CCW backs proposals to strengthen protections for customers in Wales

Proposals to strengthen protections for customers in Wales when they receive poor service from their water company have received the backing of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).

Regulator Ofwat has today published a series of recommendations to improve the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) for customers served by water companies. These proposed changes – which will now be considered by the Welsh Government – would mean customers automatically receive more money for a range of service failures, including disruption to their water supply, sewer flooding and low water pressure.

A range of completely new standards are also being proposed in a raft of reforms that would mean the scheme in Wales more closely matches GSS in England, where the UK Government has already introduced changes.

CCW has led the campaign to improve the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, which has remained largely unchanged for more than two decades.

Responding the Ofwat’s recommendations, Andy White, Senior Leader for Social Policy at the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said:

These proposed changes would give water customers in Wales far more robust protection when they are let down by their water company and ensure standards closely match those recently introduced in England. These proposals should be implemented as a matter of urgency and we support the recommendation for water companies to voluntarily adopt the reforms Welsh Government chooses to take forward, until they can be enshrined in law.

An overhaul of these standards is long overdue which is one of the reasons we’ve led the campaign to reform the Guaranteed Standards Scheme. People need peace of mind they are going to be treated fairly when things go wrong.