RWG Good Practice Alignment

Our approach exceeds the good practice guide in the following areas:

Type of allowance offered:

• Good Practice Guide: Sewerage allowance only
• UU approach: Sewerage allowance and Water allowance (One internal and one external water allowance per customer per property)

How long the retailer has to apply for allowance:

• Good  Practice Guide: 6 months from date of repair
• UU approach: 12 months from date of repair

How many allowances can be requested:

• Good Practice Guide: One sewerage allowance in any 24 month period
• UU approach: No limit on sewerage allowances where the customer demonstrates that the leaked water did not return to the United Utilities’ sewer

We provide a service which is different than that stated in the good practice guide in the following areas*.

• Good  Practice Guide: Mandates the use of web and social media for all planned events (D1, D2 & 3)
• UU approach: use of web and social media dependant on the nature and impact of the planned works.

• Good Practice Guide : Use of ‘portal push notifications’ to NHH customers (D1, D2 & 3)
• UU approach: No push notifications to customers directly as we don’t hold customer contact information for this purpose. All notifications are provided to the retailer for onward communication.

• Good Practice Guide : Wholesaler ‘Pop Up’ campaigns and Public Consultations for all D1 events
• UU approach: UU will utilise these when appropriate, but not all D1 events will require this level of communication.

We provide a service which is different than that stated in the good practice guide in the following areas:

Charge to exchange a non-loggable meter

• Good Practice Guide: No charge if the meter is more than 15 years old. Quote provided if less than 15years old (unless meter due for proactive exchange within six months)

UU Approach:

• Meters 40mm and under will be exchanged free of charge if over 15 years old
• Meters 50mm and above will be recharged unless identified for pro-active exchange

Third party request to exchange a damaged meter

• Good Practice Guide: Third Party notifies Wholesaler direct
• UU Approach: Requests must come from the registered retailer

Wholesaler to re-attach logger following exchange of a meter

• Good Practice Guide: Wholesaler re-attaches logger within 22 business days
• UU Approach: As UU personnel may not be trained with regards to the specific equipment the logger device/pulse unit will be left within the cabinet/chamber or safe place for the owner of the equipment to reconnect

Our approach exceeds the good practice guide in the following areas:

Planning to disconnect

• Good practice guide: Retailer or Accredited Entity contacts the wholesaler via email listing the SPID's customer name and address that may be disconnected. The Retailer or Accredited Entity will only raise form I/01 if a property actually gets disconnected
• UU approach: We do not require any of the up-front notifications from the Accredited Entity unless they are to undertake a physical disconnection.