Standards Of Service 2005

The following Standards Of Service have been compiled to reflect the performance of the company against several measured criteria during the calendar year 2005. All figures and statements of fact are a snapshot as at 1st January 2006 and may have altered in the period since.

Natural gas is now available to over 241,000 properties across the Phoenix Natural Gas licence area. Customer growth has been significant, growing in 2005 to over 91,000 customers. In 2005, nearly 300 new connections were made every week.

Natural gas customers have benefited from competitive prices, special services for older and disabled customers under the Energy Care Scheme and the provision of energy efficiency advice to keep bills as low as possible.

Natural gas customers continue to be energy efficient. The average domestic consumption has reduced by 3% during 2005 to 14,900 kWh a year.

The conversion to natural gas removed over 8,700 tonnes of Sulphur Dioxide and around 277,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide from the local atmosphere in 2005 alone. These environmental benefits will continue and increase as customer numbers rise further.

Phoenix Natural Gas Supply offers customers a range of payment methods. To date, over 38,000 customers have chosen to install Pay As You Go (PAYG) meters, one fifth of these being installed in 2005. PAYG is an excellent budgeting tool that provides customers with added choice and more control over their gas consumption.

Phoenix Natural Gas Supply is committed to delivering a high quality service to its customers. The basis upon which our performance is measured is the company’s service standards. The targets themselves have been fully endorsed by the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation and the General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, the consumer body responsible with representing the interests of gas consumers, in accordance with conditions 2.9 and 3.16 of our licence.

The following is a list of our standards and performance levels applicable to domestic customers:

1. Customer Contact – Telephone Answering

Standard of Service: We will endeavour to answer all calls promptly.

Performance: We have maintained our call handling resource over the year with an improved level of customer contact response times.

2. Customer Contact – Customer Correspondence

Standard of Service: Written correspondence will receive a reply within ten working days. Correspondence may be responded to by telephone unless a written response is requested.

Planned Performance: 90.0%

Actual Achieved: 98.6% 

3A. Customer Complaints – Complaints

Standard of Service: All complaints, whether made in person, by telephone, in writing, or otherwise will be recorded and classified.

Performance: All customer contacts have been recorded and classified.

3B. Customer Complaints – Complaints

Standard of Service: Complainants will receive a full response to their complaint within 10 days, where applicable.

Planned Performance: 85.0%

Actual Achieved: 98.1%

4. Connection – Requests for Connection

Standard of Service: Where gas is available, connection will be offered to you within 15 working days of you accepting the quotation for connection.

Planned Performance: 85.0%

Actual Achieved: 99.2%

5. Responding to Gas Emergencies – Uncontrolled Gas Escapes

Standard of Service: Uncontrolled gas escapes will be attended to within one hour of being notified to Phoenix Natural Gas. An uncontrolled gas escape is where it cannot be ascertained that the gas escape is controlled, which is when the meter control valve has been turned off this has stopped the gas escape.

Planned Performance: 95.0%

Actual Achieved: 98.2%

6. Responding to Gas Emergencies – Controlled Gas Escapes

Standard of Service: Controlled gas escapes will be attended to within two hours of being notified to Phoenix Natural Gas.

Planned Performance: 95.0%

Actual Achieved: 98.8%

7. Phoenix Energy Care – Energy Care Register

Standard of Service: Phoenix will maintain and promote the Phoenix Energy Care Register for our customers who are older (60 years or over), disabled or chronically sick.

Performance: Phoenix promotes the Phoenix Energy Care Scheme on its billing literature and this website. All staff are trained to promote the Energy Care Scheme.

8. Phoenix Energy Care – Gas Disconnection

Standard of Service: Phoenix Natural Gas will provide alternative heating and cooking facilities where a gas supply has to be disconnected for safety reasons to a customer who is disabled, chronically sick or of pensionable age and who lives alone, or shares the premises with other persons in the same categories, or with a minor.

Planned Performance: 90.0%

Actual Achieved: 100.0%

9. Phoenix Energy Care – Phoenix Energy Care Scheme

Standard of Service: For those customers who are registered on the Phoenix Energy Care Scheme, who qualify for and have arranged a free gas safety check, Phoenix will arrange to carry out the free gas safety check within 28 days of receiving the request.

Planned Performance: 90.0%

Actual Achieved: 93.0%

10. Energy Efficiency – Reducing Your Bill

Standard of Service: As a major energy provider Phoenix has a duty to promote the efficient use of our product. We will do this by training relevant staff, by offering free energy efficiency advice to customers and promoting energy efficiency to customers and potential customers.

Performance: New staff, are provided with energy efficiency advice as part of their Induction Training. Staff are also provided with specific energy efficiency training and supporting literature throughout the year. Energy Efficiency information is provided on the back of every bill.

11. Restoration of Gas Supply – Within 24 Hours

Standards of Service: Following the disconnection of a domestic customer’s gas supply due to a fault in the network, the transportation business will restore, on the basis of reasonable practicality, the domestic customer’s supply within twenty-four hours.

Planned Performance: 90.0%

Actual Achieved: 100.0%

12. Meter Reading – Statement of Account

Standard of Service: Phoenix Natural Gas will provide a statement of account at least once a year for standard credit and direct debit customers based on an actual meter reading. This may be a read provided by the customer or a read carried out by a Phoenix meter reader.

Planned Performance: 95.0%

Actual Achieved: 97.5%

 

For more details about these standards, copies of Phoenix Natural Gas’s Standards of Service leaflet can be obtained by telephoning Phoenix Natural Gas on 08454 55 55 55* or by writing to:

Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd
197 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED

 

*Calls cost from 3p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary.