Yorkshire Water is planning to review all  its customer accounts to ensure they are on the cheapest tariff. 

The move is all part of its promise to offer a personalised service which is affordable for all after submitting its PR19 business plan to regulator Ofwat.

The plan, which has been worked on for the last two years, has focussed on understanding customers’ individual lifestyles and how they shape what customers want, need and expect from their water company.

The feedback has led the firm to double the amount of money it contributes to affordability schemes and go further by working with the likes of Rotherham Citizens Advice to help people with debt make a fresh start.

Disposable income in Yorkshire is on average 12% less than other areas in England and 10% of the water company’s customers are at risk of falling into debt - higher than the national average of 7%.

Data will help Yorkshire Water ensure customers are on the correct tariff to fit their lifestyle, help those who may need extra support and make sure all customers are paying the right amount for their water bills.

To do this, the firm will review every account every year and proactively contact customers who it believes will benefit from being on a different tariff.

Data will also play a major role as the firm looks to provide a personalised service for its customers, investing in initiatives such as chat bots and digital self-service and notifications to ensure ease of contact and to keep customers well informed on what affects them. By offering increased options for customers to contact the firm, Yorkshire Water forecasts, telephone queries to reduce to 50%.

The company’s plans are underpinned by transparency, with a commitment to publish all data sets and all details behind each plan. Allowing external companies access to information to help improve the firm’s service, as well as customers who can also see how their money is spent.