Electricity North West

Issue

One of the UK’s Distribution Network Operators – the companies charged by Ofgem with maintaining the UK’s regional electricity infrastructure – wanted to gain an improved understanding of the priorities of electricity users in the North West. Electricity North West needed to demonstrate to stakeholders and regulators that it was heeding the views of its customers. Previous research, however, had been hampered by low awareness of the company and little understanding of its role. Additionally, Electricity North West wanted to understand the views of its elite stakeholders.

Solution

Populus designed and delivered a deliberative research programme by building the UK’s first Engaged Electricity Consumer Panel. Members of the panel, drawn exclusively from Electricity North West’s operational area and recruited to be representative of the region, were educated in the issues and challenges facing the electricity industry. Panel members were then asked to take a series of surveys, about their electricity-related concerns and priorities, and their views were further explored via focus groups. Electricity North West’s stakeholders were engaged via a regionally-focused stakeholder audit.

Outcome

Despite the public’s low level of knowledge of the issues and challenges facing the electricity industry, the Engaged Electricity Consumer Panel was able to deliver detailed guidance as to the priorities and concerns viewed as most important by their ordinary energy users. Electricity North West used the results internally, to assist in business strategy planning, and externally to make the case to regulators and stakeholders that they had a detailed understanding of end users’ needs. The stakeholder audit provided detailed, actionable, recommendations for press and corporate affairs teams. Populus has been commissioned to conduct a repeat-exercise addressing new issues.