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November 2024 After a great deal of work over a number of years and hitting up against heavy bureaucracy, red-tape and at times – obstructive behaviour from a National water company, we are pleased to report that Ofwat has determined in our favour. This brings to an end an ongoing battle for Customer service and should assist all Customers of said water company in the future. September 2024 What a way to start September, in one week a draft determination from Ofwat in our favour and confirmation from Ofgem that they are to progress two formal determination requests against the same DNO on our behalve and also on behalve of all the thousands of Customers suffering poor service. July 2024 With a view to driving improved Customer service, we attended the AGM of one of UK's DNO's and we remain hopeful the action will result in improved Customer service for all Customers. March 2024 A 57 page report was submitted to Ofgem calling for Enforcement action in a DNO in regard their performance in the area of New Connections. February 2024 A total of five seperate determinations requests submitted to Ofgem regarding the dreadful performance of one DNO, this has happened after years of stakeholder engagement where said DNO appears to have failed (our view) to engage effectively. Further representations are planned as we simply cannot standby and watch Customers be treated in such a way. February 2024 After several years of discussions with a major water company in UK and in association with Ofwat, we have been invited by Ofwat to submit a formal determination. December 2023 After our actions in April 2023, various meetings including with senior staff and repsentation at the companies AGM we find service continues to be not only dreadful but also breeches both reguations and licence conditions (our view). With a view to addressing this for the benift of all Customers, we have formally asked for the assistance of Ofgem by way of 5 seperate determination requests. We feel such poor service should not be tolerated and hope Ofgem will be able to correct this situation for all Customers. August 2023 After a period of several years of representations to a major water company and with the help of Ofwat, the water company in question has finally recognised the poor service standard they are providing and the incorrect regularatory reporting and are taking steps to change processes to recognise same. This should bring about improvements not just for Customers of UCSM Ltd. but also a wider circle of Customers. April 2023 After a period of what can best be described as dreadful service from a new connections business at one of UK main Distribution Network Operators, a 42 page report submitted highlighting not only service issues but regularatory discrepancies. February 2023 After several years of discussions and claims in regard Guaranteed Standards failures in regard a single water company in the UK and after seeking a view from the regulator - Ofwat, we are pleased to receive formal notification from the regulator that they share our view on the matter. This should bring about improved standards of service for Customers of all water companies across the UK and in particular this water company who has in the past deemed it acceptable to ignore such regulations at the detriment of Customers. February 2023 Representations made to Energy Regulator Ofgem in terms of performance of new connections business at one of UK main Distribution Network Operators. November 2022 Representations made to Energy Regulator Ofgem in terms of credibility as Ofgem makes announcements about performance of suppliers which we feel does not accurately reflect the view of the general public. July 2022 Greater London Authority announce capacity restrictions for future electrical connections in the SSEN area of West London which will have a potentially significate impact of developments in the area. To our knowledge, the only time this has occurred before in recent history is in the Cornwall and Devon area which was directly related to export capacity only. We watch with interest as this situation develops. July 2022 Following representations from UCSM Ltd. to Ofwat and after several years where one particular water company repeatedly failed appointments for new connections work and failed to accept such failures and a Guaranteed Standard failure, we find Ofwat taking a similar view to UCSM Ltd. which should impact on all Customers (not just new connection Customers) in the said water company. It may have taken years to arrive at this point but we think it is worth it. March 2022 Following representations from UCSM Ltd. UK Distribution Network Operator changes its stance and terminology for Customers in regard BNO systems, ironically it is the same Network Operator who has been historically very slow to make such changes. February 2022 UK Distribution Network Operator engages external agency to clarify their legal position in regard Guarenteed Standards following UCSM Ltd. highlighting a potential issue with their existing interpretation. August 2021 We approached a major Water network operator, asking them to introduce voluntary Guaranteed Standard payments for failed appointments similar to Energy Industry - mainly because they appears to frequently fail appointments! July 2021 We approached Ofcom to try and resolve interpritation issue of recent amendments to Communication Act which appears to create a major disadvantage to some developments. June 2021 Strong signals coming from ofgem that upstream reinforcements cost are likly to be removed for demand Customers. Customers advised accordingly and DNO's preparing for a potential "bow wave" of applications. March 2021 Englands largest electrical DNO is purchased by an existing UK network operator raising concerns in regard Customer services levels. UCSM Ltd. protects historical Customers from having DNO networks in their developments being declared as BNO systems and shifting burden of responcibility to maintain them from the DNO to the Customers concerned. February 2021 All DNO's across UK being consulted to enable a change to be brought about with National Database which will improve accuracy for all Customers after justification presented and justified by UCSM Ltd. January 2021 After many years of engagement with a large gas network operator in UK and many different levels including Director level and with very low levels of success, we are pleased to report that real engagement now appears to be taking place and changes being put in place that not only helps Customers of UCSM Ltd. but also Customers in general. This does indicate persistence does pay off! November 2020 UCSM Ltd engage with Xoserve to drive improvements in database visability and accuracy. UK Government annouce all new cares to be non internal combustion engine from 2030 and all new houses from 2023 cannot have gas boilers - creating a massive impact on the UK electrical energy network. April 2020 UCSM Ltd submit summary of issues experenced with Elecrical DNO's during 2019 to Ofgem for consideration into next review period along with request for removal of targets in terms of time to connection and time to quote as these are creating more headaches for Customers than benefits. March 2020 England along with most of the world hit by Covid - 19 virus and all non-urgent utility works stopped as the UK face significant emergency crisis. January 2020 UCSM Ltd. approach Customer Engagement Group of one Gas Network Operator (who in our opinion needs to make many improvements in terms of Customer service) with a view of assisting with Customer service improvements - we feel their response (or lack of) will define their desire to improve. Ironically, after our reports over last four months in regard Guaranteed Standards, Ofgem publish a report suggesting all DNO's performed well in this area. November 2019 After several months of discussions with a DNO in regard a complex matter relating to charges, the matter was referred to the Energy Ombudsman who after some going back and forth, ruled on side of the DNO. After further discussions with the DNO, the DNO has now conceded the matter and have indicated they believe on balance the view of UCSM was correct. We guess the moral to the story is to be persistant. We are now keen to work with the DNO to help avoid similar situations in the future which should benefit all Customers. UCSM Ltd. recover largest GSoP compensation for single Guaranteed Standard failure to date of 1685 although it would be fair to say the DNO concerned did not see it our way initially - again! UCSM Ltd. selected to represent Customers on an Ofgem working group for RIIO-ED2 in relation to Customer Service, Vulnerability and Connections. We have indicated there are still bad performance across the board and discrepancies between different DNO s. October 2019 UCSM Ltd. Stress need for greater focus on Customer Service by DNO's to Ofgem in preparation for RIIO-ED2. By way of an update - the scheme quoted by a DNO's for 109k back in August has now been revised to just over 24k - less than a quarter of the original quote! UCSM Ltd. attend first Cadent Gas Customer Advisory Panel in London - an initiative we have been pressing Cadent Gas to take for many years - this should result in service improvements across the whole of Cadent Gas area. UCSM Ltd. recover largest GSoP compensation for single Guaranteed Standard failure to date of 1105 although it would be fair to say the DNO concerned did not see it our way initially. September 2019 UCSM Ltd. take lead in breaking new ground to encourage an existing water company to discharge (via a bulk discharge agreement) into a new entrants water company waste network despite a fair degree of reluctance. UCSM Ltd. are one of a small number of businesses invited to meet with Cadent Gas with a view to improving Customer service. August 2019 Ironically, the same electricity company (DNO) who appeared to overcharge back in June this year appears to have done it again - a proposed charge of 109K for ten new supplies to flats! Upon further investigation, they have allowed for the wrong number of units and the wrong proposed load (a load of 3 times higher than what was asked for) suggesting Customers are right to have low levels of confidence in some utility companies. July 2019 Meeting with Cadent Gas to talk specifically about Customer Service, UCSM Ltd again trying to raise bar for Customers. June 2019 After much effort, UCSM Ltd. manage to facilitate ground breaking discussions between an established water company and a new entrant so as to provide a combined solution to the benefit of an end Customer. Just when we thought some electricity companies were improving we had a quote for a single new LV service for over 14k and when challanged, it was reduced to just under 4k - a potential overcharge of 10k on one services! Of course, our Customer only receives the quote we recommend. We wonder how many people would have paid the 14k initial quote.... May 2019 Meeting with Cadent Gas at City Hall, London and as expected, Customer Services was top of agenda for UCSM Ltd to raise. |
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