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Trust in the water sector has hit its lowest level since customers satisfaction began being measured 13 years ago.
Energy companies are now more trusted than water utilities for the first time as householders express dissatisfaction.
Consumer watchdog CCW said water companies risked their reputations “being irreversibly damaged” if customers do not see a sustained improvement in environmental performance.
It is the first time satisfaction has declined across all metrics.
Over 10 years, satisfaction with environmental performance has plummeted from 88% to just 35% this year.
Satisfaction with sewerage services slipped 14% to an all-time low of 65%, alongside perceptions of how much companies care about the service they provide. Only half the householders agreed that their company cared about the service it provided, which was down 14% year on year.
Fairness of bills dipped 9% to 55% of those surveyed stating they thought charges were fair.
Trust in water companies also reached its lowest level (6.37 out of 10) since the survey began, with scores for all companies falling this year.
Mike Keil, chief executive of CCW, said: “These are the worst results we’ve ever seen in our survey and it largely stems from customers’ concerns over companies’ environmental performance. It’s little surprise people are questioning whether they are getting a fair deal.”
“Trust won’t be rebuilt and customers will not tolerate future bill rises unless they see and feel a step change in the service they receive from their water company – whether that’s having the confidence to swim at their local beach or experiencing a more reliable water supply. If customers are going to be asked to pay considerably more, they have a right to expect far more in return.
Ahead of draft determinations for the next five years being published in June, CCW said companies’ biggest challenge will be convincing customers that they can be trusted to protect the environment. Its survey indicated that just one third (33%) of people were satisfied with the industry’s current efforts.
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