Top Award for Customer Relations

Northern Gas Networks has won a top award for the way in which it gives advance notice of its mains replacement works.

Northern Gas Networks will this year invest more than £60m in replacing 520km of its gas mains across Yorkshire, the North East and Northern Cumbria. Every home and business affected by the works will receive a detailed leaflet explaining why the work is necessary.

The brochure was judged to be the best new leaflet in the North East region of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) annual awards. It beat two other shortlisted entries to win a Gold award in the New PRide competition. Winners were announced at a ceremony in Gateshead on Friday, 9th November.

Director of Communications John O'Grady, who is responsible for the company's customer service activities, said it was vital Northern Gas Networks and its contractors worked closely with people whose lives and businesses could be affected by gas mains works.

"We have a massive workload to replace all the ageing metal gas mains close to homes and businesses premises across northern England. We totally recognise that this work is disruptive and how important it is to keep this to the lowest possible level. By giving detailed information ahead of the start of the works we find that people are more accepting of the works.

"The company doesn't deliberately mean to delay traffic and close footpaths, but if it is the only way in which we can safely replace our assets - and allowing 2.5m users to have the constant access to a gas supply which they expect - then I am afraid that is what we have to do," said Mr O'Grady.

"We have 37,000km of mains delivering gas 24/7 to 2.5m users and try hard to minimise the upset and inconvenience our works create," he added.

Another leaflet produced by the company, advising youngsters not to play near roadworks, won a Silver award in the CIPR's Yorkshire and Lincolnshire regional awards last week.