News
Higher Compensation Rates For Poor Water Company Service
New proposals have been set out by the government to crack down on water companies demonstrating poor levels of customer service, with households and businesses entitled to double the current amount of reimbursement they are legally entitled to when key standards are not met.
The measures are now subject to an eight-week consultation process, with the government planning to double payments for all current standards and more than double those for highly disruptive incidents, including missing arranged appointments and not providing notice for supply interruptions.
The list of circumstances for which compensation can be applied for will also be expanded to include failure to carry out promised meter readings or installations and automatic payments for boil notices if potable water standards drop.
The average annual water and sewerage bill comes to £440, which would mean that the minimum payment of £40 under the proposals would represent approximately ten per cent of the average annual bill. In some instances, payments could be worth at least 25 per cent.
For example, low pressure could result in compensation of up to £250, while internal flooding from sewers could see people compensated up to £2,000.
This new consultation comes hot on the heels of the government’s water (special measures) bill, which aims to reduce sewage spills and attract investment to carry out essential infrastructure upgrades.
The bill includes new powers to bring severe automatic fines, requiring companies to install real-time monitors at sewage outlets, making water executives more accountable through a new code of conduct, new powers for the regulator to ban bonus payments if environmental standards aren’t met and strengthening regulation so water bosses face criminal liability for breaking the law.
Jenny Suggate, director of policy, research and campaigns at the Consumer Council for Water, commenting on the news of the consultation, saying: “We’re delighted the government is fast-tracking efforts to improve the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, with the potential to boost compensation and support for hundreds of thousands of people each year when they are let down by their water company.
“Given that there has been little change to the standards since they were first introduced, an overhaul is long overdue, and we know it is a pressing priority for household and business customers.
“Demanding higher standards of service and improving levels of compensation when things go wrong will incentivise water companies to get things right the first time for all customers.”
Enjoy better customer service by switching supplier!
If you’re not satisfied with the current level of customer service you’re receiving from your water supplier, all is not yet lost and you can potentially secure better deals and work with a company that understands your business far better simply by switching supplier.
In April 2017, the English water retail market was deregulated, giving businesses the power to choose their own water provider for the very first time and bringing the market in line with that of Scotland, which opened up back in 2008.
There are all sorts of advantages to switching, including better customer service, making cost savings with better tariffs, finding a company that specialises in your industry’s specific services, bill consolidation across multiple sites with a single supplier and taking advantage of value-added extras on top of your typical water supply and wastewater services.
While it’s certainly beneficial to look into switching, the process can be a little overwhelming, particularly if you’ve never done it before. There are lots of new suppliers entering the market and it can be tricky to know who best to go for, which often means that you end up taking no action at all and choose to stick with your current supplier.
As appealing as “better the devil you know” may sound, you are likely doing your business a disservice if you don’t at least look into the possibilities that lie elsewhere – and this is certainly something we can help you with here at H2o Building Services.
As a team of experienced consultants, we have extensive knowledge of the water supply industry and can give you all the advice and guidance you need to choose the best supplier, one who will offer you the best deal and service for you and your company.
We’ll carry out a full water audit of your entire operational base to determine your current water usage and compare it to your present billing. This will help us see where you could reduce costs and increase your water efficiency, as well as allowing us to review your supplier’s billing accuracy and maintenance services.
Once we know how you use water and where, we can then find the most appropriate supplier based on your specific requirements. If you’d like to find out more about what we can achieve together, get in touch with the H2o Building Services team today.