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Yorkshire Water has extended assistance available to customers who find themselves in debt, with two months of breathing space from charges.
The company will cover 60 days of charges for customers on the government’s Breathing Space scheme by putting a freeze on debt action as well as covering all charges from the company during the respite period.
Breathing Space was introduced by government in 2020 to offer householders under financial strain two months in which they cannot be contacted by creditors to allow people time to engage with debt support services.
Steve Grebby, policy manager for consumer watchdog CCW, said: “Dealing with debt can be enormously overwhelming and isolating, which is why we’re delighted to see Yorkshire Water’s shareholders funding this additional support for customers in crisis.”
He added that the breathing space would bring “much-needed peace of mind” to people accessing support and also “sends a clear message that their water company is on their side.”
Last week CCW’s chief executive Emma Clancy along with Ofwat’s head David Black wrote to water companies to ensure they were mindful of inflationary impacts on household finances when setting bills for 2023/24. The letter urged companies to set out how they will “anticipate and act” before the next price review to support billpayers.
Yorkshire recently announced shareholder input of £15 million to help communities struggling during the cost of living crisis. The company was ordered by Ofwat to recall intercompany loans deemed to be against licence conditions and for shareholders to inject £100 million into the business by 2025.
Angie Markham-Nock, customer support manager for Yorkshire, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to offer this additional support to our customers that are struggling with debt. We know that debt can have a huge impact on mental health and with the cost of living rising, it’s a really difficult time for a lot of people.”
Customers using the government Breathing Space portal will automatically see their payments covered during that period.
Supporting customers facing a difficult winter will be a key issue at the Utility Week Forum next month in London. Find out more and how you can hear utilities coming together to discuss how to tackle the trilemma.
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