Surge in water bill complaints during last financial year
February 20, 2008
The last financial year saw the number of water bill related complaints surge in the UK according to recent reports. Billing complaints have surged with many utilities from energy companies and Internet providers to phone providers – and water companies have not escaped this trend, with certain water providers pushing up the total number of complaints. Figures show that the number of complaints made to the official watchdog were at their highest in thirteen years during the last financial year.
The Consumer Council for Water received over 13,500 complaints throughout England and Wales in the twelve months up to March 31st, and this reflected a ten percent rise on the number of complaints during the previous financial year and resulted in the highest level of complaints since 1994. The complaints related to issues such as billing problems or being overcharged by water companies, which were privatised in 1989.
The number of enquiries that were made to the Consumer Council for Water also rose quite significantly during the twelve month period, with over 44,500 enquiries, which reflected a rise of twenty percent compared to the previous financial year. Amongst the companies that have contributed to the rise in complaints to water regulators are Severn Trent Water, South East Water, Southern Water and United Utilities.
The chair of the Consumer Council for Water stated she was disappointed with the statistics, adding: ‘We have a right as consumers to expect high quality customer service - even though water companies are monopolies and therefore most consumers have absolutely no choice over their supplier.’
Not all water companies saw complaint levels rise, however, and some saw complaint levels remain stable whilst others saw the number of complaints fall. Nearly fifty percent of the complaints received by the Consumer Council for Water were relating to billing.
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