Although public trust in water companies has increased over the last eleven years it remains eroded.
In its Water Matters report, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) suggests the mean score of people’s trust in water firms was 7.33 last year, the lowest score since 2011.
The analysis also found that people’s satisfaction with their overall experience of water and sewerage services dropped to 84% from 88% in 2020.
Nearly 50% of water customers also said the communication with their supplier was good – this compares to 54% in 2020.
In addition, the CCW survey shows that in 2021, almost 62% of people perceived their charges to be fair, which is a significant decrease from 69% of customers who shared the same view in 2020.
Yesterday, Ofwat unveiled plans to overhaul the water sector – according to these proposals water firms could be required to link their dividends with environmental protection and how they deliver services to customers.
The CCW’s report also found that the number of people who feel confident that their water supply will be available in the longer term without restriction has decreased to 71% compared to the previous recorded 75%.
A few days ago, scientists warned that England faces the worst drought since 1976 – public company Manx Utilities in the Isle of Man has introduced a hosepipe ban from today.
