PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMITMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Introduction
This document sets out the guaranteed standards adopted by SNRG and applicable to SNRG’s SmartGrid Schemes. These standards are based on the standards applicable to schemes operated by licensed electricity distribution companies, set by the energy regulator Ofgem in accordance with the Electricity (Standards of Performance) Regulations 2015 (as amended by the Electricity (Standards of Performance) (Amendment) Regulations 2023) (the “Regulations”).
If we fail to meet these standards, you are entitled to receive the compensation payments set out below. In most cases we make payments automatically, but in some cases where we may be unaware that we have failed, you need to make a claim.
Where your electricity is not supplied by SNRG you will need to provide up-to-date contact details to your supplier as we use information such as the bill payer’s name to make automatic payments.
Exclusions
Sometimes the guaranteed standards may not apply due to events beyond our control, such as the actions of third parties (outages on our network caused by faults or outages in the upstream IDNO/DNO networks, inability to gain access to premises or our own equipment, for example, when prevented from accessing our equipment by the emergency services or other utilities, due to severe weather conditions such as flooding, snowdrifts or fallen trees, or due to an impediment such as parked cars, skips, scaffolding or locked gates.
Where the Outage on SNRG’s SmartGrid Scheme is caused by a fault or outage in the upstream IDNO/DNO network, we will flow through payments received on account of such outage from the relevant IDNO/DNO, on a pro-rata basis, to each affected customer.
If any of these exemptions are invoked, we will need to demonstrate that we had taken all reasonable steps to prevent the exceptional circumstances occurring and to prevent failure of the relevant standard.
In some cases where we need access to your property to restore your supply, you may ask us to delay the work and agree an alternative timescale for restoration.
The amounts specified herein will be revised in line in changes to the compensation amounts payable by the licensed electricity distribution companies.
1. Supply Restoration during Normal Weather (Regulation 5)
If your electricity supply fails during normal weather conditions because of a problem on our distribution system we will restore it within 12 hours of first becoming aware of the problem.
If we fail, we will arrange for you to receive [£95] if you are a domestic customer or [£180] if you are a nondomestic customer. You will also receive a further [£40 for each additional 12-hour period that you are off supply].
2. Supply Restoration during Normal Weather – Incidents affecting 5,000 customers or more (Regulation 6)
If your electricity supply fails during normal weather conditions because of a single incident on our distribution system affecting 5,000 premises or more, we will restore it within 24 hours of first becoming aware of the problem. If we fail, we will arrange for you to receive [£95] if you are a domestic customer or [£180] if you are a nondomestic customer. You will also receive a further payment of [£40] for each additional 12-hour period that you are off supply up to a maximum of [£360].
3. Supply Restoration during Severe Weather (Regulation 7)
If your electricity supply fails because of a problem on our distribution system due to severe weather we will restore it within the period prescribed by the Regulations dependent upon the scale of the event:
Category of severe weather Definition
Category 1 (medium events) Lightning events – when a distributor experiences at least 8 times the normal amount of higher voltage faults in 1 day, supplies will be restored within 24 hours. Non-lightning events – when a distributor experiences 8 or more but fewer than 13 times the normal amount of higher voltage faults in 1 day, supplies will be restored within 24 hours.
Category 2 (large events) Non-lightning events – when a distributor experiences at least 13 times the normal amount of faults in 1 day, supplies will be restored within 48 hours. Category 3 (very large events) For severe weather events affecting a very large number of customers as specified in the Regulations – supplies will be restored within a period as calculated using a formula based on the number of customers affected as set out in the Regulations.
If we fail we will arrange for you to receive [£85] (for both domestic and non-domestic customers). You will also receive a further [£80] for each additional 12-hour period that you are off supply. The maximum payment you will receive is [£2000]. These payments will be made as soon as reasonably practicable.
4. Rota Disconnections (Regulation 8)
On very rare occasions there may be supply shortages in your locality and your electricity supply may need to be interrupted on a rota basis in order to share the available load. We aim to minimize the amount of time that your supply would be affected in such cases. We will, at any rate, ensure that there is a total of no more than 24 hours without electricity during the period covered by a rota disconnection event. If you are without supply for a period before we commence rota disconnections, this would be covered by [Listed above (Regulations 5, 6 or 7) as appropriate]. If we fail, we will arrange for you to receive [£95] if you are a domestic customer or [£180] if you are a nondomestic customer.
5. Multiple Interruption (Regulation 10)
If your electricity supply fails because of a problem on our distribution system and you are without power for three hours or more, on four or more different occasions in any single year (12-month period) starting on 1 April, you are entitled to a [£95] payment. You must make a valid claim for this payment within three months of the end of the year to which the claim applies. In order for your claim to be verified you will need to provide the address of the premises affected and the dates of the electricity supply failures. Incidents for which a payment has already been made cannot be included in your claim.
6. Distributor’s Fuse (Regulation 11)
If you report information that leads us to believe that the main fuse between the incoming supply cable and your meter has or might have failed, we will attend your premises within 3 hours on weekdays if you notify us between 7am and 7pm. At weekends and on bank holidays we will attend within 4 hours if you contact us between 9am and 5pm. If you notify us outside these times, we will treat your call as if we had received it at the start of the next day. If we fail, we will arrange for you to receive a [£35] payment.
7. Notice of Planned Supply Interruption (Regulation 12)
If we need to switch off your power to carry out planned maintenance work on our network, we will give you at least 2 days’ notice. This is normally a letter delivered to the address held on our records. We will always give as much notice of a planned interruption as possible, even if we know we’ve already failed the standard. If we fail to give you 2 days’ notice or we switch your electricity off on a different day, then you can claim (within 1 month of the failure) [£35] if you are a domestic customer or [£75] if you are a non- domestic customer.
8. Voltage Complaints (Regulation 13)
If you report a problem with the voltage of the electricity to your premises, we will send you an explanation within 5 working days or offer to visit you to investigate within 7 working days. (Should you call after 4pm on a working day, we will treat the enquiry as being received the following day). If we fail, we will arrange for you to receive a [£35] payment.
9. Appointments
Should we need to visit you, or should you request a visit from us for any reason, you will be offered an appointment during the morning or afternoon or within a two-hour time band. If we fail to make or keep an appointment, we will arrange for you to receive a [£30] payment.
10. Metered Demand
Notification of Payment under Guaranteed Standards We will notify you of any guaranteed standards that we have failed to meet (other than those for which you have to make a claim for payment). In any case, we will send you payment within 10 working days of becoming aware of the failure except in the case of Supply Restoration during Severe Weather, when we will issue payment as soon as is reasonably practicable. If we fail to make the required payment to you or your supplier within the above timescales, we will arrange for you to receive an additional [£30].
11. Making a Claim for Payment
Should you wish to make a claim for payment, please telephone us for details of how to claim on 020 3576 6103 or email SNRG at [email protected].
If you make a claim outside the hours listed, your claim will be treated as if you had called on the next working day.
12. Complaints
If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, please let us know. You will find our complaints handling procedure on our website or you can ring the general enquiry line to request a copy.
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