Cyclical Debt Assessments Overview 2017/18

Many customers face pressure in managing their household income to meet the rising cost of bills. CCW research suggests that around 3 million households in England and Wales find their water bills unaffordable. Over the years we have challenged the water industry to ensure they do more to help those customers struggling to pay. As a result, almost 400,000 low income households are now receiving lower water bills through companies’ social tariff schemes. Good communication with customers is essential when collecting revenue. We expect water companies to effectively collect revenue but to offer assistance to customers who are struggling financially to pay their water charges. We issue advice to customers on ways they can cut their bills. Our water meter calculator provides a guideline for customers to check if they would be better off with a meter rather than paying unmeasured charges. We have also partnered with Turn2us, a national charity which provides a benefits calculator and grants search so customers can identify what financial assistance they could be eligible for. Debt assessments is another area of work we carry out to assist customers who are struggling to pay. Every year we assess one company in each of our regions in England and in Wales. We review a sample of household customer accounts to check how well companies collect outstanding revenue. Our assessments review the effectiveness of the company’s collection process and also consider what help companies are offering customers who are struggling to pay and that they are being treated sensitively according to their circumstances.