The water company has been awarded a ‘mark of distinction’ by the Keep Me Posted campaign for committing to protect the right of its 2.7 million customers to receive paper bills and statements, without charge or penalty.
Keep Me Posted campaign chair Judith Donovan said: “By awarding Northumbrian Water with a The ‘Best Practice’ Mark of Distinction, Keep Me Posted recognises their commitment to providing customers with a choice in how they receive their bills and statements.
“We are thrilled that all Northumbrian Water customers will be able to receive their bills and statements in the way that best suits them, especially as our extensive research shows that paper bills actually help people manage their money more effectively.”
Essex and Suffolk Water, part of the Northumbrian Water Group also received the award for committing to offer the same service to its 1.8 million customers.
Northumbrian Water Group customer director Claire Sharp said: “We live in a world of choice, brought about by developments in technology and good practice, and this is something that is hugely important to us in the way we deal with our customers.
“We are passionate about making the way we work as customer-friendly as possible and a choice in billing is something that reaches to the heart of that, so we are very happy to have been recognised by Keep Me Posted in this way.”
Other utility companies to have been publically recognised by the campaign as providing paper bills and statements to its customers include: Welsh Water, Yorkshire Water, Bristol Water, Wessex Water, Ovo Energy, Thames Water and last month, Dee Valley Water.