ESP wants to reassure all our customers that our top priority during this period of disruption is the safety and wellbeing of our customers and staff.

We have successfully implemented business continuity measures to ensure that we can continue to provide the very highest levels of service during the current pandemic.

We have adapted our working arrangements to ensure that our staff are safe and can respond to the needs of our customers. In carrying out essential works to ensure the continuity of supply on our networks the appropriate guidance on hygiene and social distancing are mandated for all our staff.

We will continue to closely monitor government guidance and will amend our practices in line with recommendations.

More details on the steps taken by ESP can be found at this link.

Our Standard of Service

Here at ESP we value the services we give to our customers. Ofgem, the industry regulator, sets guaranteed standards to ensure all Distribution Network Operators (such as us) meet customers’ needs. If we fail to meet these standards you are entitled to receive a payment.

Guaranteed Standards of Service

In line with Section 39A (5) of the Electricity Act 1989 (as amended by the Utilities Act 2000), any guaranteed standard payments you receive will not prejudice your entitlement to any other remedy or action that may be due to you because of our failure.

Sometimes the guaranteed standards may not apply, due to, events beyond our control, such as the actions of third parties, being unable to gain access to premises or our own equipment, being unable to identify the customers affected by supply interruptions and in some cases severe weather.

If any of these exemptions are invoked, we will need to demonstrate that we had taken all reasonable steps to prevent the exceptional circumstances occurring and to prevent failure. If you are supplied via a landlord’s private cable or a private network (i.e. one that is not operated under an electricity distribution licence), these standards do not apply.

How much you are eligible to claim in compensation under the Guaranteed Standards depends on many factors, including:

the cause of the outage
the amount of time you were off supply

For further information on our standards of service and a full list of the compensation payments you could be eligible for, please download an electronic copy of our Electricity Standards of Performance is available here, and our Gas Standards of Performance here.

A hard copy of our Code of Practice can be provided free of charge. Please get in touch with us to request this via our online form or call us on 01372 587 500.

You can also find further information about your rights on Ofgem’s website here.

Service	Guaranteed Standard
Electricity supply restoration: Single interruptions	If your electricity supply is cut off for 12 hours or more due to a fault on our network in ‘normal weather’, you can claim: £75 as a domestic customer. £150 as a non-domestic customer. A further £35 will be paid for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored up to a cap of £300 in total. If more than 5,000 homes are affected by a single fault, we have 24 hours to restore supplies.
Electricity supply restoration: Multiple interruptions	You can also claim £75 (both domestic and non- domestic customers) if you are cut off more than four times in a year between 1 April and 31 March for at least three hours each time.
Electricity supply restoration: severe weather	The time you are off supply before being able to claim varies according to severity of storm. This is because we will have more work to do to fix faults. Storm category 1: After 24 hours Storm category 2: After 48 hours £70 for domestic and non-domestic customers. A further £70 will be paid for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored, up to a cap of £700 in total. This applies to both storm category 1 and storm category 2
Gas supply restoration	If your gas supply is interrupted as a result of a failure, fault or damage to our pipeline system, you will be reconnected/gas will be available at your property within 24 hours. If we fail to restore supply within 24hrs, you can claim: £30 as a domestic customer, and £30 for each additional complete 24 hour you are without gas up to a maximum of £1000. £50 if you are a non-domestic customer (and your annual gas consumption does not exceed 73,200kWh), and £50 for each additional complete 24 hour you are without gas up to a maximum of £1000.
Notification in advance of planned gas supply interruptions	When we carry out planned work to replace pipes or maintain the integrity of the gas system, we may need to interrupt your gas supply. If so, we will inform you of the date we expect to interrupt you and the reason why your supply needs to be interrupted, at least 5 working days before the interruption occurs. If we fail to inform you, and you get in touch within 3 months of the interruption, you can claim: £20 as a domestic customer £50 as a non-domestic customer.

A full list of our guaranteed standards for electricity can be found here, and gas here.

Compensation

If you feel that you may be liable for compensation after any inconveniences you may have experienced, such as a power cut, please get in touch with us.

Complaints

ESP always aims to provide the highest standard of customer service. Where you do experience a problem with the level of service provided by us, we will strive to make things right as quickly as possible.

Your feedback is important to us as it helps us to improve our processes and train our staff to ensure the highest standards are met.

If you’re unhappy with the service you have received from ESP, please send us a message or call 01372 587 500. There are a few pieces of information that our customer service operatives may ask you:

Name / Company name (if applicable)
Address
Telephone number
Email address
Full site address (if different from your correspondence address)
Any reference numbers you may have previously been provided with

You will hear back from us within 24 hours of raising your complaint, and we will provide a response to your complaint within 5 working days.

If you are not satisfied with the way in which your complaint was handled or the response provided by our Customer Service team, you have the right to escalate your complaint to ESP’s Network Manager.

You can find a copy of our full complaint process here.

In the event that your complaint has been through our escalation process and you are not happy with how we’ve dealt with your complaint, there are numerous ways that you can ask for help such as getting in touch with Citizens Advice consumer service, or by seeking the assistance of Ombudsman Services.

Ombudsman Services

We will always do all we can to successfully resolve your complaint to your complete satisfaction. However, if eight weeks have passed since you raised a complaint and you believe that it remains unresolved, OR if you have been notified by ESP that there is nothing more we can do for you, you can refer to, and seek the assistance of Ombudsman Services. Ombudsman Services is an independent body who will assess your complaint. The service is free of charge and the decision made is final and binding on ESP, but not on you. You can contact them via the following methods:

Ombudsman Services: Energy
PO Box 966
Warrington
A4 9DF

Telephone: 0330 440 1624
Textphone: 0330 440 1600
Email: enquiries@os-energy.org
Website: www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy

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