Latest news with #servicereform
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
How to get up to £2,000 by complaining to your water company
Water companies must now pay households up to £2,000 in compensation for service failures as part of wider government efforts to reform the sector. Payout rates have increased by as much as tenfold, marking the first rise in 25 years. The industry has come under mounting scrutiny, as bills have soared and firms have failed to invest adequately in ageing infrastructure. Leaking pipes, repeated sewage discharges into rivers and seas, and unfair executive bonuses have fuelled widespread public anger. Following an investigation by Jon Cunliffe, former Bank of England deputy governor, the Government has announced that it is scrapping Ofwat, the current regulator. Instead, a new regulator will oversee all water functions across Ofwat, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The news comes as water bills are estimated to rise 30pc over the next five years. Following reforms earlier in the year, as set out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and enforced by Ofwat, customers affected by poor service are entitled to significantly higher compensation. Here, Telegraph Money explains how much you could receive and when, and what to do if your water company refuses to pay. What can you be compensated for? How do you make a claim? How much compensation could you get? What if your water company won't pay out? What can you be compensated for? Households are entitled to compensation if their water company fails to meet minimum service standards, as set out by the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). These include: Failure to provide at least 48 hours' notice of a planned interruption to a water supply lasting more than four hours. Persistent low water pressure. Sewerage flooding, both inside your property and outside (such as gardens and driveways). Failure to restore a water supply on time. Missed or delayed appointments by your water company, or changes to scheduled visits without 24 hours' notice. Delays in dealing with complaints, requests for payment changes or account queries. The Government is also working with water companies to expand the list of circumstances that will trigger compensation payments. From October, customers will also be entitled to compensation if they are asked to boil their water due to a contaminated supply or their smart meter isn't read at least once in a 13-month period. How do you make a claim? In most cases, compensation payments should be automatic. If a company fails to meet the necessary minimum standards, it must make a fixed payment or credit the amount to your account. Automatic payments should usually be made within 20 working days of the incident occurring. This is reduced to 10 working days for delays in dealing with account enquiries, payment changes or issues with appointments. The exception is if you experience external sewerage flooding. In this instance, you will need to claim compensation via your water company. Most companies have claims forms on their websites, or you can get in touch with your provider for more information. How much compensation could you get? The recent changes mark the first time compensation rates have increased in 25 years in recognition of the 'urgent need to bring payments in line with inflation and properly compensate households for poor service', according to Defra. The table below outlines the amounts all water companies in England must now compensate households, and how they compare to previous rates. There are separate rates of compensation for businesses. What if your water company won't pay out? If you believe you're entitled to compensation and haven't received it, or if your issue isn't covered by the GSS (such as billing errors), start by raising a complaint directly with your water company. Currently, a water company must respond within 10 working days. If it doesn't, you can escalate the complaint, and the water company has a further 10 working days to respond. If the issue isn't resolved or you're not happy with the outcome, you can take your complaint to Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which will investigate. You can do this by email or letter, by filling in an online form or over the phone. Currently, there is no ombudsman for the water sector, although this could change as part of the planned overhaul, creating a new body with enhanced legal powers. Be prepared to supply the relevant information, including copies of any communication with your supplier. A spokesperson for CCW said: 'Where CCW cannot resolve disputes relating to GSS payments, the case can be referred to Ofwat, which has the power to make a final decision.'
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Campaigners and industry respond to ‘once-in-a-generation' water reform report
Environmental campaigners and consumer groups have offered sharply contrasting responses to a landmark report calling for an overhaul of the water industry in England. Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said public trust in water companies had been 'drained' by poor environmental performance and wider service failures. The much-anticipated final report from the Independent Water Commission, led by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, outlined 88 recommendations to the UK and Welsh governments to turn around the ailing industry. Mr Keil said: 'The commission has set out significant changes to the regulatory system. 'But water companies have always had the freedom to do what's right by their customers – and many have made bad choices.' Mr Keil said affordability must be a key focus of reform, with households already struggling following this year's sharp rise in water bills. 'More people are turning to CCW to complain about not being able to afford their bill,' he said. 'Over two in five households have told us they've cut spending on essentials like food to make ends meet. 'The case for a single social tariff for water has never been more urgent.' He welcomed recommendations to make the existing voluntary ombudsman scheme mandatory, saying: 'We're delighted the commission has recommended building on our work at a time when we're seeing more people turn to us for help.' But River Action chief executive James Wallace accused the commission of falling short, saying it had 'blinked' when faced with a chance to break with the past. 'This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset a broken and corrupted system,' he said. 'Instead, we've been handed vague policy nudges that leave the current failed privatised water company model intact.' Mr Wallace said nothing less than 'a credible plan to rescue Britain's rivers, lakes and seas' was needed, including a clear path to bring 'failing companies like Thames Water into public control'. He called on the Government to put Thames Water into special administration as a 'powerful statement of intent', warning: 'Our water is our life-blood and not for sale.' Water UK, the trade body for the water companies, welcomed the commission's findings, calling reform 'long overdue'. A spokesperson said: 'Everyone agrees the system has not been working. 'These recommendations should establish the foundations to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.' Richard Benwell, a member of the Independent Water Commission's expert advisory group and chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said a 'culture of rule-breaking and non-compliance' was harming rivers and wetlands, and called for a more powerful and independent environmental regulator. He welcomed the proposal for new regional water authorities but warned reforms would fall short without proper funding and a clear steer from Government. 'Reforming regulators without fixing resourcing and remit would be painting over cracks,' he said. Ali Morse, water policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, said the report offered 'strong recommendations' for more integrated, regionally driven planning, but warned time was running out to act. 'The commission has set the framework – now the Government must act with purpose,' she said. Gary Carter, national officer at the GMB union, said the report confirmed what the union had argued for years – that water privatisation had been a 'disastrous failure'. He accused company bosses of profiting while the water infrastructure 'crumbles through lack of investment' and sewage pollutes rivers. 'It's a disgrace – and one Ofwat has overseen,' he said. 'Now is the time to fundamentally reform the water sector and renationalise this vital resource.'
