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Giving customers a voice in the future of their water supplies
Ask anyone who doesn’t work in the water sector what they want from the next price review and you’ll probably be met with blank expressions. Yet ask people about issues like affordability, tackling climate change, investment in infrastructure, protecting the environment, helping people in vulnerable circumstances, and you’ll be met by a wide range of…
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Consider the financially vulnerable, CCW urges the CMA
Careful consideration should be given to the future affordability of water bills, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has told the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Steve Hobbs, Senior Policy Manager, reflects on the latest hearing. In a late-scheduled second hearing on 17 November, CCW was invited to provide additional evidence to the CMA, giving…
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CMA: is the customer voice being heard?
More customer engagement was carried out at PR19 than in any previous price review. But how has this translated into tangible outcomes for consumers, and is the CMA listening? CCW’s Mike Keil explores whether the customer voice is being heard as the appeal process continues. A step change in both the quality and quantity of…
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Customer support must drive CMA decisions
As the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) prepares to make final decisions over four water companies’ future plans, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) warns that customers must not lose out on the service levels and investment they value most. Steve Hobbs, Senior Policy Manager at CCW, explains. Four water companies in England – Northumbrian…
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5 things we learned from Ofwat’s initial verdict on company plans
It’s often said that good things come to those who wait. Try telling that to the four water companies that were sent back to the drawing board when Ofwat delivered its initial verdict on the industry’s business plans for 2020-25 at the end of last month.
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PR19: Are bill-payers in for a shock?
Claims that water bills could reduce by an average of 4% in 2020-25 may not be all they seem, with added extras creating an uncertain future for bill-payers. James Mackenzie, Policy Manager at the Consumer Council for Water, explains. Last autumn, water companies across England and Wales published their initial business plans for 2020-25, which…