Michelle Simpson, Contract and Procurement Manager, ElectraLink
On Tuesday 5th June, we hosted the second Theft Best Practice Forum, on behalf of SPAA and DCUSA, to an engaged crowd who really enjoyed the location which was the Amba Hotel. (Thanks so much to the Amba for its fantastic customer service and for enabling ElectraLink to repeatedly host there; our events there are always very well received).
I’ve facilitated this event twice myself, and I have to say that this one surpassed my expectations. Attendee numbers had grown, but what struck me was the sense that everyone recognised collaboration as key to achieving best practice and the best possible outcomes, regardless of whether they came from a small, large or brand-new organisation.
The Energy Theft Code of Practice requires all regulated energy companies to establish and follow guidelines that increase protection for consumers, and there is a framework of approved industry committees and groups, where members meet regularly to improve theft processes. The Best Practice forum not only exists to improve understanding of the theft regime, but attendees provide valuable feedback to other groups which enables further improvements to be progressed. Like our peers in the sector, we have been committed to continually improving performance, and I firmly believe events like this one help us to do this.
Theft is not a new topic, nor is the requirement for good industry theft arrangements, but if ElectraLink gains something from the event, and learns something new, which we always do, it is likely that other attendees are learning too. It is this sharing of knowledge and expertise that drives the industry forward. These events allow members not only to learn more about the topic, and from each other, but better ways to handle challenging situations and circumstances, based on best practice scenarios.
Of course, there is always the opportunity to network and to enjoy time with colleagues, business partners and friends in the business.
We had a jam-packed agenda for a schedule which ran from 10 am to 5 pm, but with good reason, with quality presentations from Xoserve, UKPN, Experian and ElectraLink on topics which included:
- National Revenue Protection Service
- Industry theft data flows and reporting
- How the TRAS works in detail
- Gas & Electricity Theft Detection Incentive schemes
- Supplier escalation processes.
The feedback from the event continues to be really positive and useful, providing us with beneficial information and feedback to pass back to the Theft Steering Group (TSG) and other theft groups. We are discussing arrangements for the next session with the TSG, and are really looking forward to the next session. If you would like to attend or have any questions about it, please feel free to get in touch with the GS team via [email protected].