As part of its SupportPlus measures, the water company has designed a payment package to support customers in debt, without adding to other customers’ bills, the company said.
The firm will also introduce a scheme to help customers who find themselves in considerable debt.
The new measures follow research by Northumbrian Water in 2013 and 2014 which confirmed that customers aren’t prepared to support a social tariff for those in financial difficulty.
The company’s customer director Claire Sharp says the SupportPlus package will provide extra assistance to customers who are “genuinely struggling” to pay their utility bills.
In January last year, Northumbrian Water formed a partnership with StepChange Debt Charity to identify, support and advise customers in financial difficulty.
StepChange Debt Charity relationship manager Mark McElvanney emphasised the importance of working with utility providers to help the charity get those in financial difficulty the advice they need to “get them back on their feet”.