Transforming approaches to 'vulnerability' in a large energy company: a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Dr. Ed Hall Dr. Irena Connon Prof. Thilo Kroll
Our strategic priorities Ensure that addressing customer vulnerability is at the heart of our business strategy, our culture, our policies and all of our services Identify and respond to customer vulnerability timeously and with empathy
Keep the distribution costs of our customers’ electricity bills as low as possible
Deliver an accessible and empathetic service to our Priority Services Register (PSR) customers Support those who become temporarily vulnerable during a power cut
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) • Knowledge exchange project partnership between University of Dundee and Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) 2014-2016 • SSEN responsible for keeping the power on in northern Scotland and large area of southern England • Severe weather > power outages • How to best respond to the needs of vulnerable people affected by power outages • SSEN works in partnership with a range of agencies • Ofgem regulator and House of Commons Select Committee (2013) • > Need to transform approaches to ‘vulnerability’
Project phases Identification
Development
Implementation, Iteration and Dissemination
Training and Embedding of Knowledge
Key Finding 1: Rethinking what it means to be vulnerable during a storm event Human vulnerability during extreme weather events is a product of a complex array of interconnections that vary across space and time Human Vulnerability to Extreme Weather Physical Environment Immediate surrounding built environment Social Environment Cultural Norms and Values Political Environment Economic Situation Length of Residence Situational 'daily' Factors Specific Weather Event
Each of the individual factors changes over time to produce a unique, place-based, individual experience during each extreme weather event
Key Finding 2: Contested spaces, diverse places: the complex spatial dynamics of vulnerability • The spatial dynamics of human vulnerability during power outages in storms is more complex than can be accounted for by a simple rural/urban, Scotland/England binary • As rural environments have changed over the past 30 years, the more the residents vary in their abilities to cope during emergency events, and in their preferences for engagement with the types of support available to mitigate the risks to well-being
Key Finding 3: Significance of cultural norms for understanding and mitigating vulnerability • Deeply-embedded cultural norms regarding asking and offering assistance and the sharing of personal details have a significant impact on human vulnerability and the mitigation of vulnerability during storms and power outages • Understanding these norms is key to understanding why and/or why not community resilience initiatives can be both successful and limited in success. They can also make it difficult to determine via a simple telephone call if a person is at risk of vulnerability • These norms differ from place to place, between different generations, and change over the course of time while retaining certain core features
SSEN’s understanding of ‘vulnerability’ transformed… “Our Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Dundee has really helped us understand vulnerability” “We now think about customers in vulnerable situations, rather than simply ‘vulnerable customers’, because we realise that while people may be vulnerable for long periods of time, for example due to physical or mental health difficulties, vulnerability is often transient. It can depend on the situation people find themselves in. A hale and hearty 30 year old can be vulnerable if they suddenly find themselves jobless and struggling financially. A confident young student can be vulnerable if they are just out of hospital. A wealthy retired executive can be vulnerable after the loss of their spouse. A family can be vulnerable when they bring a new baby home. We know that life events, cultural beliefs, the urgency of the situation and even complex emotions like pride can make people vulnerable, especially in a power cut. And whole communities can be vulnerable if a storm hits and the power goes off” (Jennifer McGregor, Head of Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, SSEN)
Implementing and embedding transformation in SSEN • SSEN adopts a proactive approach • Communication: more clearly and at the right time • Developing and implementing the ‘SSEN Toolkit’ to drive the process of transformation • Training of SSEN company staff, e.g. at call centre staff and people with mental health issues • Communication of findings to partner organisations, to build common understanding • Communicating findings to specific communities and at wider public engagement events
Vulnerability mapping: helping SSEN tailor and target support