Thames splits its operations into urban and rural

From 1 April, Thames Water is reorganising its operations into two distinct teams: one for London, and the other for Thames Valley and the Home Counties (TVHC).

It reasoned this would enable neighbourhood challenges to be addressed and improvements delivered faster; strong local partnerships to be built; and a more flexible approach taken.

Chief executive Sarah Bentley said: “Since launching our turnaround strategy, I have become acutely aware that we do not offer our customers the local customer service that they want and deserve. So the change we are making today to realign our business will better serve our customers in London and those in the Thames Valley and deliver significantly improved customer and environmental performance that is tailored to the needs of each region.”

The news came as part of an update from Thames as it enters the second year of its eight-year turnaround plan, launched in March 2021, to “fix the basics, raise the bar and shape the future”.

The company also announced the following customer service changes: contact centres will be brought onshore and based in its region; a fully multi-channel experience will be offered while high quality voice channels will be preserved to support vulnerable customers and those with complex queries; and a £100m investment will be made in integrating its smart meters with online billing and a customer portal to support customers to reduce consumption.

Thames reported it has already seen a number of improvements resulting from the turnaround plan, including improving trends in water quality, complaints management and supply interruptions performance.