CONSUMER COUNCIL FOR
WATER News Release (CCWater31/07) issued by The Government News
Network on 31 October 2007
Almost 241,000
written complaints were made by customers to water and sewerage
companies in 2006-07, an increase of nearly 30% compared with the
previous year, the Consumer Council for Water announced today.
More than 109,000, nearly half, the complaints were about billing
and charges and three companies accounted for 78% of these
complaints: Thames Water, United Utilities and Severn Trent Water.
Complaints about water services (such as supply, quality and
pipes) accounted for more than 15%.
Customers of Portsmouth Water, Yorkshire Water, Dee Valley Water,
Folkestone and Dover Water and Tendring Hundred Water will be
pleased to know that their suppliers consistently received the
lowest numbers of complaints per 10,000 customers (see table).
Yve Buckland, National Chair of the Consumer Council for Water,
said: "Water customers are becoming increasingly demanding of
their companies. They see water companies making good profits and
expect service, if not improving, then at the very least delivered
to a good, consistent and reliable standard. They also want
complaints dealt with 'right first time'.
"We will be pushing water companies to improve these figures
and provide a much better level of customer service, comparable
with the best in other service sectors."
The full report, called Complaint Handling in the Water Industry
in England and Wales 2006-07, can be found on our website, http://www.ccwater.org.uk.
The report marks the first time the Consumer Council for Water
has published information on written customer complaints received
by water and sewerage companies.
Ends
Company 2005-06 2006-07 Per 10,000
customers*
Anglian 18,986 16,645 59
Bournemouth & West Hampshire 1,036 921 47
Bristol 1,803 2,685 54
Cambridge 396 465 37
Dee Valley 246 258 22
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water 9,691 10,348 69
Essex & Suffolk 3,177 4,048 52
Folkestone & Dover 132 163 22
Hartlepool 44 88 20
Mid Kent 433 941 37
Northumbrian 7,064 7,449 60
Portsmouth 146 156 5
Severn Trent 36,239 68,874 166
South East 1,542 6,721 110
Southern 3,072 14,059 73
South Staffordshire 3,186 2,825 51
South West 7,368 7,810 102
Sutton & East Surrey 130 379 14
Tendring Hundred 103 158 22
Thames 48,156 56,914 100
Three Valleys 2,717 3,419 27
United Utilities 29,842 24,193 74
Wessex 4,653 6,087 51
Yorkshire 5,304 5,193 23
Total / Average 185,466 240,799 80
Notes for editors
1. The Consumer Council for Water represents consumers in England
and Wales.
2. The Consumer Council for Water is the statutory water consumer
body, and operates as a non-departmental public body reporting to
the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the
Welsh Assembly Government. It has a committee for Wales, and at
local level it is supported by nine regional committees in England.
3. Our national website is http://www.ccwater.org.uk.
4. *Per 10,000 customers means one connection to one customer
(bill payer).
5. Customer complaints about water and sewerage companies direct
to the Consumer Council for Water itself also increased by 10%
to more than 13,500 in 2006-07.
6. Water and sewerage companies report their written complaints
to Ofwat in five categories: metering, water service, sewerage
service, billing and charges, and other activities.
Public enquiries to the Consumer Council for Water's
national number, 0845 039 2837, or email enquiries@ccwater.org.uk.
The Consumer Council for Water
Victoria Square House,
Victoria Square, Birmingham B2 4AJ