Quoted water firms unveil aid packages for poorest customers

United Utilities and Severn Trent Water have each unveiled financial aid package to help their hardest up customer to pay their bills in the face of the growing cost of living crisis.

United Utilities has added a £142 million of support to its £139 million of financial aid provided via a social tariff to help 200,000 households in the North West until 2025. At the same time the Conway has pledged to “keep the average household water bill flat for this year”.

Current customer service director and chief executive in waiting, Louise Beardmore, said “Helping customers quickly is important. Our investment in Open Banking technology means that we can make it easier for customers to access support in minutes rather than weeks”.

Meanwhile Severn Trent has set up a £30m fund to aid 100,000 low-income households in paying their water bills. Under the scheme bill reductions of up to 90% will be available to eligible households the company said.

Severn Trent said it already provides assistance to 215,000 customers.

Severn Trent chief, Liv Garfield, said: “Our customers have the second lowest bill in the UK, at around £1 per day, but we know that for some, paying this remains a challenge.”

According to the Consumer Council for Water, 6% of people in the Midlands are classed as being in water poverty.

Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water, Emma Clancy, said “United Utilities has a long standing record of helping customers who are struggling to pay their bill and offers an extensive range of support schemes and assistance”. She added: “We’re delighted to see Severn Trent putting its hand in its own pocket to help thousands more low-income households at a time of real crisis for many people.”

“With the support of companies and the wider water sector we can ensure people struggling to pay always get the help they need, when they need it most.”

Ofwat chief executive, David Black, said: "Other companies should look to do more to respond to the cost of living worries and we will be issuing new guidelines to signal the increased expectations of Ofwat and the public."