Ofwat ranks United Utilities and Welsh Water as most trusted on information
United Utilities held on to its position at the top of Ofwat’s "trust in information" rankings and was joined by Welsh Water, which was promoted from last year.
Ofwat published its Company Monitoring Framework (CMF) at the same time as its Initial Assessment of Business Plans on Thursday. The former sets out how it assesses companies’ assurance practices, primarily relating to the information they published in the 2017-18 financial year but also factoring in 2018-19 charges information and the data from PR19 business plans.
The assessment considers data accuracy, transparency, and clarity of communication, and places companies into one of three categories: self assurance, targeted or prescribed.
Northumbrian and South East, top performers last year, moved down a category, as did Affinity from targeted to prescribed. Meanwhile, Thames and Bristol were promoted from the bottom category to the middle. All other companies remained in their positions.
The full findings are set out below.
Self assurance (must meet minimum assurance requirements and has discretion to decide on additional assurance)
United Utilities – retains position from last year
Welsh Water – promoted from targeted category
Targeted (must meet minimum assurance requirements and carry out a risks, strengths and weaknesses exercise, consult stakeholders and publish draft assurance plans on the areas identified as risks/weaknesses).
Anglian Water – retains position from last year
Bristol Water – promoted from prescribed category
Northumbrian Water – demoted from self assured category
Portsmouth Water – retains position from last year
Severn Trent – retains position from last year
South East Water – demoted from self assured category
South Staffs Water – retains position from last year
South West Water – retains position from last year
SES Water – retains position from last year
Thames Water – promoted from prescribed category
Wessex Water – retains position from last year
Yorkshire Water – retains position from last year
Prescribed (must meet minimum assurance requirements and the requirements for targeted companies, and its draft assurance plan must cover all information. Areas of most significance or greatest risk to customers require independent external assurance. It must publish its assurance plans for all information ahead of reporting and engage with stakeholders (and Ofwat) before it publishes its final assurance plans).
Affinity Water – demoted from targeted category
Hafren Dyfrdwy – retains position from last year
Southern Water – retains position from last year
Company CMF performance was a factor in Ofwat’s grading of PR19 business plans.