Find out about our plans for 2014/15 to 2016/17
The Consumer Council for Water’s Forward Work Programmes for England & Wales and for Wales have been published.
Our Forward Work Programmes are shaped by what water consumers say we should be doing to represent them. This approach has helped us achieve significant outcomes on behalf of consumers since 2005:
- We have secured over £1 billion of value from our negotiations with water companies in the last 12 months, comprising investments brought forward, help for vulnerable customers, or companies not claiming for costs incurred.
- Our work contributed to the 2009 review of water prices being better for customers by £1 billion – the equivalent of over £50 per customer, compared to the 2004 Price Review.
- We have helped return almost £18 million to domestic and business customers in compensation and rebates.
- Our work contributed to each household customer of South West Water receiving a £50 reduction in their water bill from April 2013 funded by Government, due to the exceptionally high bills created by underinvestment prior to privatisation.
- We have handled over 290,000 complaints and enquiries about water companies.
- As a result of our pressure on water companies to get things right first time, there has been a reduction of almost 45% in customer complaints since they peaked in 2007-08.
- We have seen a 24 percentage point improvement in customer satisfaction with CCWater’s quality of service when resolving complaints.
- Almost four times as many customers have signed up to WaterSure, a scheme which supports vulnerable customers who struggle to afford their bill, since we encouraged water companies to simplify and promote it.
- We have also contributed to an almost 120% increase in customers registered on companies’ Special Assistance registers.
- We have kept our operating costs at 21p per year for each water bill payer.
You can see all of the responses to our Forward Work Programme consultation and how we have addressed the comments in our table of responses .