Engineers from Northern Gas Networks are working hard to restore the supply of gas to properties in Haworth.

The gas supply to approximately 250 homes and businesses on West Lane, Hobb Lane and Lumfoot in Haworth was lost this morning due to engineering complications as a result of ongoing essential work to replace ageing metal gas mains in the town.

Paul Sadler, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks, said: “Our Customer Care team has been speaking to residents in the area and a customer drop-in centre has been set up at the Old Sun Pub on West Lane, Haworth for customers who have any concerns or would like further information.”

“We would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused and reassure everyone that we are doing all we can to restore the gas supply as quickly as possible.

“If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact an engineer on site or call the Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766.”

Anyone who smells gas should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the gas distribution company for the North of England has launched its Community Promises as part of this year’s UK-wide Responsible Business Week (20 – 26 April).

The document, which can be downloaded from northerngasnetworks.co.uk/community/ outlines NGN’s commitment to support, protect and educate the communities in which it operates, across the North East, Northern Cumbria and much of Yorkshire including five key promises to customers, colleagues and stakeholders:

Serve: ensuring customers receive the best, fastest and most professional service possible.

Stop: prevent hardship and risk to health, by helping to tackle fuel poverty, educating customers about CO, and advising customers about efficient energy use.

Share: working with others to improve our service. This means involving stakeholders in our decision making; listening and responding to stakeholder concerns and partnering with key organisations.

Shape: being an employer of choice in our local area; recruit based on the highest standards of integrity and provide colleagues with the opportunity to support our promises through volunteering, fundraising and supporting education initiatives.

Sustain: reduce our impact on the environment and keep everyone safe and sound by reducing waste; using resources more efficiently and inspiring an approach of zero harm to colleagues.

Tom Bell, Head of Social Strategy at Northern Gas Networks said: “At NGN, our responsibility to our customers, employees, communities, partners and environment is more than just a box ticking exercise.

“Whether we’re playing our part in helping to lift customers out of fuel poverty, educating households about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide, paving the way for new sustainable fuels such as biogas, or providing training opportunities in deprived areas, we have a broad reach and an ambitious social agenda.

“Our Community Promises will provide our stakeholders with a clear idea of our focus for community work and help us as an organisation to channel our energies and talents to achieve more for our communities, colleagues and customers.”

To mark the launch of Community Promises Northern Gas Networks will make a £2 charitable donation on behalf of anyone who joins it’s new online community before the end of May 2015*. Donations will be made to one of four chosen charities supported by its Community Promises, including the Dominic Rodgers Trust, The Prince’s Trust, The Trussell Trust and the Woodland Trust.

The gas distributor’s online community is free to join and offers customers and stakeholders the opportunity to share feedback, discuss issues and take part in opinion polls and surveys on subjects that matter to them and their local communities.

Businesses in the Community’s Responsible Business Week is as an annual opportunity for companies to demonstrate the positive impacts they have on society, but also to learn new things and to share ideas with other organisations so that they can do even more.

*Up to a maximum of £2,000.

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out essential work to replace approximately 180m of ageing metal gas mains in Bondgate, Alnwick between the archway and HSBC.

The project is part of Northern Gas Networks’ ongoing development of infrastructure across the north of England and will involve installing new plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The project, which follows emergency work to repair a gas leak, is expected to take around four weeks to complete.

In order to carry out this work safely and efficiently, it will be necessary to close Alnwick arch access to Bondgate within for approximately two weeks. A signed diversion has been put in place.

Shops and businesses will remain open for business as usual and pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

Richie Manuel, Construction Services Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks said: “Our customer care officers and engineers have been speaking to businesses in the area to inform them about our work, and we will continue to keep our customers and stakeholders updated throughout the project via our website, Twitter and Facebook.

“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to members of the public for any inconvenience this essential work may cause and thank our customers for their continued support.”

A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council, said: “The council is helping to facilitate this important work, which will provide a more reliable gas supply for the residents of Alnwick, and also help prevent future gas escapes from occurring.”

If you have any questions about the work please don’t hesitate to speak with an engineer on site or contact the Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7. The team is available between 8am and 10pm Monday to Friday, and 9am and 5pm on Saturday.

Emergency Response Engineers from Northern Gas Networks carried out essential repair work to a medium pressure gas main following third party damage yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 8 April).

In order to carry out this work safely and efficiently Thornbury Barracks roundabout was closed temporarily. Engineers worked through the evening to repair the main and the roundabout reopened at around 10:45pm last night (Wednesday 8 April).

Paul Sadler, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks, said: “We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused while we carried out our emergency work and thank the public for their patience and support.

“If you smell gas you should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately, your call will be answered at any time of day or night and an engineer will be sent out to assess the situation promptly.”

Emergency Response Engineers from Northern Gas Networks are carrying out essential repair work to a medium pressure gas main following third party damage which occurred this afternoon (Wednesday 8 April).

In order to carry out this work safely and efficiently it has been necessary to temporarily close Thornbury Barracks roundabout in Bradford. West Yorkshire Police are currently in attendance to assist with the closure.

Unfortunately this is causing some disruption to traffic travelling between Bradford and Leeds.

Paul Sadler, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks, said: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused while we carry out our emergency work and would like to reassure members of the public that we will do all we can to complete this work as quickly as possible.”

“If you smell gas you should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately, your call will be answered at any time of day or night and an engineer will be sent out to assess the situation promptly.”

Emergency Response Engineers from Northern Gas Networks are carrying out essential repair work to a medium pressure gas main on Bondgate, Alnwick.

In order to carry out this work safely and efficiently it has been necessary to temporarily close Bondgate Within to through traffic.

A signed diversion has been put in place for motorists, and access to shops and businesses on Bondgate will be maintained at all times. Shops and businesses are signposted as open as usual.

Denny Ingram, Network Officer, Northern Gas Networks, said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused while we carry out this essential work and reassure members of the public that we will be working throughout the Bank Holiday weekend to complete this work as quickly as possible.”

“If you smell gas you should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately, your call will be answered at any time of day or night and an engineer will be sent out to assess the situation promptly.”

The north of England’s gas distributor, Northern Gas Networks (NGN) has beaten off stiff competition after taking home three awards at the UK Employee Experience Awards last week.

NGN won awards for Employee Insight and Feedback and Employee Engagement — People at the Heart and company CEO Mark Horsley was triumphant in the Inspirational Leader or Manager category.

The inaugural UK Employee Experience Awards recognises companies that are delivering an outstanding employee experience which results in a great service for the customer and the business as a whole.

Congratulating the winners, Neil Skehel, Managing Director of Awards International, said: “We are truly inspired by all the best practice showcased at this years’ UK Employee Experience Awards. We have seen some outstanding examples from companies who have embraced employee experience and as a result have reaped the benefits in terms of business growth and customer engagement. Today gave us the opportunity to acknowledge those companies and celebrate with both the finalists and the winners.”

This latest achievement for NGN comes after it won two awards at the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards in February this year and a further seven customer award wins in the final quarter for 2014.

Mark Horsley said of the awards: “Over the last few years we have been working hard to transform our business so I’m thrilled that we have been recognised for further awards.

“Customer and employee satisfaction are issues that are intertwined. By empowering our employees we have become an organisation that now not only outperforms every other UK utility company, but also many of the UK’s top retailers and financial institutions in terms of customer service and employee engagement”.

Mark’s innovative approach to employee engagement allows colleagues the freedom to develop and implement their own solutions to problems faced within the business as well as open opportunities to discuss their ideas or concerns.

National household names were also up for awards at the UK Employee Experience Awards, including LV, BT, British Gas and Virgin Money.

The winners were announced at a gala luncheon on Friday 27 March 2015 at the Grand Connaught Rooms, Holborn, London.

NGN delivers gas to 2.7 million homes and businesses across the North of England and provides the region’s rapid response service for customers who smell gas at home or work.

For more information go to www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk

Our exciting new partnership with a large social housing group in the North East aims to benefit families living in one of the poorest areas of our region.

By switching a large number of homes from electricity to gas, the scheme will ultimately reduce fuel bills for many tenants.

As well as committing to install new gas central heating systems, the housing group will also be fitting new bathrooms and/or kitchens into many of the properties.

Tom Bell, Head of Social Strategy at Northern Gas Networks, said: “Working together from the early planning stages has meant we will extend our gas network and connect the properties ahead of the internal work being carried out, enabling us to enhance this positive programme of work even further for tenants.”

The programme, which began earlier this month, will continue into early 2016.

A similar partnership with Harrogate Borough Council has resulted in 380 metres of new pipe being installed and 22 council owned homes connected to the gas network free of charge.

Working with one of our fuel poor partners, Community Energy Solutions, and Harrogate Borough Council, residents benefited from new more affordable heating solutions including gas condensing combi-boilers and radiators.

Although this project was relatively small in scale, the benefits are already being felt by tenants like Hazel Proudlock, who said: “The transformation from antiquated night storage heaters to gas central heating with a combi-boiler has been amazing. Although not having experienced a full winter yet, the saving is already noticeable. We have been able to switch to a new supplier and to take advantage of dual fuel tariffs.”

Whether you manage 10 or 10,000 properties, it’s worth exploring how a partnership with NGN could potentially benefit your tenants.

To find out more email: tbell@northerngas.co.uk

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out essential work to replace ageing metallic gas mains in Headingley, Leeds, with durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to our customers in the area for years to come.

The work will commence on Monday 30 March in Cardigan Road, from the four way junction with Kirkstall Lane and St Michael’s Road, to the junction of St Michael’s Lane. Some work will also be carried out in North Lane.

The five week project will be carried out in phases to minimise disruption. In order to complete the work as quickly as possible, engineers will be working seven day weeks.

The project is scheduled for completion in early May.

In order to carry out the work safely and efficiently, it will be necessary to use traffic management at various stages throughout the project, including temporary traffic lights and temporary road closures.

Businesses in the area will remain open as usual and pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

Chris Nevison, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks said: “We have planned this scheme carefully with Leeds City Council, and a large section of the work has been scheduled to take place in the school Easter holidays when the volume of traffic on the roads is reduced.

“We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience this essential work may cause, and thank members of the public for their patience and support.”

Planned Schedule of works:

Phase 1 (Monday 30 March for approximately 1 week)

Work will commence at the four way junction on Cardigan Road. A road closure and three-way temporary traffic lights will be installed on St Michaels Lane.

The site will be cleared on Bank Holiday Monday 6 April for the Leeds Rhinos rugby game.

 Phase 2 (Monday 7 April for approximately 1 week)

Work will continue in Cardigan Road under ‘stop and go’ boards to manage the flow of traffic in the area. Reinstatement work will be on Sunday 12 April under a temporary road closure.

Phase 3 (Monday 13 April for approximately 11 days)

Work will continue in Cardigan Road, and preparatory work will be carried out on North Lane at the junction with South Parade.

The site will be cleared on Friday 24 April for the Leeds Rhinos rugby game.

Phase 4 (Saturday 25 April for approximately 9 days)

Work will be carried out in North Lane at the junction with South Parade. Three way temporary traffic lights will be installed at the junction to manage the traffic flow.

The north of England’s gas distributor, Northern Gas Networks, is carrying out work to upgrade ageing metallic gas mains in Whitley Bay with new plastic pipes to ensure the safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The second phase of this essential infrastructure upgrade commenced on Monday 23 March.

In order to carry out this phase of the work safely and efficiently, it has been necessary to close Park View between St Paul’s Church and the junction of Norham Road for approximately 2.5 weeks.

Access will be maintained at all times for pedestrians and for deliveries to local shops.

The third phase of this essential mains replacement project will see work carried out in Front Street and Kensington Gardens in Monkseaton in April 2015.

Richie Manuel, Construction Services Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks said:  “We have been working closely with the local Highways Agency to carefully plan these works and are doing all we can to minimise any disruption caused.

“We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and support.”

Customer Care Officers have been door knocking residents and businesses in the area to let them know about the work.

To find out more about the essential work you can contact Northern Gas Networks’ Customer Care team on 0800 040 7766, option 7. The line is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.