Following the Consumer Council Water report which ranked Southern Water the industry’s worst overall performer for the fourth successive year after more than a 10% rise in written customer complaints during 2015/16, Southern Water has said that it recognises that the results are not good enough.”

In a report published earlier this week, CCWater warned poorer performing water companies to improve their service after it emerged almost half the industry saw a rise in customer complaints last year

In an interview with local newspaper The Argus, Director Simon Oates told the reporter:

“We are absolutely focussed on making our service the best it can possibly be and we recognise that last year’s results, as published in the CCW report today, are not good enough.”

The number of complaints received about the company's water services are amongst the lowest in the industry, however billing complaints pushed the Worthing-based business into the bottom spot overall.

Simon Oates said:

"We accept there is still much more for us to do to come in line with the rest of the industry and we are continuing to work with CCW to drive forward further improvements.”

“We want to reassure our customers we remain fully committed to continuing the improvements we have already made, and bringing our performance up to the standard they quite rightly expect from us.

“Our performance since November 2015 – most of which unfortunately falls outside the time period covered by today’s report – has been much improved. We have seen the number of complaints we receive from customers fall steadily and, so far this year, we have received approximately half the number of complaints we did in the first five months of 2015.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to report back to CCW next month, and are confident the figures we submit will show a marked reduction in the number of complaints we have received.”

Improvements the water company has already made include:

• Improving its digital service and online options, enabling customers to communicate through Twitter, Facebook and online chat
• Introducing of a range of new tariffs designed to help people manage their bills
• Rolling out a programme of water efficiency visits to customers to help them reduce how much water they use, along with their bills
• Supporting debt prevention work through partnerships with local authorities, such as Brighton & Hove City Council, and CCW
• Improving the way in which money owed is collected and lengthening the time over which it can be repaid in order to avoid large hikes in customers' direct debit payments;
• Speeding up the refund process, so when customers are owed money, they get it back more quickly
• Being more responsive to customers through the introduction of a new feedback facility, ‘Rant & Rave’, which enables people to provide real-time feedback.

A further number of initiatives will also be going 'live' shortly, including the following:

• Providing customers with monthly consumption alerts, allowing them to keep track of their water use.
• Launching re-designed bills, so it is easier for customers to understand what their money is being spent on
• Introducing e-billing for customers who want to move away from paper bills

According to the customer watchdog's report, the largest proportion of complaints were made about high bills and large changes to bills. Between 2010 and 2015, Southern Water carried out a universal metering programme, which meant around 400,000 customers changed from a rateable value bill to a bill based on the amount of water that is used. 

While overall more than 60 per cent of customers saw their bills reduce, the metering programme  means customer bills are now subject to much greater variation.

Southern Water is separately addressing this by putting in place a dedicated call centre which is focussed on identifying customers who have seen a significant increase and proactively contacting them before the bill is sent to talk through the reasons for this.  

Universal Metering Programme cause of  large number of complaints

Commenting on Southern’s Universal Metering Ptogramme, Simon Oates said:

“Between 2010 and 2015 we carried out a universal metering programme which meant that around 400,000 customers changed from a rateable value bill to a bill based on the amount of water that is used. “

“This means that customer bills are now subject to much greater variation and “shock” and while overall greater than 60 per cent of our customers saw their bills reduce - the largest proportion of complaints were made about high bills and large changes to bills that occurred for some customers.”

“We were the first company to roll out a large-scale universal metering programme.  The programme has been a real success and we have reduced water consumption by around 16 percent.” 

Southern Water is the first utility to complete a Universal Metering Programme. The utility is now producing a joint research study with CCW to understand its customers’ experience of metering and provide companies that follow its lead with practical advice on how to roll out a metering programme.