Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has teamed up with Just Eat to enhance its welfare provision to customers during adverse weather and power cuts.
Customers in SSEN’s central southern England distribution area will soon be given vouchers to use on the Just Eat app, providing a range of different food options, while the company’s engineers work to restore power.
Power cuts have been reduced in the UK by 50% since 2002 but if a fault does occur, the network operator is committed to providing ‘industry-leading customer service’, while power is being restored.
Traditionally customers would be provided with food from a welfare van but now announcing its partnership with Just Eat, SSEN customers will soon be able to choose from a wide range of hot meals when dealing with a power cut.
Lisa Doogan, SSEN’s Head of Customer Service commented on the collaboration: “We know that having a power cut causes significant disruption to our customers’ day, and one of those disruptions is the inability to cook food.
“We think it’s important we make a power cut as comfortable as possible while our engineers work hard to restore the power, so we try to offer welfare provisions when the power cut is prolonged.
“It’s essential that we cater for our customers’ needs and that involves adapting our services to ensure their specific dietary or religious requirements can be met.”
The partnership between SSEN and Just Eat has already been successfully trialled in the network operator’s Thames Valley region, which accommodates nearly 980,000 customers across rural and urban areas.
Plans are now in place to roll the provision out across SSEN’s central southern England patch during 2020.
Ms Doogan added: “We have always made a commitment to put our customers and communities at the heart of all we do and this partnership ensures that customers have more choice and flexibility – meaning they can choose the food they want at a time that suits.
“Importantly, working with Just Eat also supports restaurants in the community through increased trade and due to them already being in the local area, getting food to customers is easier and quicker, especially if there are issues on main routes that our welfare vanes would find difficult to navigate.”
During the roll-out of the service – and where customers are unable to order through Just Eat – SSEN will send alternative welfare provisions and continue to work with local restaurants, shop owners and community centres to put resilience plans in place that support local communities, particularly during weather events.
Matt Bushby, Marketing Director, Just Eat UK, added: “Our Just Eat gift cards enable people to order from any of the restaurants on our platform in their local areas, from high street favourites such as Subway and KFC to tens of thousands of fantastic independent takeaways, offering a huge range of delicious cuisines.
“So we’re delighted to team up with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to provide vouchers for their customers during adverse weather and power cuts – giving them access to a wide range of food options for breakfast, lunch or dinner when they’re not able to cook at home.”
