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Water companies face reports on vulnerability measures


The industry regulator has announced that it is to start reporting on how each water company serves, supports, and protects customers in vulnerable circumstances. Ofwat said that it had been calling on


water companies to step up their efforts to help customers in vulnerable circumstances and to take account of the fact that, while some customers may be vulnerable over time, as much as half the population will find themselves at some point in temporary circumstances


that may make them


vulnerable, such as illness or bereavement. The regulator is making vulnerable


customers a key focus of its forthcoming 2019 price review. As part of the price- review process, all water companies will have to devise and deliver plans to identify customers in vulnerable circumstances, as well as understand and deliver against their needs. Ofwat also wants to see companies do


more to make support accessible and seamless for customers and to provide support earlier, before problems escalate. Water companies should also be working together and looking more closely at other sectors for examples of best practice.


Ofwat chief executive Cathryn Ross said:


“Any of us could find ourselves in vulnerable circumstances at some point in our lives – often as a result of factors beyond our control. Companies have been doing more to identify and support vulnerable customers in recent years. But they need to do more, especially to work together and to learn from best practice in other sectors. “This is too important an issue for


companies to be allowed to leave it in the ‘too-difficult’ pile. “In our 2019 price review, we expect each


water company to demonstrate how it will go the extra mile to deliver high quality customer service and affordability; helping customers in vulnerable circumstances is very much key to this. “We will be publishing our assessment


of how companies are responding to this challenge and they will need to report publicly on delivery.” Meanwhile, Ofwat insisted that water


companies were lagging behind other sectors in terms of dealing with customers who are struggling to pay their bills. It estimated that bad debt currently adds approximately £21 annually to each


New insurance launch


A new credit insurance broker has been officially launched after receiving full regulatory approval. Avenue Insurance Partners, a Tavistock


Group company, held a launch event at Browns Old Jewry, last month, with invited guests from the credit, insurance, and trade- association sectors. The new company will be led by


managing director Shaun Purrington, who was previously chairman of the Association of British Insurer’s Trade Credit Committee and currently sits on the Advisory Council of the International Credit and Trade Finance Association. It will trade as an independent insurance broker specialising in the market


November 2017


placement of UK and international credit insurance and surety risks. Within the credit industry, Tavistock


Group’s portfolio also includes SME business lender Ultimate Finance.


www.CCRMagazine.co.uk Cathryn Ross customer’s bill. Ofwat is calling on


companies to do more for those who are struggling to pay their bill and to identify customers having difficulties before the debt becomes too big. The water regulator also said firms must


do more to deal with those who could afford to pay, but simply would not pay their bills. To address the issue of customer bad debt,


Ofwat is requiring water companies to take a number of steps, which included: l Making affordability schemes more available and encouraging more customers to take them up. lMaking better use of the customer data so creditors can anticipate where bad-debt issues might occur and then deal with them early, before debts build. l Moving to more frequent billing to avoid the difficulty of having to pay one, large bill each year. l Improving customer communication and making customers aware of the help that is available if they need it. l Ensuring that customers are on the most appropriate tariff and payment method. l Looking to other sectors for new ideas on ways to deal with customer debt. l Ensuring there are real consequences for those customers who can afford pay, but choose not to do so.


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