Extra care services

We continued to see an increase in the number of customers benefiting from our wide range of extra care services in 2009/10.

For people with sight problems, for example, we offer large print, braille, talking bills and email bills, to be used with screen reading software. We also provide textphone services for the deaf and hard of hearing and coloured background bills for dyslexic customers.

Our dedicated extra care services hotline was used by more than 5,000 customers during 2009/10.

The number of customers using our extra care services has continued to increase.

In November 2009 we sent a braille notebook to all our registered braille users, enabling both blind and sighted customers to write notes in braille, record utility emergency telephone numbers, and to label food items in the cupboard, fridge or freezer. Our extra care services direct telephone number is also printed in braille on the cover of the notebook, so that blind customers can speak directly with a member of staff 24 hours day.

We promote the additional help we offer by working closely with local Citizens Advice Bureau offices, disability support groups and Age UK, as well as local authorities and housing associations who maintain complexes and homes for the disabled and the vulnerable.

Almost 33,500 customers are now identified on our Special Assistance Register and receive one or more additional services at no extra charge – an increase of 22 per cent on 2008/09, representing an additional 5,999 individual households.