Over the last year:
We have invested more than £25m (up from £21m
last year) in planned improvements to your homes with
many improvements linked to our drive to help you keep
your homes warmer more aff ordably.
We have improved energy and effi ciency in 3,000
homes with 400 of the lowest energy rated homes
being improved to an increased energy rati ng of D. Other
improvements that we’ve delivered that are linked to
aff ordable warmth are:
•
•
•
The installati on of 2,484 new heati ng systems,
including 70 ground source heat pumps
Improved insulati on on 377 homes
Windows and doors replaced at 1,860 of your
homes.
These visits should
You’ve told us
last no longer than
that you’d like to be
90 minutes and
able to do things for
at the end of it
yourself so we’ve created
you’ll be left with
a range of ‘How to’ videos
a feedback form
and a prepaid
to help you with things like
envelope so
bleeding a radiator and
please let us know
how to unblock your sink.
how you feel it
Take a look here
went. At the moment
this service is just for
new customers, but it
may be something that we roll
out more widely depending on the results of the pilot if
we feel that it adds value for you, your homes and your
neighbourhoods.
Over the past 12 months we’ve delivered more than
15,500 planned improvements to your homes
with 1,281 new kitchens fi tt ed. We’ve also invested
£2.3m in upgrading heati ng systems in 1,300 of
your homes – work that was carried out by our in-house
engineers. You can read about our plans to have more of
our own skilled maintenance engineers doing this work
to help build those all-important relati onships between
us on page 22.
Trying something diff erent
Aft er an initi al testi ng period, our starti ng well engineer
service pilot started in January 2017. So, if you’re a new
customer in Staff ordshire or The Marches, once you’ve
moved into your home, your neighbourhood coach will
arrange an appointment with you to meet up with one
of our engineers.
These visits are mainly about listening to you, learning
about the skills you already have and reassuring you
about completi ng your own basic repairs. You’ll receive
some basic coaching which will help to build your skills
and resilience with regard to maintaining your home.
The types of repairs covered are stopping leaks, bleeding
radiators, unblocking sinks, changing special light fi tti ngs,
straightening kitchen cupboard doors, using the fuse
board to diagnose electrical faults and showing you how
to check your heati ng is working effi ciently.
Depending on what tools you already have, the starti ng
well engineer may provide you with a basic toolkit and
some small repair items (radiator key, meter key, WD40).
You may also get some informati on about damp and
condensati on, fuel poverty, decorati ng and gardening;
the engineers will also carry out any basic, non-urgent
repairs that have been picked up or that they noti ce at
the visit.
The relati onship building that we talk about throughout
this review isn’t just limited to the ti me you spend with
your neighbourhood coach. Our repairs engineers are
committ ed to helping you get the most out your home
and the services we off er too.
Whenever one of our engineers visits your home they’ll
take the ti me to show you what they’re doing, talking
you through the work that they’re carrying out. They’ll
ask what your skills are and help you to build on them
whilst giving you the confi dence to learn
new skills too. By spending more ti me with
you, our engineers will be able
to help you help yourself
whilst improving the
A lot of
quality of your home
what we do is about
– making sure that
giving you the skills and
it works for you,
confi dence you need
and acts as the
springboard you
to take control and to
need to achieve
do things for yourselves.
whatever your
Read how offering a Paul
goals in life
a few paint pots and a little
may be.
advice has helped him
turn his life around.
CUSTOMER ANNUAL REVIEW 2017
9