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Water retailers have given their approval to market operator, MOSL’s business plan for 2020/21, which will see a budget increase of 4.7 per cent.
Chief executive Sarah McMath said she had strived to be” honest in my reflection of what is needed to make this market work for customers” and to tackle various legacy challenges within the £11.2 million budget programme for the year.
The plan commits to a review of metering and to build bridges between retailers and wholesalers.
It reiterates support for the bilateral transactions project but acknowledges a strong challenge from members that the business case needs to be clearer before solution costs can be committed to. As a result, these have been removed from the current budget.
McMath said: “Since joining MOSL in June last year, it has been clear to me, from the conversations I’ve had with members and various stakeholders, that there are still a number of well-known challenges facing the non-household market.
“I have been honest in my reflection of what is needed to make this market work for customers, and I am delighted that we received broad support for our 2020/21 business plan to drive this work forward.
“Significant improvement in these priority areas cannot be achieved by MOSL alone and I look forward to working with our members and stakeholders throughout the course of 2020/21 and beyond, as we work to deliver a market that is “easier to business” and one that delivers on its commitments to customers.”
In an in-depth interview with Utility Week earlier this month, McMath stressed that if the underlying frictions in the market were not resolved there was a potential that retailers would look to exit.
However, she said: “At the end of the day, everyone involved in this market wants the same thing and most of the tensions are down to the frustration of being able to achieve that goal. It’s my role to declutter that process and empower businesses to do what they set out to do – give customers choice and great service. There are challenges ahead but it feels like I have a lot of support in that vision.”
Last week, Utility Week revealed that complaints about the water retail market fell for the third consecutive quarter in Q3 2019.
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