Keeping you safe and warm at home

We’ve faced many challenges at Wales & West Utilities over the last fifteen years. Whether that’s been the weather, third party damage to our network, or the unavoidable disruption our essential work sometimes causes, we’ve overcome them alongside the communities that we serve.

And as we see countries across the world shield their vulnerable, lockdown their cities and close their borders to protect against the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus, it’s clear that this is the greatest challenge our business – and indeed, our nation has faced, since World War 2.

In the war against Coronavirus, the soldiers are our key workers: those in the health, transport, food sectors. And those of us in the energy sector know you’re relying on us now more than ever to keep you safe and warm at home, and keep the gas and electricity flowing to our vital infrastructure.

So, as we face the challenge of Covid-19 Coronavirus together, I wanted to reassure all our customers, right across Wales and south west England that we are prepared to play our part.

We have temporarily paused our gas pipe upgrade and connections programme. This means we’ll be focussing on keeping the gas flowing to your home safely and responding to gas emergencies. So if you see us working in your street, it will be to keep you safe.

Meanwhile, most of our office based team are working from home, while our essential functions, including our Control Room and Emergency Service Despatch, are working from multiple locations to support our teams on the ground.

If you do smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 as normal. Before visiting, we’ll ask you to let us know if you or anyone in your household, is experiencing coronavirus symptoms or self-isolating. We’ll still come and help you: but our teams will take some additional precautions to keep us all safe.

There’s other support we’re offering too. If you or anyone you know, has received a letter from the NHS advising you ‘shield’ yourself from Covid-19, then you should consider signing up for the Priority Services Register. It provides free additional services if there is a power cut or in the unlikely event of an interruption to your gas supply. You can find out more and sign up here.

Amidst this uncertainty, I just want to let people across Wales and the south west of England know that we will be doing everything we can to keep the gas flowing so you and your family are safe and warm at home.

Look after yourself and your family. And remember: Stay at home, protect our NHS, save lives.

Best wishes

Graham