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CCW seeks budget rise to deliver ambitious strategy for 2022-23

by Karma Loveday

CCW plans to unite the industry under a CCW-led campaign to raise awareness of the value of water in society and how people's behaviour impacts the water environment.


That was one action earmarked in a new draft strategy for 2022-23 published by the watchdog for consultation until 15 February. In the strategy, CCW unveiled four long term objectives that will guide its work, together with a set of actions that will be undertaken under each banner in the year ahead. The overarching objectives were:

• environment – working with the sector to increase the transparency of environmental performance information and lead a sponsored campaign to raise awareness of the value of water in society and how people's behaviour affects the water environment. CCW said this would result “in a X% increase in awareness of the link between personal behaviours and the impact on the environment by 2030, leading to measurable behaviour change”;

• affordability and vulnerability – work to deliver 80% of the recommendations of its 2021 Affordability Review by 2025, with the remaining recommendations – including the elimination of water poverty in England and Wales – delivered by 2030;

• complaints – Improve the customer complaint experience by reducing customer effort, driving efficiency and delivering high-quality responses across the sector, showing an increase in satisfaction with CCW’s service to 80% by 2023 and getting all companies to provide a substantive response to customers within five working days by 2025; and

• business customers – satisfaction for all business customers in England and Wales to show a rising trend, with satisfaction with retail services to exceed 85% by 2027.


CCW also identified four related campaigns for 2022-23:

• better protection for business customers – “In 2022-23, CCW will take action to strengthen the market rules on delivering a continuous service and protecting customers' money if a retailer were to leave the market. We will also work with retailers to increase customers' awareness of the impact of advanced payment”;

• don’t let people suffer in silence – “In 2022-23 CCW will work with companies to agree an effective and consistent framework for recording low pressure and supply interruption contacts, with a specific focus on repeat contacts. CCW will also speak to consumers to understand what barriers currently stop them seeking help, and encourage them to stop suffering in silence”;

• end water poverty – “In 2022-23, this campaign will work with the water industry and decision-makers to gain support for legislation to implement a single social tariff”;

• end sewer flooding misery – “In 2022-23, we'll continue this campaign to deliver more support and compensation for those who suffer repeat sewer flooding by 2023. This will include standard on-site times by 2023 and a review of how compensation is offered”; and

CCW said this was its “most ambitious, challenging and exciting plan yet, which seeks to make a meaningful and lasting difference to the lives of everyone who uses water”.


It proposed a cost increase of 26p a year per bill-payer, up from 22p, which would give it a budget of £7.08m.

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