Agenda: Utility Week Consumer Vulnerability and Debt 2026

EVOLVING REGULATION AND ITS ROLE IN PROTECTING VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS
9:35 AM																One year on from Cunliffe: What will water regulation look like, and what will be the knock-on effects for consumers? Assessing affordability whilst actioning Cunliffe's suggestions: how much will it all cost? How can we ensure continued support for vulnerable customers in the new regulatory landscape? Senior representatve, Ofwat
9:50 AM																Ofgem's Debt Relief Scheme: The impact so far How has Ofgem determined the eligibility criteria, and is there scope for flexibility on this? Where do we draw the line between reducing debt and writing it off completely? Using the debt relief scheme to increase customer engagement Senior representative, Ofgem
10:05 AM																A look at the customer debt landscape, and how we can develop a united approach to tackling household bill rises Where is customer debt heading, and what can we do as an industry about it? How are household bill rises impacting vulnerable customers? How can utilities work together to offer targeted support? Water companies are entering a period of steep bill rises. What can they learn from the energy sector to manage this effectively and communicate with customers? Is the Warm Homes Plan the answer to protecting vulnerable customers from high energy bills and long-term pain? Tamara Dowson, Customers Policy and Regulation Senior Analyst, EDF Gillian Sladen, Senior National Projects Manager, Places for People Alex Wilkes, Customer Service Director, South Staffs Water Andrew White, Senior Leader - Social Policy, CCW
10:45 AM																Refreshments, exhibition and networking

TACKLING AFFORDABILITY AND OFFERING THE RIGHT PROTECTION
11:15 AM																Addressing financial vulnerability effectively and empathetically Hearing from first-hand experience how to get communication right How do we encourage those at risk of debt to come forward for support? Jan Levy, Managing Director, Three Hands Insight
11:35 AM																Can't pay, or won't pay: How do we address this? How do we distinguish who cannot afford to pay, and who is simply choosing not to pay? What can be done to collect this debt and protect those who are truly vulnerable?
11:55 AM																Combatting consumer debt and ensuring no one is left behind Energy debt is now in the billions. How can we stop this rising further? Defining vulnerability in a debt landscape, and who is most at risk How do you support vulnerable customers and tackle affordability before it becomes debt? Venus Galarza-Mullins, Principal Policy Manager, Citizens Advice Louise Walsh, Chief Customer Contact Officer, Utilita Senior representative, United Utilities

BUILDING A PSR FIT FOR PURPOSE: AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
11:15 AM																Building a single electricity, gas and water customer care register An insight into Northern Ireland's Customer Care Register project What are the key learnings Utility Regulator has taken from the process so far? Senior representative, Utility Regulator
11:35 AM																PSR in action: What have been the hits, and the misses? How has the PSR helped refine SSEN Distribution’s customer vulnerability strategy and operations? Where have the limitations of the PSR been found? What would a dream PSR look like to a DNO? Emma Merritt, Customer Vulnerability and Communities Lead, SSEN Distribution
11:55 AM																Build your dream PSR In this interactive session, delegates will split into groups to build their dream PSR from scratch. Each group will take into consideration the current PSR and Utility Regulator's work building their new customer care register when building their plan, before presenting back to the room. Delegates will evaluate: What should be the eligibility criteria for your dream PSR? How often does the PSR need to be reviewed for changes in circumstances? Who should take the lead on building and maintaining the data?

ADVANCING DEBT COLLECTION STRATEGIES
1:30 PM																How do we navigate customer behaviour when recovering debt? Is Ofgem's Debt Relief Scheme at risk of encouraging customers not to pay their debts? Can energy adapt and apply social tariffs used by water companies? What are the specific challenges customers are facing, and how can we help them? Nina White, Director of Income, Thames Water Vanessa Northam, Partnerships Director, StepChange
2:00 PM																Being smart about collections: Building intelligence through data How can utilities share data to ensure the right people are being addressed for debt collection? What intelligent decisions do you take against customers in debt?
2:20 PM																Avoiding litigation through swift resolutions Tailoring engagement for won't-pay customers How can we be stricter on collection processes? What collection strategies have seen the most success in engaging customers? Dan Hookins, Litigation Manager, Octopus Energy
2:40 PM																Dragons' Den Introducing our 'Dragons' Den' quickfire solutions session, providing you with an opportunity to hear from our best-in-class partners who will deliver a 90-second pitch, designed to help you identify latest innovations in debt collection.

UNDERSTANDING VULNERABILITY AND ENHANCING COMMUNICATION
1:30 PM																Identifying vulnerability in the field and managing unpredictable situations How can you prepare field teams to recognise when a customer needs to be communicated with differently? How do you identify an escalating situation in the field and resolve in a calm, peaceful manner? Karen Hunter, Customer Inclusion Manager, SP Electricity North West
1:55 PM																Elevating your vulnerability strategy through lived experience and expertise What are the most common gaps when it comes to providing support to customers with mental health challenges? What did Anglian Water learn on their journey to becoming the first Mental Health Accredited water company? How can bolstering vulnerability strategies with expert mental health knowledge increase their effectiveness and impact? Samantha Ross, Customer ODI Strategy Manager, Anglian Water Alexis Stevens, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Money & Mental Health
2:20 PM																Improving customer communications for people in vulnerable circumstances In this interactive session, delegates will split into groups and review customer communications through the lens of vulnerable customers using lived experience feedback. They will identify key changes they would make and develop a better understanding of how even the smallest changes can make the biggest impacts to improve outcomes for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

TRUST, TRANSPARENCY & THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
3:15 PM																AI as support not a replacement: Successfully integrating AI into customer contact centres Exploring examples of AI used for good in customer contact centres Aarthi Kumar, Data and AI Strategist, CKDelta
3:35 PM																Rebuilding trust through the Warm Homes Plan How has the Warm Homes Plan helped vulnerable customers stay warm whilst keeping costs down? Rose Chard, Senior Advisor, Energy Systems Catapult
3:55 PM																Communicating with transparency and restoring customer confidence How has the shift to greater transparency in messaging been navigated, and what was the response from customers? Understanding the evolving priorities of customers and reflecting these in communications
4:15 PM																Closing keynote: Evolving customer experience strategies and continuing on the path of inclusivity Using data and AI to understand human behaviours to better inform customer touchpoints Getting the balance right between automation and human interaction to support vulnerable customers How can the utilities sector learn from the finance sector to evolve their customer experience strategies? James Hewitson, Managing Director, Head of Customer Support, HSBC UK
4:30 PM																Chair's closing remarks and end of the Utility Week Consumer Vulnerability & Debt Conference 2026 James Wallin, Editor-in-Chief, Utility Week