Water bill complaints third highest in UK

Oct 31 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

THE company responsible for Merseyside’s water supply received the third highest amount of billing complaints from customers in England and Wales, figures published today will show.

Overall complaints to United Utilities have fallen since last year from 29,842 to 24,193, but three companies, including the Merseyside supplier, account for 78% of billing complaints in England and Wales in 2006-07.

And just over 50 complaints have come in for every 10,000 United Utilities customers – the third highest rate in the country, only exceeded by Severn Trent Water and South East Water.

However, the company’s rate of total complaints, including issues with service, was lower than the national average, at 74 per 10,000.

United Utilities says the reason for the high numbers is its large customer base, covering the whole of the North West. Andrew White, North West policy manager at the Consumer Council for Water, which produced the report, said: “We are working with United Utilities to reduce the amount of billing complaints and it is working – they are falling.

“The company is working on redesigning the bills as a lot of complaints were due to customers not understanding them.

“They are also resolving issues with metered readings, where people have disputed the charge. There is still a long way to go, but the company is co-operating with us fully and these things do take time.”

According to the report, more than 109,000 complaints about billing and charges were received in England and Wales over the past 12 months, an increase of 30% in a year.

Almost 241,000 written complaints were made by customers to water and sewerage companies in total and complaints about water services accounted for more than 15%.

lizawilliams