2021-2026 Wales & West Utilities
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Our
Sustainable
Plan
2021-2026
Contents
Foreword from Graham Edwards, 3
Chief Executive
A plan written by you 4
Our sustainable plan at a glance 6
Helping communities and the 7
environment thrive
Our Commitments 9
We will meet the needs of consumers 10
and network users
We will deliver value for money 13
We will deliver an environmentally 16
sustainable network
We will maintain a safe and 20
resilient network
Our sustainable plan for the future 23
Find out more 24
2
Foreword
Graham Edwards, Chief Executive
Our
I’m very proud to introduce our business meet Net Zero – while at the same time In 2013, our services made up, on average,
plan for 2021 to 2026. This is a critical time continuing to deliver the sector leading £154 of your gas bill. I’m pleased to say
business
for the energy sector. We need to continue levels of service you’re used to. that between 2021-2026 the average will be
to provide the energy and heat that people £133 – just under 20% of a typical gas bill.
And that’s what we’re
plan for
need, while at the same time reducing the
Our plan is a direct response to what you,
carbon impact of that energy. going to do.
our customers, have told us.
We’re focusing on the future of energy –
2021 – 2026
In our most ambitious plan ever, we
explain exactly how we’re going to deliver pledging to deliver a ‘Net Zero ready’ gas
this for the communities that rely on us. We network by 2035. This means that our
focus on sustainability and the long-term network will be ready to transport green
future of energy. gases like hydrogen and biomethane and to
Graham Edwards
play our part in decarbonising heat, power
Chief Executive, Wales & West Utilities
I’d like to say a big thank you and transport.
to everyone who contributed. You said that you want us to deliver an
Because this plan is written by you. inclusive service, for everyone, particularly
More than 25,000 people across Wales and the most vulnerable in society. This has
south west England have had their say – always been important for us, but you have
in workshops, round tables, roadshows told us you want us to go further – so we’re
and in-depth interviews. doubling our support for those most in need.
You told us you want us to focus on And of course, we know that we must do all
sustainability and the environment, this while keeping our impact on your gas Watch
adapting our energy system to help bill to a minimum.
Graham’s
introduction
to the plan
3
A plan This plan is a direct response to
the feedback you’ve shared with us.
written by you We’ve also taken into account the advice of experts and
collaborated with a variety of organisations and partners.
Our independent Customer Engagement Group has played a key
How you had your say role in ensuring that this plan reflects what’s most important to you.
1 2 3 4
First, we reviewed the Informed by this customer Now we were clear Once we’d written a plan
ongoing feedback you gave insight, we held 15 workshops on what you wanted us based on your feedback,
us. We analyse 1.45m pieces and round tables with groups to think about, we looked we asked you to review it.
of customer data every year to of stakeholders and customers. at the detail.
As part of the Acceptability Testing,
help us to deliver a better service.
From Wrexham to Redruth, from the young Thirty-three expert workshops and 1000 Customers checked our plan
In Summer 2018, we ran a consultation individual bill payers of the future to gas- customer focus groups helped us to commitments, alongside an expert panel.
campaign to raise awareness of the reliant corporations like steelworks, you understand how we should address
shared your views. issues like decarbonisation, diversity, and And 1000 customers took part
services we provide, but also to help
gas theft. And with your encouragement in our Willingness to Pay
us to understand what you thought
We asked 1000 customers for their we aligned our plan to UN Sustainable research, letting us know
about the work we do. Over 21,000
opinions about what we should invest Development Goals (SDGs). what they thought of our
people got involved.
in for the future. We were especially contribution to their gas bill.
interested in those most affected, like You told us we needed to do more to
people living in multiple occupancy support those most in need. As a result we
buildings and/or those who could one interviewed 63 carers and caseworkers
day live in hydrogen-fuelled cities. who work with the vulnerable every day, This process
and, through sensitive, chaperoned
And we also collaborated with other interviews, asked 100 people in helped us write
networks on issues of national
significance, like decarbonisation.
vulnerable situations what service
and support they’d like from us.
our plan
4
Focused on
Sustainability
Based on your feedback, our commitments are
now in line with the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals. This helps us to focus more
clearly on helping to achieve broader societal
Independent
ambitions and demonstrate the positive and
wide-ranging impact our services have.
Find out more about Customer
the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals
Engagement Group
Our Customer Engagement Group is independent
of us and our regulator, Ofgem. It has scrutinised
our plan to make sure your feedback is taken into
account. It robustly challenged our proposals
throughout the process and has published a report
to help Ofgem understand how our plan meets the
Continuing the
needs of customers and stakeholders.
conversation Read their report
We’ll continue to engage with customers and
stakeholders between 2021-2026 to make sure
we deliver. The Customer Engagement Group
will continue to check our performance against
the plan. And, as well as regular regional
engagement, we’ll also set up a new Citizens
Panel to co-create solutions to the challenges
we face.
If you want to have your say or have any
comments on our plan, email
5 engagement@wwutilities.co.uk
Our sustainable plan at a glance
It’s our ambition to
help communities 9.2/10 £750,000 £400m £133 a year
and the environment overall investment invested contribution
customer annually to between to the average
thrive by delivering satisfaction support the 2021-2026 household
reliable, affordable target most vulnerable bill between
2021-2026
and sustainable
energy long into not only to keep the
the future. We want gas flowing safely, but
to lead the way £122m 200% so our network is
80%
with high quality, of additional benefit increase in Net Zero of our waste
inclusive services for
delivered to customers
between 2021-2026
the number
of Priority
ready by 2035 will be reused
or recycled
generations to come. £72m of which will
Service Register
sign-ups to 12,000 per year, and
contributing to by 2026.
decarbonisation of heat,
be directed towards the work with others to make sure
power and transport
most vulnerable data is shared effectively
1 hour Spend sensibly Sustainable Invest in the
In the unlikely event of
an interruption to your
diversity of
gas supply for the future Our plan
our team,
On average we’ll
get to all gas we’ll have is aligned
emergencies in using our 2050 Pathfinder with the UN
under an hour
it back on simulator, researching smart
making sure
Sustainable it reflects the
to keep you and in under hybrids and hydrogen to Development communities
your family safe 10 hours design the future of energy Goals we serve
Helping
communities In the past, to make sure we spent money wisely,
we used traditional modelling tools based on
finding the best value. But from now on, we’ll be
using new and innovative ways to assess our
and the wider impact on the economy.
environment
Our Consumer Value Proposition and industry leading Social Return on
Investment tool sets out how we’ll help communities and the environment
thrive
thrive – above and beyond keeping gas flowing safely.
£122m
We plan to deliver
of extra benefit to communities across
Wales and south west England.
7
Case We’ve always replaced the trees we need
Study to remove in the course of our work.
But, between 2021-2026 we’ll plant five trees
Planting
for every one we cut down.
This maximises the chance of the new trees
Trees
surviving and doing well, and means we’ll
plant around 1000 trees every year. Benefits
include increasing biodiversity and
improving air quality.
£3.2m
of value in carbon removal
and other social benefits “I’m really pleased to see
from planting trees
Wales & West Utilities are
adopting best practice
£11 on tree planting to deliver
The Net Benefit delivered benefits across Wales
for every £1 we invest in and south west England,
protecting the environment as well as assessing each
situation on location and
wider biodiversity needs.”
Mari Arthur, Afallen Cymru and Customer
Engagement Group member
8
Our
Commitments
These commitments
will help deliver what
you want and need,
now and in the future.
9
We will meet the needs of consumers and
network users
At a glance What you told us
arget 9.2/10 overall
T In the unlikely event of an Safety remains your top priority Interruption to gas supplies
customer satisfaction. interruption to your gas
supply, we’ll have it back Particularly related to our response to gas Your view is that we should do more to keep these to
esolve over 85% of
R on in under 10 hours. emergencies. You agreed that an average response a minimum – and to make sure interruptions are as
complaints in one day. That’s time of an hour is appropriate and something you short as possible.
total resolution, work done n average we’ll attend all
O are happy to pay for.
and customer left happy. gas emergencies in under Supporting those most in need
an hour, to keep you and You recognise our excellent You want us to do more to increase sign-ups to the
750,000 investment
£ your family safe. customer service Priority Service Register (PSR) – but without impacting
annually to support the
But challenge us to maintain our performance, while your bill. And, you were clear that we need to work
most vulnerable. e’ll secure challenging
W
evolving our services to meet changing customer with partners across the energy industry on a range
external verification, so you
ork alongside partners and
W needs and expectations. of projects, from addressing fuel poverty to keeping
know we’re as good as we
carer networks to increase the people safe from carbon monoxide.
can be.
number of Priority Service You encouraged us to gain (and retain) challenging
Register (PSR) sign-ups by e’ll increase the amount we
W customer service accreditations. These give people When we get things wrong
200% to 12,000 per year. pay when we get things wrong. peace of mind that we’re performing as well as we Expert stakeholders told us to look at the payments
can when compared to other companies inside and we make when we get things wrong, and rather
outside our sector. than simply meeting statutory requirements, think
about compensation that is more reflective of the
inconvenience caused by poor service.
10What we’ll do 9.2/10 overall customer
satisfaction
Increase PSR sign-ups
by 200% to 12,000 per year
On average, we’ll attend all gas
emergencies in under an hour
Focus on
Based on current methodology, We’ve trained our colleagues and partners We will continue to exceed statutory
we’re aiming to achieve an overall to sign up customers to PSR online via requirements, responding to gas emergencies
customer
customer satisfaction target of 9.2/10. new apps. And, as well as building on quickly and efficiently to keep you and your
existing relationships, we’re also using family safe. Where practical, we’ll prioritise
We want to go above and beyond, channels like social media to target priority calls from the most vulnerable.
satisfaction
offering a bespoke experience and groups and sign up eligible customers for
tailored communications, introducing a range of support services and financial Gain challenging external
innovations like Track My Engineer benefits. We’ll share data appropriately verification
and using Artificial Intelligence to and efficiently with other utilities, and
offer 24-hour access to our services. Achieving accreditations like the Institute
work with other utilities towards a single
of Customer Service ServiceMark and the
Priority Service Register.
Resolve 85%+ complaints British Standard for Inclusive Service
Provision, will help us compare ourselves to
in one day Interrupted gas supply?
top performing customer service companies
That means totally resolved, with work We’ll have it back on in less and share best practice to meet the
done and the customer left happy, than 10 hours changing needs of customers. It will also
within 24 hours. help us to build trust – demonstrating that
Investment in our network will make sure
interruptions are rare. But if it does happen, we are as good as we can be.
£750,000 a year to support we’ll focus on getting the gas back on
the most vulnerable quickly. Between 2021-2026, interruptions Increase the amount we pay
Through a range of programmes like our will be shorter. On average we will get your when we get things wrong
award-winning Healthy Homes, Healthy gas flowing again in less than 10 hours. When our service falls short, we’ll offer
People project (which maximises income And we will continue to safeguard the compensation that’s more in line with the
and helps minimise bills and debt), most vulnerable, with alternative heating inconvenience caused, not just the
discounted fuel-poor gas connections, and cooking options, Keep Warm Packs statutory requirements.
community support and CO safety or alternative accommodation and hot
campaigns, we will invest £750,000 every food if needed.
year to support those who need it most.
11Putting things right
The gas network is resilient and
reliable – even in the worst of
weather. But on rare occasions,
Case issues outside our control can
Study result in the interruption of gas
Emergency
supplies to homes and businesses. “Wales & West Utilities
When this happens, our engineers do everything
particularly looked after the
they can to get the gas flowing again as safely vulnerable and made hot plates
and as quickly as possible. available as well as heaters to
Response
those who needed them.”
“The company has provided an
excellent service above what
The gas supply to 500 homes in could be expected.”
Copplestone, a village in Devon, was Councillor Stuart Penny, Copplestone Parish Council
interrupted on an unseasonably cold Spring Chairman and Mid Devon District Councillor
evening after water got into the gas network.
Our engineers responded quickly: isolating the
affected homes before working overnight to
remove water and get the gas flowing again.
In the meantime, we visited the most vulnerable
in the community, giving them alternative heating
and cooking equipment, and making sure they
were safe and warm.
We quickly got the gas back on and things were
back to normal. And despite the inconvenience,
the local community appreciated our response.
We know that for many customers, our response
when things go wrong is how they judge
our service.
12We will deliver
value for money
At a glance What you told us
£133 a year Value for money is the second However, with the future of energy policy
Our impact on the average household bill most important thing to you still unclear, you reminded us to spend
between 2021-2026. your money sensibly. Bearing this in mind:
We know it’s important to keep the cost of
£122m of additional benefit delivered to energy as low as possible and aim to keep our • Our Customer Engagement Group told us
customers between 2021-2026 impact on your bill to a minimum. that we should make sure that our activities
provide a net financial or social benefit,
Of which £72m will be directed towards the When we spoke to you about how much offering additional value for money to you
most vulnerable. we charge for the services we deliver, we and wider society.
were delighted that based on our average
Investment in innovation contribution to a gas bill of £133 between • Our Expert stakeholders told us that
So we can work smarter and find new 2013-2021 you overwhelmingly endorsed our continued investment in collaborative
ways to deliver for our customers. services as excellent value for money. innovation could deliver operational
improvements, while supporting
Collaboration with 500 external organisations.
decarbonisation and increasing sustainability.
Spending sensibly for the future
Using our 2050 Pathfinder simulator,
researching smart hybrids and green gases
like hydrogen and biomethane to design the
future of energy.
13What we’ll do £133 a year: Our impact on
the average household bill
£122m of additional benefit to
customers between 2021-2026
Spend sensibly for the future
We will deliver a Net Zero ready gas
between 2021-2026
Keep our costs
Our Consumer Value Proposition sets network by 2035. This means our network
out how we’ll help communities and the will be fully ready to transport green
We know we can’t be complacent where
gases like hydrogen and biomethane.
low and our
value for money is concerned. While you environment. It measures the social impact
of our work, as well as the financial benefits. And between 2021-2026 we’ll invest in
think our service is value for money today,
Between 2021-2026 we’ll deliver £122m of making sure flexible power stations, green
we’ll do everything we can to keep our costs
benefits high
additional benefit to you, with £72m of this gas producers and gas vehicles can take
down and maintain our average impact
value to be focussed on the most vulnerable advantage of our network.
on your bill at its current rate – which is
down from £154 in 2013. We’ll do this while in the communities we serve.
To protect your money, we’ll agree with
increasing our spending on supporting our regulator that we can only spend
the most vulnerable, delivering gas pipe Investment in innovation
money on these things if there is demand
upgrades and improving cyber security. So we can find smart new ways to deliver from customers, or in support of future
for our customers energy policy.
Our regulator, Ofgem, will review the level
of bill we are proposing. We strongly believe We’ll collaborate with 500 external
£133 represents an appropriate balance organisations to develop innovative
between value for money and investment solutions to the challenges we face.
for both stakeholders and the communities
we serve.
14Case Looking after
Study those most in need
Between 2021 and 2026 we’ll be
Looking after those i
You’re eligible for the Priority Service
adding 12,000 people every year to Register if someone in your home is
most in need
the Priority Service Register (PSR). of pensionable age, under the age of 5,
living with a chronic medical condition or is
And, we’ll work with other utilities to maximise disabled, or has any other specific needs such
the additional benefits we can deliver, sharing as sight or hearing impairments.
data appropriately. For every £1 we invest in
adding customers to the PSR, £270 of net Once on the register, you will automatically
value is delivered back to customers. be offered alternative cooking and heating
appliances if your gas supply is interrupted, you
can chose your own password so you know our
engineers are genuine, your supplier may be able
to move your gas meter if you cannot access it
Ron and Hilary live in Cwmbran. and you can ask your supplier to send your bill to
The retired postal worker and teacher anyone who has agreed to receive it (for example
are active grandparents, looking after their a family member or carer). You may also be able
5 grandchildren between the ages of 8 and to claim annual rebates via your electricity and
28. While they are in good health, they have water companies.
signed up to the Priority Services Register.
For every £1 we invest in
adding customers to the “We found out about the Priority Service
PSR, there will be £270 of Register through friends from church...”
net value to customers says Hilary.
“It’s not something we’d really thought
about before but the additional support
on offer really gives us peace of mind.
We rely on our gas, especially in winter.
It’s reassuring to know that if something
does go wrong with our gas supply, Wales
& West Utilities will be ready to support us.”
15We will deliver an
environmentally
sustainable
network
At a glance
Net Zero ready by 2035 What you told us
Between 2021-2026 we’ll invest £400m to
keep gas flowing safely and improve our The environment matters Domestic customers told us that investment A more sustainable business
in innovative and greener technology was
network to support with the decarbonisation Society’s view is clear: there’s an We’ve traditionally focussed on reducing
their second biggest priority after safety/
of heat, power and transport. urgent need to address climate change our largest source of carbon footprint: gas
response to gas leaks.
and decarbonise our energy system. leaking from our network. This is something
80% of our waste will be reused or recycled Transitioning to a green, sustainable society you strongly support, but you also told us
Our Customer Engagement Group told
by 2026. has rapidly become a top priority for local we should do more to reduce carbon in
us that we should broaden our focus and
and national government, businesses and look at the role the gas network can play in other areas like our fleet.
Between 2021-2026 we’ll progress on:
other organisations. decarbonising power and transport as well
Sending Zero waste to landfill by 2035. You also told us that we should act on
as heat. And they asked us to increase our
In June 2019, the UK, including the Welsh our waste – and that you’d be willing to
A Zero emission fleet (including HGVs) by 2035, focus on sustainability. You shared the view
Government, became the first major pay for improvements not just to our
reducing carbon and improving air quality. that we could play a central role in creating a
economy to set the target of Net Zero operations today, but also to deal with
sustainable future and should invest in this.
Almost £7m invested to deal with the carbon emissions into law. the legacy of the gas industry. This means
legacy of the gas industry. Expert national stakeholders were clear managing the environmental impact of
You want your bills to remain affordable, but historic gas works that we’ve inherited
though: with future energy policy still unclear
Biodiversity Net Gain decarbonisation and reducing our impact on from predecessor companies.
we need to be careful to make sure that
the environment are also important priorities
Improving biodiversity on our projects. there are ‘no regrets’ on investments we
for future investment. make today.
16What we’ll do Between 2021-2026 we’ll invest
£400m to keep gas flowing and
We currently have 19 green gas plants
which are capable of providing energy
We’ll reduce gas lost from our network
by 10% by 2026, with an aim to reduce
to over 120,000 homes. this to zero by 2050.
get our network Net Zero ready
Net Zero by 2035 – therefore contributing
to the decarbonisation of heat,
Importantly, we’re protecting customer’s
money by investing carefully. We’ve
Industry research supports our vision for
the future, while the use of hybrids and
ready by power and transport. earmarked over £150m extra to spend hydrogen is supported by the independent
to deliver Net Zero when energy policy UK Committee on Climate Change, which
Our vision for the future of energy focuses
2035
is clearer. advises the government.
on regional and community solutions.
Transport
The largest cities and heavy industry will be
converted to hydrogen. A hydrogen spine Our vision is that heavy goods vehicles
could stretch from Bristol across the Severn (HGVs) and public transport move towards
to Cardiff and Swansea, allowing heavy hydrogen or green gas. Compressed natural
industries to decarbonise and for the use gas buses and HGVs are already used in
of hydrogen for home heating. Bristol and Plymouth. Our vision for
the future
Towns and suburbs outside these cities will Power of energy
be fuelled by green gas and hybrid heating
Electricity will be generated primarily from
systems. Hybrid heating adds a smart control
renewable sources. Wind, solar and tidal
panel and an air source heat pump to existing
power will be supported by gas fired power How we’ll spend
heating systems. Easily retrofitted, the smart
stations and a small fleet of modern nuclear your money wisely
control switches between the existing gas
boiler and the heat pump, depending on
power stations. for the future
cost and carbon. To realise our vision, it’s essential we
continue to invest in upgrading our gas
network. We’re on track to finish the gas
pipe upgrade programme by 2032, and to
deliver a Net Zero-ready gas network for
green gas, hybrids and hydrogen by 2035.
This will also reduce gas leakage which
makes up 97% of our own carbon footprint.
1780% of our waste will be reused Invest almost £7m to deal with
or recycled by 2026 the legacy of the gas industry
We will continue to reduce our waste, We’ll continue our programme of managing
increase the re-use of spoil in our operations and cleaning up old gas works sites. The
and innovate to avoid digging holes where manufacture of gas ended in the 1970s,
possible. often leaving contaminated land behind.
We’ll continue to assess, manage and take
In our offices action to reduce environmental risks, while
also working with local communities to
We’ll eliminate single use plastic by 2022,
make the best use of that land.
and reduce our paper consumption by 75%
by 2026. This will help us towards our goal
of sending zero waste to landfill by 2035. Enhance biodiversity
on our projects
Reducing emissions from Between 2021-2026 we’ll adopt the principle
our fleet of Biodiversity Net Gain – an approach
that aims to leave the natural environment
To help reduce carbon emissions and
in a measurably better state than it was
improve air quality, we’re aiming for a zero
previously – by improving biodiversity and
emission fleet (including HGVs) by 2035.
ecosystems. At first, we will do this only for
By 2026, 75% of our company cars will specific projects, but from 2026 it will be
be hybrid or ultra-low emission, and we’ll part of all our operations.
have installed electric charging points
at our offices and depots. We’ll also
collaborate with partners to explore
opportunities for alternatively fuelled
HGVs, tools and equipment.
Find out
Did you know? more about
Biodiversity
What makes plastic bad for the
environment makes it a perfect Net Gain
material for gas pipes. We’ll make
sure that all waste plastic pipes are
recycled to make new pipes.
18The connection of gas fuelling
Case stations demonstrates the role
Study we have to play in the future of
green transport.
Gas buses If we’re to meet Net Zero, many
heavy goods vehicles, municipal
vehicles like bin lorries, buses
“Wales & West Utilities is uniquely
placed to support gas vehicles.
Recently we’ve seen increased
in Plymouth
interest in tackling air quality
and trains on non-electrified and with our legal commitment
routes will be fuelled by green to meet the carbon reduction
gas or hydrogen. targets, decarbonising transport
will become more important – and
gas vehicles will play a central role.”
Mike Foster, Natural Gas Vehicle Network
Green gas vehicles have other benefits
too: gas reduces engines wear and tear,
allowing longer between replacement,
and reduces particulate emissions –
significantly improving air quality.
Three stations are already operational on our
network, keeping the people and the economy
moving – with further connections forecast
over the next few years. We’re working closely
with expert organisations like the Natural
Gas Vehicles Network to lead the way –
developing technical standards and
industry guidance.
19We will maintain a safe and
resilient network
At a glance What you told us
Between 2021-2026 we’ll invest £400m,
upgrading 435km of pipe a year to keep Safety is still your top priority Focus on diversity
the gas flowing safely. You want us to reduce the safety risk of You want us to be as inclusive as we can
the oldest parts of our network – in a way be in our recruitment. Our Customer
£7m investment to reduce the risk of
endorsed by the Health and Safety Engagement Group encouraged us to
cyber attacks.
Executive, while still delivering a increase the number of BAME, LGBTQ+ and
Invest in the diversity of our team, sustainable network. people with a disability in our team. And,
making sure it reflects the communities national stakeholders raised the issue of our
we serve. You broadly agreed with our ageing workforce, encouraging us to focus
IT Business Security Plan on increasing apprenticeship opportunities
Improving the skills of our people. and evolving the skills of our team for the
These are our proposals to reduce the risk transition to green energy.
Making sure we can continue to deliver for
of cyber attacks and make sure we can
the communities that rely on us.
keep the gas flowing safely.
20What we’ll do
Invest £400m between 2021-2026 Investing in diversity
to keep the gas flowing We’ll develop our recruitment practices
Invest in our
We will upgrade an average of 435km of to make ourselves more attractive and
pipe a year and improve services to almost accessible to women, the BAME and
87,000 homes between 2021 and 2026. LGBTQ+ communities, and those living
network and This will keep the gas flowing, while with disabilities. And we’ll be focusing
increasing the safety of over 500,000 on reflecting the different and diverse
our people
people living near an ageing gas main. communities we serve.
Upgrading pipes from metal to plastic Evolving the skills of our people
supports a sustainable future, and is part Energy is changing, and the skills
of our commitment to a Net Zero-ready we need are changing with it. Between
gas network by 2035. 2021-2026 we’ll continue to offer high
quality apprenticeships. And we’ll make
£7m investment to reduce the best use of our existing team by
the risk of cyber attacks upskilling and multi-skilling, particularly in
As the provider of essential services to rural areas – so we can continue to deliver
7.5m people and guardians of critical to the communities that rely on us.
national infrastructure, we are often the
target of sustained cyber attacks. That’s All this is supported by our values-based
why we’re investing to stay at the forefront culture and investment in the wellbeing of all
of technology, with an agile cyber resilience our colleagues. This helps us to retain top
strategy that can adapt to evolving threats. performing and experienced colleagues.
21Case
Study
Apprenticeships Since we started
operations in 2005,
we’ve recruited over
180 apprentices.
“My dad has always worked as a gas engineer,
They are the gas engineers and
so I guess my exposure to this sparked an interest
managers of the future – and will from a young age. All my friends wanted to follow
help us deliver the Net Zero energy other career paths such as teaching, but I knew
network of the future I wanted to work in a hands-on job so applied
for a Wales & West Utilities apprenticeship.”
Taylor Hoskins’ love of STEM subjects has led
her into a career that she hopes will prove fruitful “When I found out I’d been successful I was
for many years to come. over the moon. The industry presents so many
opportunities for men and women alike and I am
Having watched her dad work in the gas industry glad that I wasn’t deterred by some of the people
from a young age, Taylor developed an interest who tried to steer me to more conventional careers.”
in engineering and found herself eagerly counting
down to when a STEM subject appeared on her Taylor is completing a three year Electrical &
school timetable. Instrumental Apprenticeship that mixes college
and working on site.
“I am learning new skills every single day and have
a hunger for more! Being a woman in engineering
I want to spread the message to other young girls
that there are so many opportunities out there.”
22Our plan
for 2021-2026
lays the foundations for a
sustainable, Net Zero energy
network in 2050 – and beyond.
Let’s make it happen.
This is our sustainable plan
for the future
By delivering our plan we’ll deliver
on our customers’ needs for a safe,
affordable and sustainable energy
network, while looking after the most
vulnerable people in society.
And we will deliver on the need for businesses to act
responsibly and minimise the impact they have on the planet –
helping to meet Net Zero and address the Climate Emergency
by helping to decarbonise heat, power and transport.
23To find out more Read our Business Plan and accompanying appendices See the Report from our Independent Customer Engagement Group.
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