NFB LAUNCHES LARGEST EVER SURVEY INTO UTILITIES PROVIDERS
The National Federation of Builders (NFB), the leading trade body for construction SMEs, is carrying out the largest ever study into the connection performance of utility companies.
The results will be used to highlight the problems encountered by utility customers, to work towards best practice in the sector and lobby government, regulators and utilities to enforce changes that ensure service inadequacies are addressed. A league table highlighting the regions with the worst and best utility performers will be developed.
Over 6,000 questionnaires have been issued to individual contractors on a site by site basis across private and social housing, and public, commercial, industrial and infrastructural development in order to build an accurate picture of the experiences encountered across the sector when dealing with utility providers.
Respondents are asked to compare the quality of service they have found in the first half of 2006 with their experiences from 2005 and highlight any problems such as poor communications within the utility provider, the time taken to issue a quotation and the non-adherence to an agreed programme of work.
Results from the survey will be used to examine better ways of working between contractor and utility providers with respondents asked to suggest how service levels can be improved, whether through better formal contracts, regulation and Service Level Agreements or lower costs and greater transparency.
Julia Evans, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, said that the Federation was conducting the research as the issue of utility service provision was repeatedly singled out by member companies as a high policy priority, causing both management frustration and financial loss.
She said: "Throughout the sector, major difficulties are experienced when member companies attempt to make new connections to the utility networks. This creates numerous problems for contractors, from project delays to financial losses and penalties through no fault of their own.
"We are sourcing evidence on a site-by-site basis of both the worst and best practice apparent across the country in order to generate a compelling argument to government, regulators and utility providers alike that there is a need for change so that service inadequacies can be addressed".
The survey follows initial pilot research conducted by the NFB last year amongst a proportion of its 2,000 member companies. Frustration and resentment was found amongst many contractors due to unjustified planning bureaucracy and unwarranted delays in obtaining quotations and services from utility providers.
At the time, four out of five construction projects were reported to have experienced some form of utility provider problem. Gas and electricity supply issues were found to occur in 43% of projects, whilst water supply problems were apparent in half of projects.
The NFB is leading the Construction Confederation�s member federations, in association with the National Contractors Federation (NCF) and the Major Contractors Group (MCG), in addressing the issues.
Any companies interested in participating in the research can download a copy of the survey from the NFB�s website at http://www.builders.org.uk/nfb/members/public_consultations.asp , contact the national office on 0870 8989 091 or email national@builders.org.uk.ENDS
Issued on behalf of the National Federation of Builders by Citypress PR.
For more information, please contact Paul Cook. Tel: 0161
606 0260.
Email: paul.cook@citypress.co.uk