Testing the Waters 2022

This is our fourth Testing the Waters report, published every two years, which looks at how business customers in England and Wales feel about the water, sewerage and retail services they receive.

Key findings

• Overall satisfaction has declined for both water and sewerage services – from 91% to 88% and from 88% to 82% respectively
• Satisfaction with retail services has remained the same, at 70% – however it is a long way from the target of 85% by 2027 set by CCW
• Perceptions of value for money have fallen – 68% of all businesses surveyed are satisfied with value for money, down from 74%
• Satisfaction is higher in Wales – 92% for water and 88% for sewerage services, while retail satisfaction in Wales is already at 85%
• Water bills are one of the biggest sources of dissatisfaction
• Proactive contact with customers is one of the most important ways to improve satisfaction across the board

Next steps

We are offering help to retailers to improve their customer communications, providing a communications toolkit and sharing best practice. Business forums continue to take place, where we work with retailers to address wider problems.

We will also continue to promote the importance of water efficiency to all customers.