Our Services
At Richburns we provide a number of services to companies within the utility industry. Over the past 20 years we have developed and streamlined a number of processes which involve workstreams such as; debt collection, metering services and vulnerable customers.
Debt Collection
Richburns has been helping clients reduce their debt portfolios for over 20 years and our years of experience ensure each account is dealt with professionally and efficiently.
We provide a fully comprehensive service using proven collection techniques. Utilising our sophisticated contact management processes, cutting edge technology and highly qualified team out in the field, we undertake pre-disconnection visits and warrant executions on behalf of the leading companies in the utilities market place.
All our internal staff and 130 field representatives are trained to deal with each account on an individual basis; allowing us to ensure the customer receives the best advice and finds a resolution that suits both parties.
Richburns currently work in over 225 courts across the country and we pride ourselves on the understanding we have of each court’s individual guidelines and booking lead time, ensuring a seamless process from warrant application to execution.
Our dedicated court and warrant team ensure that the many parties involved are informed of dates, times and location to ensure that a smooth process takes place. Richburns manages the whole process taking the headache away from their clients and ensuring a solution is achieved.
Metering Services
In addition to our successful debt recovery services, Richburns is also a leading expert in the field of metering. We assist and advise many leading electric and gas companies on issues with their metering services. Our tried and tested programmes and experience of managing the necessary processes with parties involved, ensures that all metering issues can be resolved quickly. Some of our biggest projects included the following;
Gas and Electricity Safety Inspections
Supply safety inspections are a legal requirement under the licence conditions of an energy supplier. At Richburns we have been carrying out both gas and electricity safety inspections over the years on behalf of multiple utility companies. Our clients customers safety is paramount to us, which is why all our representatives are trained to the highest standard when dealing with safety inspections.
Tracing Supplies
Tracing of gas and electricity supplies can be a complicated and time-consuming issue. We offer highly trained representatives and engineers, who will expertly identify, quickly and with minimum fuss, where the correct meter lies. We are highly experienced in this field and can complete individual traces to large site traces as vast as 200 supplies. In any situation our expert operatives act speedily with minimal inconvenience to the customer.
Vacant Sites
We have vast experience in identifying vacant sites for our clients. Our field representatives are fully trained in ascertaining an empty premise and will investigate to gain as much information as possible. We work with many clients on actively removing meters from vacant sites and have a programme in place to ensure that meters are removed quickly with little disruption, resulting in savings in transportation costs for our clients and reducing the opportunity for electrical and gas theft.
Revenue Protection
'Theft of Gas' and 'Abstraction of Electricity' are major issues in the energy sector especially when it comes to safety. We employ specially trained representatives, nationwide, to handle all types of suspected theft cases.
We carry out a wide range of visit types to ascertain whether theft is occuring at a property. All of our visits to a property are carried out inline with the DCUSA Revenue Protection Code of Practice.
We have streamlined processes to ensure that these cases are dealt with quickly and efficiently involving all relevant third parties such as; distributors and transporters.
When we identify that theft is taking place, we employ a number of techniques to ensure that these cases do not re-occur at a property after it has been resolved.
Industrial and Commercial
We have been involved in the removal of industrial and commercial plant, both adversarial and non-adversarial since 1999. We have assisted most of the big six utility companies in the removal of industrial and commercial meters.
We have a team of highly qualified engineers and representatives who are experienced in the removal of industrial and commercial plant.
Occupier Accounts
Most utility companies hold around 8% to 15% of their customers as ‘The Occupier’. We were one of the first debt management companies to assist the major utility companies in reducing this figure.
Over the years we have devised and constantly improved processes to carry out this workstream. We have a number of techniques and methods to determine who is residing at a property.
As well as carrying out the standard methods of investigation we also utilise various methods of tracing. All our methods are proven to work as we have collected over £7 million in occupier debt.
Vulnerable Customers
At Richburns, all our staff are trained to identify and assist customers with vulnerability. We have great satisfaction in knowing that we have helped our clients' customers to the fullest.
When dealing with a vulnerable customer we offer advice on the various schemes that the different major utility companies offer, as well as how the customer can reduce their energy usage and improve their energy efficiency.
We ensure that we always offer the most suitable solution for both the client and the customer.