Understanding of how the water sector functions and trust that a water company will do the right for the environment and society is low among customers, a survey has shown.
Joint research from water watchdog CCW and Ofwat highlighted that customers have a low awareness of the sector and rarely or never engage with companies. It found that although 65% of householders are satisfied with the services they receive, many do not trust their company.
The survey, carried out across England and Wales, showed just 31% of respondents trust their company to do what is right for the environment; only 27% believe companies act in the interest of customers; and 34% trust their company to fix a problem quickly.
Fewer than one in three people scored their water company at least eight out of ten for acting in the interest of customers (27%), communities (29%) or for the environment (27%). More than one third (33%) believed their water company was more interested in profits than providing a good service.
“It is concerning that there is low confidence and trust that water companies are acting in the public interest, and not enough awareness of support for those in need,” David Black, Ofwat interim chief executive said. “As times get tougher, and concerns mount about water companies’ impact on the environment, companies need to do much more to build trust and to demonstrate that they are acting in the public interest.”
In terms of future focus areas for water companies, respondents ranked providing clean, safe drinking water as the highest priority, with 87% rating this as eight or above on a one-to-ten scale of importance. This was followed by preventing sewage from entering homes and water bodies at 84% and 82% respectively, fixing leaks at 81% and preventing water shortages at 79%. Keeping bills low ranked seventh at 71%, whilst reducing carbon emissions came in tenth at 68%.
The majority of those asked knew who supplied their water (83%) and their sewerage services (70%). However, 26% wrongly believed they could change suppliers if they were dissatisfied with services.
People living in London and the south east were more likely to be dissatisfied with the quality of services they receive at 57%, compared to a high of 74% satisfaction for people in the north west.
“While it’s encouraging that customers are broadly satisfied with the services they receive, these findings underline just how critical it is for water companies to strengthen their relationships with the communities they serve,” said Emma Clancy, chief executive of CCW.
Many people reported being unengaged with their company and only 52% said they checked the amount of their most recent water bill. People struggling to pay their bill were more likely to have been in contact with their supplies in the past year, with younger respondents in contact with their provider more often than older groups.
Messages about water efficiency were most memorable to billpayers, with 39% saying they had seen or heard about this from their provider in the past year, compared to 20% who recalled seeing messaging about financial support.
“One of our priorities is making sure everyone values water as pressure mounts on our resources and that depends on water companies raising their game and providing greater transparency on their environmental performance. Our review of water affordability has also set out a clear path to strengthening the support for those facing financial hardship,” Clancy added.