Waterwatch Scotland’ evidence base and key indicators for the need to improve on consumer issues are founded upon our direct contact with water customers who are unhappy with their water and wastewater services. Waterwatch Scotland does recognise that whilst working with stakeholders is critical to share experience, access to customer contact statistics and complaint case studies should also be considered to provide an accurate gauge of consumer experience and associated issues that can be taken forward within a consumer representative role.

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 Waterwatch Scotland’s full response to Consumer Focus Scotland’ Draft Annual Plan 2010-11 (pdf, 149Kb)

Note to Editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued on behalf of Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

Download

Waterwatch Scotland’s response to Consumer Council for Water’ Draft Forward Work Programme 2010-13 (pdf, 148Kb)

Note to Editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued on behalf of Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

Waterwatch Scotland has recently responded to a Scottish Government consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland. To view this response:

Download

Waterwatch Scotland’s response to the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland (pdf, 150Kb)

Notes to editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued by Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

More robust measures to ensure that all LPs are complying with their licensing conditions was also welcomed, in particular, to explore whether LPs are in fact providing the default tariff service that they are required to provide under the terms and conditions of their contract.

To see the full response:

Download

Waterwatch Scotland’s response to “License Fees for the Retail Market” consultation (pdf, 159Kb)

Notes to editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued by Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

‘Waterwatch Scotland supports the incentives proposed for retailers to identify customers not being charged as Waterwatch Scotland would support the principle that every customer should pay for what they use. However, Waterwatch Scotland has the following concerns:-

• concessions / incentives to retailers should not be at the expense of domestic customers;
• when non-paying non-domestic customers are identified, appropriate dialogue is required between the retailer and the customer before presenting the customer with an invoice;
• every customer must pay but must also have a clear process to do this;
• retailers must not put customers under undue pressure to recover unpaid water and sewerage charges;
• small businesses based within domestic properties must be protected against paying twice.’

Further clarity and transparency is required by the Water Industry Commission on elements such as to provide greater understanding into the charging process applied to vacant properties as opposed to gap sites.

To view the full response:

Download

Waterwatch Scotland’ response to Gap Site and Vacant Property Incentive Scheme Consultation (pdf, 161Kb)

Notes to editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued by Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

Waterwatch Scotland would also support the development of a Scottish Water Efficiency Forum that would comprise of key stakeholders within both the water and energy industries.

The full consultation response can be viewed by clicking on Waterwatch Scotland’s response to Waterwise Stakeholder Consultation.

Note to Editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued on behalf of Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

To view Waterwatch Scotland’s full response, click on Draft Determination Response.

To view the full response, click on Response to New Areas of Retail Competition Consultation.

 The consultation proposed amendments to application and subsistence charges to, amongst other things, simplify the scheme, make the scheme more risk-based, better reflect the delivery of efficiencies and address some under recovery of fees.

 Waterwatch Scotland, as the customer representative body for Scotland’s water customers, welcomes the proposed cost efficiencies that will be passed to licence applicants. “The application of broad based principles of charging that are fair, equitable, stable and affordable is a must for charging regimes, and Waterwatch Scotland welcomes SEPA’s stance on this” commented Heather Brash, Convener of Waterwatch Scotland. “However, we are aware that the cost of compliance within the pricing regime may have a financial impact on Scottish Water that will ultimately be reflected in its charges to its customers. Waterwatch Scotland will monitor this as our remit is to ensure that customers are presented with fair and affordable charges” she said.

To view Waterwatch Scotland’s response, please click on Waterwatch Scotland response to SEPA Charging Scheme Consultation 2009 (35Kb, pdf)

Note to Editors:

Waterwatch Scotland (WWS) is the national complaints handling authority for all domestic and non-domestic water customers and customer representative body for the water industry in Scotland.

WWS is independent of Scottish Water, government and other water/sewerage service providers.  Its role is to:

• Investigate Complaints
• Represent Customers’ Views & Interests
• Influence Policy
• Inform & Advise

WWS’ responsibility for second-tier complaints handling means that WWS can take forward individual customer grievances against Scottish Water or other providers.

WWS can also make statutory recommendations to Scottish Ministers, Scottish Water and other service providers, and industry regulators:  Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS).

From time to time, WWS receives complaints which are of such importance or have a public-interest impact beyond the specific complaint itself, that WWS will issue a formal report on the complaint and greater issues raised.

In addition to the making of such formal reports and the findings and recommendations made, a key role of WWS is to continue to work to ensure that such recommendations are adopted in the interest of customers to mitigate and prevent future occurrences.

Issued on behalf of Waterwatch Scotland, Corporate Office, Forrester Lodge, Inglewood, Alloa, FK10 2HU

To see Waterwatch Scotland’s full response, please click on consultation response.