WIREDGOV

Households across Wales can look forward to more affordable water bills in future thanks to Welsh Government regulations which have come into force this month.

The Water Industry Regulations 2014 reinforces the Welsh Government’s commitment to reducing the number of people who get into debt with their water supplier and will in turn help to make it more affordable for everyone.

The Minister for Natural Resources, Carl Sargeant said:  

“The cost of trying to recover outstanding charges is believed to add between £15 and £20 to the average customer’s bill. This is not right and our Tackling Poverty Action Plan makes it clear that the introduction of a fairer and more streamlined system for recovering outstanding charges is one of our priorities for the sector.

“These regulations place a duty on all owners of residential properties who let the property to someone else to provide basic information about the occupiers to their relevant water company (Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water or Dee Valley Water). If the owner fails to provide the information within 21 days they will become jointly and severally liable with the occupier for any water and sewerage charges incurred during the period that they failed to comply with the regulations.

“Occupiers will benefit from the new approach, as they will be made aware of charges earlier, helping them to budget accordingly and ensuring they receive information about support for paying their bills, such as social tariffs, assistance funds or payment plans.

“This will, in turn, mean a reduction in the number of people who get into debt with their water supplier in Wales and provide a more streamlined system for the water companies to recover outstanding bills, cutting costs and making it more affordable for everyone in the process.”