We’re here to help, not hound; keeping our visits safe - for people, and pets.

Each year, we visit thousands of homes to ensure its customers enjoy a reliable power supply. While we take pride in carrying out work safely, we understand that unexpected visits can sometimes cause anxiety for pets - and occasionally their owners too.

As a pet-friendly company, we're committed to creating a non-threatening and positive experience for all; customers, engineers, and beloved pets alike. That’s why we're taking additional steps to further adapt our way of working to help keep all involved safe and happy.

All of our engineers and customer-facing team members follow strict protocols and are highly trained to respect your property and prioritise safety. However, sometimes things go wrong, and there's been a rise in dog-related safety incidents involving our operatioanal teams.

That's why we're issuing some new, simple, clear guidance on how to keep everyone safe.?These new measures include:

• Approaching pets calmly, avoiding sudden movements and maintaining a composed demeanour to help them feel more at ease?
• Keeping any interaction to the very minimum, so unless invited, engineers and visiting customer advisors will avoid direct engagement with pets to prevent any unintended stress or discomfort.

We're also asking you to help make all of our visits a stress-free experience by taking a few simple steps:

• Think about putting pets in a separate room or safe area where they would feel more comfortable before the engineer or customer advisor arrives
• Communicate any concerns you have, especially if your pet has any specific needs or behaviours, so visiting staff can listen, understand and adjust accordingly

• If possible, allow your pet to see the visiting worker at a safe distance first to reduce any territorial reaction

• Keep your pet’s favourite treat or toy nearby to help distract and calm them during visits

• For everyone’s safety, please don’t encourage pets to greet visitors directly, even if they’re friendly.

Garry Black, who's one of our experienced engineers and a dedicated dog lover shares his tips on keeping your pets calm during our visit:

Barry Eggleton , SSEN’s Occupational Health and Safety Manager said:

“At SSEN we know pets are part of the family. Many of us are pet owners and we want to make sure that we respect pets' territory and don’t cause any stress for them during times when our engineers or customer advisors might need to be in homes or gardens to carry out work.

“By introducing these simple, additional measures we're ensuring that our visits are not only safe and efficient, but also respectful of the special bond our customers share with their furry friends.”

At SSEN, we're dedicated to delivering safe and reliable power solutions while fostering strong connections with the communities where our colleagues live and work. With a focus on respect, professionalism and care, we aim to provide exceptional service for all of our customers, and their four-legged companions.

Our colleagues are trained in dealing with service and assistance dogs, so they can best respond to customers who need help at home, without distracting their working dog.

They know to approach with care, ask the dog’s handler before any interaction and respect their boundaries at all times.

For further information, please go to our animal safety web page: www.ssen.co.uk/animalsafety.