Scots' water sector tops trust table for consumers north of the Border

Scotland’s water industry is the most trusted sector among consumers living north of the Border, according to a new report from Which? The consumer champion said it looked to the the research findings to help the Scottish government to “shape its future plans.”

The Scottish household water supply sector had a 68% trust rating – ahead of the food/grocery sector and technology appliances on 62%.

Bottom of the table were car dealers. But a more significant back marker for a water industry was the energy sector. Despite 80% of energy users having had no issues with their energy supplier over the past two years the power and gas suppliers were voted down by their customers; something to note for water suppliers. Also worth noting were the top issues for those who had gripes – billing (47%) and customer service (33%).

The findings were in the latest consumer insight report from Which? based on an online survey of adults living in Scotland. Which? emphasised that the report followed Hollyrood’s acquisition of new powers to support consumers introduced in May this year. “As the Scottish Government starts to consider how it will use its new powers for consumer advocacy and advice, Which? has conducted research to gain a better understanding of the issues that Scottish consumers face.”

Peter Farrer, Scottish Water’s chief operating officer, found the Which? findings “greatly encouraging” and declared the company to be “determined to raise the bar even further. He highlighted the company’s new Customer Experience Measure which he said would enable the firm to “continue to earn – and maintain” its customers’ trust.