Our Citizens Panel is the voice of our customers at Northern Gas Networks. Its aim is to provide a customer perspective, and ensure thoughts and opinions are put at the heart of our decision making through meaningful and relevant engagement with our customers.
The meeting was split into 2 focused sessions. In the first half, we wanted to inform customers of different low carbon tech options and home and what that involves. This would allow us to gain a better understanding of where our customers are on this journey to change the way we heat our homes. It was important for us to gauge what customers really understand about domestic energy transition for them, and to identify what levels of change are customers comfortable with making and why?
In the afternoon, we wanted to use the opportunity to understand customer perceptions on gas safety and mitigation, which would allow us to apply the learning to our hydrogen safety work. We also wanted to look at what would make customer feel safe when switching to Hydrogen.
Hydrogen Safety
You said that providing reassurance on increased safety across all measures was of most importance.
So we have refined our messaging around safety.
Hydrogen Messaging
You told us that it was important to use non-technical language and keeping things as simple as possible.
We have worked with the other networks to develop an animation to demonstrate and emphasise gas and hydrogen safety.
Hydrogen Messaging
You told us that you would trust first hand accounts and case studies of real life experience with hydrogen.
We are looking at ways to share the experiences from a live hydrogen trial in Holland.
Adapting Low Carbon Technology
You said you want to understand how disruptive different technologies are if we were to install them into homes.
We’re using your feedback to shape our innovation research programmes and will make videos of installations within our ‘Futures Close’ project.
Adapting Low Carbon Technology
You said you were unsure how much technologies such as Hydrogen boilers or heat pumps cost to run.
We are publishing results from test and trials of low carbon technologies at our Futures Close site.