Consumer Vulnerability

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Our Strategy

We are committed to reaching out to all consumers and the trusted organisations that represent them. As such our strategy has been developed with stakeholders and is firmly embedded into our business, our systems, and our processes.

Our approach to consumer vulnerability is based on the following principles

1. Understanding the needs of our customers 
2. Using data to deliver tailored support
3. Partnership and collaborative working to help deliver services 
4. Embedding knowledge and learnings and sharing best practice
5. Tracking performance against KPIs to ensure our efforts remain effective

Each year our Consumer Vulnerability strategy is reviewed by our strategic panels to ensure it continues to meet the developing needs of our customers.  Our key stakeholder-led objectives are below

Expand on fuel poverty and energy efficiency activities

We are proud members, and supporters, of fuel poverty organisations National Energy Action and Energy Action Scotland.  We also work with multiple partners to provide energy efficiency advice and practical help both over the phone and in person. 

Through this network of partners, we helped over 3,700 customers in 2020-21 to save money and stay warm, with plans in place to support even more in future years, all without it costing them a penny. For free and impartial energy efficiency help please see our energy advice page.   

Widening our partnership network and collaborative activities

Experience tells us that working in partnerships achieves far more than working on our own. This is true right across our business, from the emergency response during storms and power cuts to helping customers become more energy efficient. 

Our expertise in resilience and contingency planning, along with strong partnerships, pays off in meeting the complex needs of all our customer groups during unprecedented times.

For more information on partnering with us, please email stakeholder.engagement@sse.com

Drive forward Priority Services Register provision and promotion

How we support our customers in a power cut is just as important as restoring power quickly. Our Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free support service for people who may be vulnerable – perhaps because of their age, health or disability, or if they are going through a difficult time in their lives. Those on the PSR will receive extra support from us during a power cut which can be anything from simple advice and tips to arranging mobile generation for customers dependent on specialist medical equipment. In some extreme cases we have been known to move customers into temporary accommodation to ensure their welfare. 

Ensure our services are inclusive and accessible now and in the future

It is important to us that our services are inclusive and accessible to all.  We work with a panel of independent experts  who challenge our thinking and provide innovative suggestions and practical ideas to further improve the services we offer customers so that they are inclusive and accessible to all. Find out more about our Inclusive Service panels here.