uSwitch Water news July 2006

Water industry regulator Ofwat has announced that water prices in England and Wales will rise by an average of 18% between 2005 and 2010 under the latest price review. This means that the average household bill will increase by £46 over five years (before inflation) to £295. The biggest rise will be for customers of Southern Water, South West Water and Wessex Water who can expect to pay an extra 25% over five years. By 2009-10 South West Water customers are set to have the highest average bill at £444.

WaterVoice, the consumer watchdog for the water industry, is calling for the Government to make sure that customers on low and fixed incomes receive help to pay their water bills through mainstream tax credits and the benefits system.

Water and sewerage companies are more efficient than ever before, a new report by Ofwat has found. All companies now achieve band C or above in Ofwat's efficiency assessment, a significant improvement on five years ago, when less than half of water and sewerage companies achieved this rating.

Even better news for customers is that three water-only companies, Portsmouth Water, South Staffordshire Water, and Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water, have achieved the top-ranking 'A' band for both operating and capital maintenance efficiency. One water and sewerage company, Yorkshire Water, also achieved the 'A' band for all four aspects of its relative efficiency performance, the first time a water and sewerage company has been given this rating.

WaterVoice, the consumer watchdog for the water industry, has recommended metering as an effective way of preserving our water resources.

Maurice Terry, WaterVoice Chairman, said: "It's too easy to take secure water supplies for granted. Metering has an important part to play in encouraging water conservation, minimising wastage, addressing leakage and reducing demand for water, especially at peak times.

"Metering also makes sense from the water industry's point of view. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."

According to WaterVoice, a universal switch to water metering would make most sense in the South and East of England where water resources are at most risk. This switch could be achieved if water companies expand their selective metering criteria, by metering when the occupancy of a property changes, for example, or through designation (by the Secretary of State) of water-scarce areas.

Consumers in England and Wales already have the right to request the installation of a water meter free of charge if they believe it will save them money on their water bills. If you would like to find out how much you could save by switching to a meter simply enter a few details into the uSwitch.com water bill efficiency service.