*email sent to customers with a registered email address on 31 March 2022*

Dear customers,

I hope you have been enjoying this beautiful spring weather and it has definitely given me extra motivation to get back to the gym and out for some long walks in the fresh air.

Understandably, with the dreadful scenes unfolding in Ukraine, news coverage on Covid has diminished recently. Last week, though, marked the second anniversary since the first lockdown and therefore it was an important time of reflection for many. I know many of you or your loved ones will have been personally impacted by the pandemic, both good and bad. If you are following us on LinkedIn, you might have seen Kevin from our gas team share a more positive experience which is really worth a read (especially if you like chips).

As we all try and find our new normal, one of our main priorities is making sure you, our customers, always feel like you are listened to. That is why I am delighted to be joined this month by one of our customers, Tanya Love, to talk about a topic very close to her heart. You will be hearing from more of our customers in the months ahead, speaking openly and honestly about the issues that matter to them.

If you are anything like me, you will be keeping a watchful eye on household prices and energy bills. This is particularly pertinent after last week’s confirmation that inflation hit a 30-year high in February, compounded by Ofgem raising the energy price cap by 54% from tomorrow (1 April).

There are lots of scary terms flying around at the minute, and I know from personal experience that it can sometimes be difficult to get your head around your monthly energy bill. I’m fortunate to work with Dan Goodall, a director in our ICT team, who spent a number of years working in the energy sector.

He has recorded a series of bitesize videos which go a long way to helping demystify some of those popular phrases, so I’m sure you will find them a really useful watch. Don’t forget to share with friends, family, or your wider network if you know anybody else having similar concerns.

Like a growing number of us, Tanya Love is passionate about tackling the growing threat of climate change. She has already experimented with a number of simple solutions to boost the thermal efficiency of her home further and reduce her own carbon footprint. 

Whether it’s new electric repairs vans, greener forms of heating, or using the latest modular housing technology, the issue of sustainability is one which is central to Bromford’s strategy but customers like Tanya – who represent customers on a range of issues through our Staffordshire & Marches Locality Influence Network (LIN) – are great at reminding us that there is always more we could be doing.

Here she pens a really thought-provoking blog on how we can all play our part, even through the smallest of changes so I do urge you to have a read.

You might remember we extended our recommend a friend scheme to customers for a limited time only before Christmas 2021, and I am thrilled to say that we have re-opened this again for an extended period. 

We always want to attract the very best talent to come and work for Bromford, whether that’s as part of our important customer services team, plying a crucial trade as an electrician or heating engineer, or working in one of our key back office functions like ICT or finance. And now you can earn a cool £1,000 for successfully referring a candidate at the application stage!

So, get your thinking caps on, and help us attract new talent so we can continue delivering the best possible service to customers. You can apply or simply learn more about the scheme on our website.

A big thank you to Dan and Tanya for contributing to this month’s update and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I’ll be back in April and by then I’m sure the warmer summer nights will be fast upon us, so there is plenty to look forward to!

Rohini Mehra
Chief customer officer