Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution has been crowned a double winner at the annual Utility Week Awards Ceremony held in London this week; picking up awards for Customer Vulnerability and Community Investment.

SSEN fought off competition from across the electricity and gas networks and water sectors to win the Customer Vulnerability Award for their 'Home & Well' initiative which provides additional support to customers who are returning home from hospital. They also took home the Community Investor Award which recognises the partnership between SSEN and the Shetland Islands Council - collaborating to connect island communities with fibre optic broadband for the very first time.

Chris Burchell, Managing Director of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, said: "We are delighted to have won two Utility Week Awards that recognise our collaboration and dedication to supporting both our customers and communities across our regions. I'm thrilled the hard work of our teams and partners has been recognised by industry experts as sector leading in both areas of customer vulnerability and community investment.

"Supporting customers and communities in their just transition to net zero is right at the heart of our ambitious ED2 business plan and we look forward to developing further successful partnerships in the years to come."


• Customer Vulnerability Award

The 'Home & Well' initiative provides additional help to patients leaving hospital, developing a rounded, multi organisation, care package to support a healthy transition from the ward to more familiar surroundings. The scheme helps to ensure that customers who are returning home from hospital are able to stay well once back in their own surroundings. 'Home & Well' makes a huge difference to not only the physical wellbeing of such customers, but also in providing an element of reassurance which can help with the customer's mental welfare.

The initiative has been uniquely funded by numerous partners including Citizens Advice Hampshire, Southern Water, Portsmouth Water, SGN and NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group. The Social Return on Investment for 'Home & Well' is £22.15 for every £1.00 spent; making it one of the most successful partnerships from any utility UK-wide.

• Community Investor Award

In a first-of-its-kind partnership SSEN has collaborated with the Shetland Islands Council to connect island communities with fibre optic broadband for the very first time. Through this project submarine cables have been replaced with cables that have fibre optic capability. So far, 83.3km of cables have been installed across the SSEN network. These cables are now able to deliver power to local homes and businesses, and enabling the rollout of superfast fibre broadband to 21 public sector sites including schools, medical centres and council buildings. The partnership has delivered a £2 million cost-saving to Shetland Islands Council, alongside improved access to online training and workforce development to boost the local economy.

Following the success of this initiative, SSEN is currently working in collaboration to help enable the rollout of superfast broadband on the Isle of Wight, Carradale and Arran. As part of SSEN's ED2 Business Plan they have outlined how they intend to go above and beyond by expanding their fibre optic network and utilise fibre core in submarine cables to ensure that remote communities have access to multiple benefits arising from better connectivity, enabling broadband services to critical community sites and improving the service provided to homes and businesses.