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| Welcome to your stakeholder update | December is in full swing, festive jumpers are being spotted around the depots, mince pies are being eaten, but we're still hard at work here at Electricity North West, as ever, all year round...
At the start of December our colleagues and customers battled two weather events as treacherous conditions hit the North West. Across the two incidents, which saw snow and then rain and strong winds hit the region, engineers restored power to more than 30,000 properties across two consecutive weekends.
In response to both events, engineers carried out repair work, along with hundreds of non-operational colleagues supporting customers affected by the power cuts with proactive phone calls and, in some instances, house-calls. You can read more about the events on our news pages here. There are more details of how we're supporting customers this winter below.
Our Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey will launch in the new year. The engagement Electricity North West has with you and other stakeholders is vital to how strategic decisions are made within the business. To help us improve and engage with you better we would like you to share your views on our approach and experience with us.
Our award-winning apprenticeship programme is now open with 45 roles available. Do you know someone who wants to join us? The window is now open, more details below.
There's still an opportunity to apply for our Autumn Flexibility Tender. You could earn additional income by providing us with capacity when we need it to help manage the network. The commercial pre-qualification deadline 19th January.
We also have an update form the Connections team along with a roundup of the latest news.
In this month's newsletter...
On behalf of the Stakeholder Engagement Team and everyone at Electricity North West, we would like to wish you all a very happy holiday period and all the best to you and yours in the year to come. We look forward to seeing you all in 2024! | | | Supporting customers this winter. We’ve committed to helping customers by investing more than £300,000 in partnerships with charities and organisations throughout the region | |  | Families and individuals can get free confidential advice, energy efficiency tips and access to funding support with targeted help for those who are older or have health issues. We’re encouraging people to reach out and join our Extra Care register this winter for free support. We’re on hand 24/7 for anyone who needs us for extra care or to report a power cut and we’re encouraging you to join us in promoting this service to your stakeholders and customers. You can download our social media pack here with posts and assets to share across your channels. Don’t forget to tag us in your posts!
You can also view the full list of Extra Care partnerships available across the North West here. | | |  | | Take part in our Autumn Flexibility Services tender! Earn revenue by providing flexible capacity to Electricity North West during peak times to help manage constraints on the network | | Commercial pre-qualification deadline: 19 January
Technical pre-qualification deadline: 26 January
Bidding window: 12-23 February
Our Autumn tender asks flexibility providers for 413MW of flexibility in 29 locations across Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester between 2024-28, with up to £7m available for the provision of these services. This procurement round is taking place on the PicloFlex platform and potential providers are encouraged to visit the platform and complete company qualification by 19 January 2024.
Full details of our Autumn requirements including postcodes, delivery windows, capacity requirements, response type (product) and ceiling price are available to view for each zone on our website and on Piclo.
If you have any questions regarding this tender, or about flexible services in general, please get in touch with our team at flexible.contracts@enwl.co.uk or book in for a complimentary one-to-one discussion to discuss the process of providing flexible services to the network. | | |  | | You're invited to take part in our Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey this January | | Next month we will launch our fourth annual stakeholder satisfaction survey. The engagement Electricity North West has with its stakeholders is vital to how strategic decisions are made within the business and we would like you to share your views on our approach and experience with us.
Since we launched the survey in 2020, our stakeholder satisfaction has increased from 71% to around 78%. Stakeholders have highlighted several areas for improvement, which we have listened to and updated our approach. To learn more about what we have heard and what we did, visit our website here.
Engaging with our stakeholders enables us to better serve our customers by understanding current and future needs and expectations. It helps us to identify opportunities to improve our services and business performance, manage uncertainty and risk and deliver greater value to our customers.
The survey will launch on 8th January 2024 and will remain open until early February. To thank you for participating we will again be making a £5 charitable donation to a charity you select from a list provided at the end of the survey.
We hope you will take the time to complete the survey so we can take every reasonable step to ensure our engagement programme is both meaningful and inclusive and that participation is mutually beneficial. | | | | Record number of green apprenticeship roles available | |  | We’ve launched our 2024 apprenticeship programme with 45 roles up for grabs. Roles available throughout the region include roles focused on maintaining and upgrading underground power cables and overhead lines, along with cyber security, design engineers and vehicle maintenance technicians. There are also wider IT roles including network engineers and testers along with a role in the telecommunications team.
Since launching back in 2007, more than 230 apprentices have been trained and developed by Electricity North West. 17 of the new roles will be based out of Greater Manchester, 12 will be based across Cumbria and 10 in Lancashire. Six more of the roles have the flexibility to be based in either Lancashire or Greater Manchester-based depots. The programme offers candidates the ability to earn while they learn, with a competitive salary, holidays and pension scheme. Apprentices will receive support from a mentor throughout the programme with learning opportunities and support to achieve a Level 3 or Level 4 apprenticeship. For more information and to apply visit www.enwl.co.uk/careers. | | |  | | Electricity North West scoops award at CIPR Pride North West Awards | | Our communications and stakeholder engagement teams won the 'In-house PR team of the Year gold award' at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Pride North West awards.
The awards celebrate public relations success in ten regions and nations around the UK and we were recognised for the work of our internal, external and stakeholder teams over the past two years including our annual winter awareness campaign. | | | | Ofgem and DESNZ announce joint Connections Action Plan | Ofgem and the government have released a Connections Action Plan aiming to make getting connected to the electricity grid quicker, supporting projects crucial for reaching net zero. Delays in connecting important projects to the grid are happening, in part owing to network capacity and an outdated connections process. The government action plan asks businesses and the energy sector to speed up connections, making rules stronger. It also suggests customers should be realistic and flexible in what they need.
The goal is to make the process fairer and faster for everyone. There's a new way to manage the waiting list for connections, ensuring that stalled projects use their spot or risk losing it. A new Connections Delivery Board led by Ofgem will supervise this plan's implementation.
For more information click here. | | | ESO (Electricity System Operator) Connections Reform: Improving Customer Experience | The ESO is addressing challenges in its connections application process through the GB Connections Reform project. It proposes to prioritise its customers and stakeholders, forming a part of its long-term vision for process enhancement.
The ESO has published its final recommendations and summary on 5 December 2023. It will now start a detailed process design and implementation phase, to conclude in January 2025. Its recommendations including moving to application windows for applications over 100MW. | | | Technical Limits update | The energy industry, under ENA's guidance, has established the Strategic Connections Group. This group is dedicated to improving the connection process within Distribution and Transmission networks, aiming for quicker connections. Starting November 2023, the ESO (Electricity System Operator) introduced Technical Limits at Grid Supply Points allowing earlier non-firm and uncompensated connections ahead of the associated wider system upgrades.
Projects contracted for connection in areas with pending transmission works now have a chance for earlier connection. Specifically, we've reached out to customers with connection offers at the first five Grid Supply points where Technical Limits can be applied. These customers were invited to expedite their connection date via an 'Expression of Interest' and to attend a webinar held on 14 November. Responses indicate that over 1,100MW are interested in seeking an earlier connection date and we will be working with these customers in the new year to progress these. | | | Work completed at Lancashire’s first net zero substation | A multimillion-pound project which is powering the ongoing development of Samlesbury Enterprise Zone has been completed.
Engineers from Electricity North West carried out the final electricity connections at the Sir Frederick Page Way substation earlier this month.
The £7.5m project has seen a new 33,000-volt net zero substation installed to power the zone. The substation itself uses power from 91 solar panels to self-sufficiently run the electrical switchgear and lighting - the first of its kind in Lancashire.
Around 10km of new underground cables have also been installed to almost double the network capacity and power the rapidly expanding Samlesbury area. | | | Working together for net zero planning and delivery | | Produced by the ENA Whole Energy Systems Group (which includes DNOs and GNOs members) and Regen, this report was launched on 4 December 2023 by ENA, with the aim to push content out across channels for the two weeks following the launch. This report sets out how local authorities and energy networks work together to plan and deliver net zero and outlines potential next steps on how to foster further collaboration. Read the report here. | | | Go Electric Greater Manchester: Helping Greater Manchester Businesses Understand EVs | To achieve Greater Manchester's net zero and air quality goals, we need more electric vehicles on our roads and the charging infrastructure to support them. So, ‘Bee Net Zero,’ of which Electricity North West are a key partner, is calling on businesses to help and ‘Go Electric.’
Bee Net Zero partners have come together to help you understand the transition to Electric Vehicles. By signposting you to guides, financial support, advice and the honest opinions of our board members, your business can get the support you need to start your EV journey with confidence.
Go Electric Greater Manchester. Start your organisation’s EV journey today. Visit www.beenetzero.co.uk/electric-vehicles to learn more. | | | Electricity North West supports Greater Manchester in Japan Mission | The visit involved the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Economy Lead, Beverley Craig, leading a delegation of public, private and higher education sector representatives on a visit to Osaka and Tokyo, joined by the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Japan, Greg Clark MP, including: Electricity North West, MIDAS, Marketing Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, The University of Manchester, Halle, Manchester Airport Group, Daikin, Deloitte, City Football Group, SSE Energy Solutions
The delegation engaged with Japanese political leaders, trade officials, and businesses throughout the week, aiming to celebrate and strengthen bi-lateral ties in diplomacy trade and investment, net zero and innovation, culture and sport.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority have designed a brochure to mark the occasion that can be viewed here. | |
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