Sycous Experts Navigating the Energy Crisis for Both Client and Consumer
We have all seen the news, scrolled for constant updates, and are individually dealing with the problems caused by an energy crisis and increase in energy costs.
Unfortunately, as those reading this are probably aware, heat networks will not be immune from the energy crisis.
Current challenges for heat networks mainly focus on Primary Utility Tariffs. Historically… rates have been lower, but will we see higher costs passed through in the future given the current situation? The unfortunate answer is quite possibly!
There are also challenges around the help available to heat network residents. The Government’s recent announcement of a £9.1 billion package of support to help households with rising energy bills mostly excludes heat network consumers. Will there be future legislation to protect households from rising cost? We’ll have to wait and see…
On top of this, heat service agreements will need to be reviewed. This legal agreement between the supplier and consumer will most likely have been agreed historically and may include terms around price increases, such as the frequency at which suppliers may be allowed to change prices and cap increases. It’s vital that suppliers know what the tariff should be and consider any previous over/under collection. The Sycous team can help with this via our Tariff Management Service.
Residents living on heat networks also might not be expecting an increase to their bills. There’s a huge misconception that heat networks are protected from this increase, which is unfortunately not the case. The consistent messaging from the industry to consumers has always been ‘heat networks are environmentally friendlier’ and ‘heat networks provide a better economic value’, but consumers might not accept that message in the current climate.
The challenge for our experts now is to navigate this crisis in a fair and transparent way for both clients and consumers.
“We work closely with our clients to provide a proactive response to the energy crisis that realigns their communication strategies.”
Emma Paton, Director of Operations
At Sycous we believe that you never have to be alone in solving your metering and billing issues. Now more so than ever!
Our team are on hand to help organisations through every step for their metering and billing journey. Our Tariff Management Service is crucial for our clients to recover costs fairly and demonstrate value to consumers. We help organisations setting up their tariff, making recommendations and ensuring they are aware of industry best practices. We’ll also help to review tariff strategies every 6 months to ensure organisations are covering their costs.
Our onboarding team provide a structure that’s ready to help local authorities and housing associations face the challenges of the energy crisis. During any onboarding process our team will assist organisations with identifying and managing vulnerable residents and ensure documentation, welcome packs and digital engagement are tailored and suitable for all. We are serious about our duty of care with regards to safeguarding and vulnerable users, which is why we maintain a Priority Services Register, in line with Heat Trust rules.
We also believe knowledge sharing and education is key. We recognise that the social housing sector still faces challenges in relation to knowledge and skills gap for heat networks and private utility networks. Our latest webinar ‘Managing the Impact of Energy Prices on Heat Network Tariffs’ provides a complete breakdown of the current crisis, how heat networks are affected and how organisations can best create a communication strategy to manage tariff increases.
“Many of our clients have had concerns about communicating tariff increases but we provide expert advice for navigating changes and support every step of the way.”
Angie Cierpka, Onboarding Manager
Our proactive response leads straight into our Sycous Managed Service offering. Our mySycous Customer Support Team are frequently asked 3 main questions at the moment:
Who decides what my tariff and charges will be?
How do I claim warm home discount or winter fuel allowance?
And the big one… Can I switch suppliers?
Which is probably a common question for most of us.
The key messages our support team always aim to get across are:
NUMBER 1
Ensure consumers understand: What Is a heat network? What is a private utility network? What are the main differences when it comes to tariffs? And how will heat networks be affected by the energy crisis? Our latest mySycous videos ‘What is a Heat Network?’ and ‘What is a Tariff?’ help to educate and empower consumers to manage their utility account effectively. Our recent mySycous blog Will my heat network tariff be affected by the energy crisis? aims to prepare consumers for the reality they may be faced with.
NUMBER 2
We talk about their metering solution and the fact that they are only billed for what they use using meter reads taken straight from their heat meter. This leads into discussion on being able to monitor efficiencies in the system using accurate and timely data. We know this is a large component when it comes to collating efficiency statistics about the network, and this directly feeds into how high or low a consumer tariff can be in contrast to the commercial tariff as losses on the network can be a large factor if the network is very inefficient.
NUMBER 3
In discussing efficiencies, we circle back round to the metering solution, the heating controls, and how consumers can benefit by making smart consumption choices. Small things like making sure windows are closed properly, thermostats are set and monitored at the correct temperature, and heating controls are switched off during void tenancy periods. We aim to provide clear communication and instructions on how to make best use of the system. This is a great example of handing knowledge to consumers and empowering them to effect change by using the network efficiently, and therefore driving the price down.
Unfortunately, we are collectively engaging in what is to become a new normal for energy pricing.
We will see many more private utility networks with the boom in heat technology and in electric vehicle charging, and now is the time to make sure we are prepared for these conversations, and we have the information to hand when our consumers need it. To learn more about our approach to communicating tariff changes to residents view our latest webinar ‘Managing the Impact of Energy Prices on Heat Network Tariffs’.
“Our support team work closely with the onboarding team, data team and projects team to provide a positive and practical response to looking after residents and helping alleviate their worries”
Hannah Abbas-Lodge, Support Manager
“I speak to residents every day that have questions about their utility supply, I find that spending the time to explain everything about someone’s account can reduce the obvious frustration people might be feeling but they definitely need more support, especially when moving into a property”
Lara Debresteli, Customer Support Co-ordinator
Sycous are proud to once again be sponsoring this year’s District Heating Divas Conference!
Our session on ‘The Customer Experience: Home truths, harsh realities’ will provide a platform for group discussion and different perspectives, including heat network residents, heat network service providers and heat network industry decision makers. We will discuss what are their experiences of dealing with/being a heat network customer and what lessons and best practice can we share with others?!
“I love being a part of the District Heating Divas! It’s great we can work together across the industry and collectively face challenges and address issues such as fuel poverty”
Odessa Ahmed, Business Development Manager (odessa.ahmed@sycous.com)
This year you will be able to catch the Sycous team’s sponsored session at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, 28th April in-person at the District Heating Divas Conference.
Find more about us online: sycous.com and connect with us in the sponsors’ section of the online conference platform Whova.
Sign up for this year’s conference here.