· During interactions with Domestic Customers, seeking to identify Domestic Customers in a Vulnerable Situation, in a manner which is effective and appropriate, having regard to different types of vulnerability including but not restricted to Priority Services Register Customers

· When applying the Standards of Conduct, doing so in a manner which takes into account any Vulnerable Situation of each Domestic Customer identified