Draft price limits provide good news for Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water customers
The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) says today’s (Friday) draft decision on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s price limits for 2015 to 2020 is good news for their customers.
Regulator Ofwat has announced that it believes Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s average annual household bill for water and sewerage services should fall before inflation from £416 in 2014/15 to £396 by 2020. Ofwat will make a final decision in December.
But inflation is added to water bills so customers could still see their bill rise by 2020.
Clare Evans, Local Consumer Advocate for CCWater Wales, said:
We’ve challenged Dŵr Cymru to deliver proposals that clearly reflect what their customers want, at a time when one in five water customers tell us their water bill is not affordable1. The company has listened and this announcement should allow it to deliver the improvements customers have called for, at a price that is acceptable to them.
CCWater also welcomes the company’s commitment to share any future financial gains with customers and it having a unique not-for-profit structure. We look forward to seeing how customers’ views are used to determine how this money is reinvested for their benefit.
1 One in five water customers in England and Wales who took part in the Water Matters 2013 survey, commissioned by CCWater, said their water bill was not affordable.