Social sustainability

Customers

South West Water has consulted with customers about its priorities for 2010-2015 and this feedback has been central to the development of its customer service improvement plans to deliver its Pure Water, Pure Service and Pure Environment vision.

Assistance

2010/11 Targets

Introduce the new FreshStart Fund to assist customers, especially vulnerable customers seeking help with water debt

Met

Continue to operate and promote the WaterCare programme

Met

Continue to operate and promote the WaterSure tariff

Met

Roll out a pilot door step debt advice scheme

Met

Providing help and support to customers in need is at the heart of the Company's Pure Service strategy and accordingly the Company remains an industry leader in the provision of priority services to vulnerable customers. We provide such services to customers who need extra help, for example, the elderly, disabled, and those requiring large print / Braille bills or help in reading their meter.

Where customers have medical conditions necessitating a constant water supply, we arrange for water to be delivered in the event of interruptions to supply.

Our Priority Services Register is promoted in doctors' and dentists' surgeries and at Citizens Advice Bureaux and at 31 March 2011, we had nearly 8,000 customers on the register.

Our aim, as set out in the Strategic Direction Statement, is to treat customers appropriately to their circumstances, especially with regard to affordability and debt.

During the year we have been enthusiastic to promote practical ways to help customers struggling to pay their water bills and have introduced several new initiatives to provide additional options and support for customers. The measures available are:

  • the WaterCare Scheme which has helped over 8,000 customers with long term debt problems and consists of offering benefits entitlement and tariff checks, water audits and free water-saving devices
  • the Restart Scheme which has helped over 6,000 customers to reduce their debt by incentivising customers towards a pattern of making regular payments
  • the Fresh Start Fund, managed by an independent Board, for one-off hardship cases
  • a targeted campaign to promote and support low income customers who would benefit from metering
  • fitting 5,000 free leak alarms in the year for vulnerable customers wary of metering
  • providing training and administration resources over five years for Citizens Advice Bureau staff
  • employing doorstep debt advisors to provide advice and access to support schemes
  • introducing the WaterSure tariff: more than 9,800 households are on this tariff, one third of the national total for metered customers on a low income, who either have three or more children under 19 living at home, or who have a medical condition requiring high levels of water use.