The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is warning that water companies’ failure to deal with customers’ concerns over environmental performance and water meters has fuelled a steep rise in complaints.

Two-thirds of water companies reported a fall in written complaints from their customers last year - but a rapid improvement is needed from two of England’s suppliers, according to the Consumer Council for Water’s (CCW) latest annual household customer complaint handling report.

Complaints have fallen for the first time since the vast majority of business customers in England were given the freedom to switch provider three years ago – but significant problems remain, particularly with the performance of a small number of water retailers, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).

Nigel Baker, managing director at Echo Managed Services, creator of multi-utility billing software, Aptumo, explores how innovative technologies can help the water companies to move from being change-led to change-driven and bring about real change in customer-facing operations.

Southern Water has gone out to tender with a wide-ranging customer services contract worth an estimated £55,650,000.