Community health services

Tender description

Wales & West Utilities Ltd (WWU) are planning to conduct a tender for the provision of social obligation services in the coming GD2 period. In our business plan to OFGEM, we have made promises to invest GBP 500 000 per annum in additional services and support for people in vulnerable situations above our core business obligations, and to fund connections to at least 2 500 fuel poor homes to the gas network for the first time linking our funding to that of other organisations who have funding for the first-time gas central heating system and insulation measures. Through this tender we are looking to formally partner with organisations who can support us in meeting our business plan targets and commitments. The Fuel Poor Network Extension Scheme (FPNES) is a scheme agreed with Ofgem which allows gas networks to provide funding towards the first-time connection of a home to the gas network. Ofgem require us to work with approved fuel poor scheme partner of which we currently have six who generally only deal with their own gas connections. We are looking for an organisation to work with who can be the default partner to undertake eligibility checks against the FPNES criteria and to issue the vouchers required by the scheme. For example, a council may not wish to become a fuel poor partner, but the vouchers for their scheme can only be assessed and issued by a fuel poor partner. In addition, the partner will help WWU in achieving its Output targets under RIIO-GD2 by identifying opportunities for first time gas connections, linking up funding pots, and supporting bids by third parties for funding gas heating systems and other internal energy efficiency measures. We have committed to connecting at least 2 500 homes in the RIIO-GD2 period. The default partner could expect to see between 20 % and 50 % of this workload and will need to factor in that some homes assessed will not be eligible for the scheme. Our driver here is to offer a proactive, quality service to customers for the best value. WWU wants to help people out of fuel poverty by tackling the three route causes: — low household incomes, — the cost of the fuel, and — the energy efficiency of the home plus people behaviours. This will be primarily focused on existing gas users but may overlap with the fuel poor scheme or help customers who have chosen not to use gas. We will be looking for a partner to utilise a WWU fund of GBP 220 000 in the most effective way to reach as many homes as possible across our network helping to lift homes out of fuel poverty. The partners should be able to take up to 200 referrals from WWU per annum in addition to any other programme of identifying and supporting customers. Our driver here is to maximise the reach and impact of our funding of GBP 220 000. As a gas transporter, WWU operate the gas emergency service across our geography. In the event of a faulty or broken appliance, our obligation is to isolate it and make it safe. Whilst we don’t have any core funding to repair appliances, other than the supply of temporary heating and/or cooking in the form of heaters, hot plates and microwaves, we don’t, as a responsible organisation, want to leave people in cold homes, which can have serious implications on their health and wellbeing. We are therefore looking for a partner that can manage up to 200 referrals per annum. The partner should be able to work with a network of organisations that have funding to repair or replace appliances allowing the customer to be put back on to gas. We can contribute up to GBP 40 000 per annum to this funding through our hardship fund. Our driver here is to offer a service to households to get them back on gas at minimal costs to themselves and to WWU.