Water and sewerage companies in England and Wales provide services to millions of homes and businesses every day. Sometimes things can go wrong with these services, leaving consumers disappointed or angry. You have the right to complain if: However, the last few years has seen significant increases in the number of people who need help now, or who are feeling worried about the future. If companies lose sight of these shifts, there is a risk that people may suffer. One of the biggest concerns this year is that the majority of people with a disability, and households where people with a disability live, feel that their financial situation has worsened since last year. CCW has the following specific powers, duties and powers under the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended by the Water Act 2003): In the event that the matter is frustratingly still not resolved, you have the right to complain to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), which is independent from your water and sewerage company.

CCW’s primary functions are to provide advice and represent consumers on water matters and to investigate and handle complaints made against licensed water suppliers or companies. CCW has duties to represent the interests of consumers, both domestic and business, of licensed water suppliers in the new competition regime that came into operation on 1 December 2005, as well as the interests of consumers of water and sewerage companies. Average awareness of the financial support offered by WaterSure/WaterSure Wales 4 has decreased from 13% in 2021 to 12% in 2022. S27A (12) Establishment of the Council and Committees– requires CCW to exercise and perform its powers and duties in the manner which it considers is best calculated to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.You can use the Water Redress Scheme (WATRS), to try to get your complaint resolved. An independent adjudicator will review the evidence from you and the water company, then make a decision about any redress or compensation that should be paid to you. The number of customers agreeing that their charges were affordable remained at 76%. However, the number who feel that their charges are unaffordable increased (12% in 2022 vs 10% in 2021).

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0300 061 4298 The scale of this challenge was highlighted in a recent report which revealed the amount owed to water companies in unpaid bills has risen by 17 per cent since 2010 2. Only 63% of people in 2022 were confident that their water supply would be available in the longer term without restriction, down from 71% in 2021. Although levels of satisfaction are high in some areas, there is evidence to suggest that satisfied customers are generally becoming ‘less satisfied’ across the board. We explore this in more detail later in the report. Key highlights 2 People’s experiences and perceptions of the service provided by companies over the last 5 years is, in many cases, less encouraging than if we look at the 12-year trend 5. This could be the result of a worsening economic climate, the recent negative publicity around storm overflows as well as changing expectations of companies. The most significant differences include:All water companies provide support and financial assistance to customers who are struggling to pay their bills. We want to help the industry understand where to focus its attention to meet the challenges that people are facing. Companies have been working to improve this financial assistance.

CCW has supported the companies’ work in this area. We’ve ensured additional measures to support customers through the cost of living crisis were implemented. Our One Year on Report summarised the progress achieved since the publication of the recommendations in our independent review of water affordability. We will continue to work with companies to make progress. Overall, the data shows that a growing number of people feel that their bills are unaffordable now. In addition, there is also a growing number of people who feel that their finances have worsened over the last 12 months. They are at risk of feeling that their bills are unaffordable in the future, if they do not already feel this way. This suggests that many more customers may need support with bills in the future. Companies need to have the capability and capacity to respond to a potential future surge in people needing support.S27B Co-operation between Council and other authorities – requires CCW to agree a memorandum of understanding with the Authority (Ofwat), the Secretary of State (Defra and DWI) and the Welsh Government. While the trends in companies’ individual scores do not necessarily reflect the same patterns as the industry overview set out in Table 2, generally speaking, for those negative differences that are highlighted in yellow on that table, companies will also see flat or worsening trends.