Anybody who鈥檚 had the experience of persuading a utility company鈥檚 call centre to deal with a bill that seems to have acquired an extra couple of noughts will empathise with the National Federation of Builders鈥� members.
When the federation asked them if they鈥檇 had problems getting a utility connection, it emerged that one in three construction projects were delayed by the lack of gas, water or electricity.
The NFB talks of 鈥渦nbelievable stories from hell鈥�. The chief complaints are that firms have to deal with poor quality call centre staff, that quotes for work are issued late and installation may not happen until two months after a project has been handed over, leaving contractors with irate clients and a problem they can do little about. Then there鈥檚 the question of prices, which are so high that contractors suspect that they鈥檙e being asked to pay the whole cost of installing infrastructure that the utility will subsequently profit from.
To their credit, some utilities companies admit there is a problem with their customer care. But this could be more to do with the threat of being named and shamed by the state regulator rather than because they have a culture of striving for high-quality performance. The problem would be serious at any time. But as we鈥檙e about to embark on the largest housebuilding programme in a generation and also construct the Olympics, the highest profile construction programme in decades, an innovative approach from the utilities sector is needed more than ever.
One way to improve could be to follow the example of EDF Energy, which seems to understand what the construction sector really wants 鈥� certainty. By creating a service called 鈥減rincipal account liaisons鈥� 鈥� that is, single points of contact for contractors undertaking large projects 鈥� EDF has relieved its customers of the tedious requirement of speaking to a machine for 10 minutes before they have a chance to get really angry with a human being. The utilities sector has stood up and admitted its problems, and is looking to improve: let鈥檚 help it to find the right solutions.
Tightening the rules
The government has revealed it won鈥檛 be making an announcement on the final contents of Part L this week. Rather, it will make an announcement 鈥渋n the summer鈥�. This means that the government鈥檚 original plan to introduce the changes on 1 January 2006 will not be feasible. So the government is now saying Part L won鈥檛 be introduced until April 2006 鈥� which won鈥檛 be welcome news to some. The makers of energy efficiency products will be particularly unhappy: they鈥檝e spent millions getting their kit ready for manufacture and now they won鈥檛 see any return on their investment until the middle of next year. It also means that the government won鈥檛 meet its targets for reducing carbon emissions in its energy white paper, which required reductions by the end of 2005. It鈥檚 high time the ODPM got its house in order.
Postscript
Tom Broughton, deputy editor
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