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In its assessment of each company’s plan, Ofwat will highlight where companies are delivering for customers and where it will be pushing companies to go further.
6 years ago
South West Water and South East Water have shown the highest level of environmental ambition in their PR19 business plans, according to the Blueprint for Water coalition.
Bristol Water has become the first water company to publish a social contract, through which it aims to help society resolve some of the big issues facing it.
Ofwat has noted the “disappointing performance” for customer service by Thames Water and SES Water as the regulator published the service incentive mechanism (SIM) scores for 2017-18.
Ofwat has indicated that it will consider more ambitious leakage targets for future price reviews but said further improvements will be dependent on advances in technology as well as greater levels of industry collaboration.
The past year has been a perfect storm for the water industry. Weather extremes are increasingly becoming the norm and the cracks of an ageing infrastructure are starting to show.
South East Water has become the first domestic water supplier to partner with Hive, Centrica's connected home provider, to help customers monitor their water usage and detect and reduce leaks.
SES Water said it has “significantly lowered” its gearing from 77 per cent to below 60 per cent as it published its first ever “customer-friendly” guide which explains how the company its owned, run and financed.
South West Water supported the Isles of Scilly operations during the summer months when water levels fell to extreme lows as the company prepares to take over the water supply of the area.
The water only company has also announced the appointment of Bob Taylor who will become chief executive on 1 January next year.
Water companies are coming under increasing pressure to deliver great service to customers – the
Business plans for PR19 have been a long time in the making but, for now
The figure of 64 per cent leaps to 100 per cent amongst energy retailers, energy generators and non-domestic water retailers, and to 75 per cent among domestic water wholesalers, according the findings of Utility Week’s annual CEO Insight research this year carried out in association with Economic Insight.
Anglian Water was visited by environment secretary Michael Gove last week at sites in Gazeley and Newmarket in Suffolk, where he learnt about the company’s “sector-leading approach” to leakage.
"The ambition highlighted in our manifesto shows an industry that is dynamic and passionate about delivering real benefits for customers"
Ofwat has wasted no time in getting underway with scrutinising water companies’ business plans for the next price review period, PR19.
Nine of the UK’s water companies have, along with 20 NGOs, joined together to create a set of “shared principles” to improve the health of the environment.
Severn Trent’s multi-billion pound capital infrastructure programme is being bolstered by a recruitment drive for its recently formed capital design department.
