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Two thirds of water customers find the price review (PR14) proposals that have been put forward by Ofwat acceptable, according to a study by the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater).
A total of 67 per cent of “informed” customers found the proposals for water bills acceptable; 64 per cent for the sewerage proposals; and 59 per cent for the combined water and sewerage proposals.
These customers have considered the acceptability of the draft determination after receiving year on year figures for average bills across the five years (including inflation) and information on the key services to be delivered.
Two sets of figures were created – informed and uninformed – which gauged reaction to the general headlines of the impact on bills, and a more detailed reaction wit he impact of inflation included.
A total of 74 per cent of “uninformed” customers found the PR14 plans acceptable when they considered the impact on bills without any figures presented.
This fell to 60 per cent for water proposals, 56 per cent for sewerage proposals, and 55 per cent for combined proposals, when the impact was presented as a monetary change and the affect of inflation added.
CCWater chief executive Tony Smith said the survey was “pretty good news” but warned the water companies and customers to “watch out for inflation”.
He told Utility Week: “The research shows the importance of telling customers what they are getting on a continuing basis.
“The more you tell customers what they are getting, the more likely they are to find it acceptable.”
The study states that customers found the proposals acceptable because they believe the plans focus on the right things and they generally support what the water companies are trying to do in the long run.
However, those who deem the plans unacceptable did so because they are “more likely to find them unaffordable” and because they feel that the bills are “already too expensive and will continue to be”, while the water companies “make enough profit already”.
CCWater surveyed 10,967 customers, 500 from each water company area, (490 in Dee Valley, and 477 in Sutton and East Surrey), on understand customer reaction to the PR14 plans.
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