New guide helps water retailers make bills clearer for business customers

Clear bills are essential to helping business customers understand what they are being charged for, spot issues quickly and know where to go for support.

CCW has published a new good practice guide to help water retailers design and review bills that are easier for business customers to understand and act on. Developed as part of the Strategic Panel’s Roadmap to a Flourishing Market, the guide supports retailers to improve the clarity, accessibility and usefulness of billing information.

Drawing on evidence from the water sector and other industries, the guide sets out practical steps retailers can take to make bills and supporting information more customer-focused. It covers bill content and design, accessibility, customer testing, and the role of online accounts and bill explainer pages.

The guidance encourages retailers to:

• make important information easier to find and understand
• meet existing minimum information requirements
• use clear, accessible and customer-focused language
• test bill design changes with customers before introducing them
• use supporting channels to provide extra information without overloading bills.

The guide does not introduce new mandatory requirements, but provides practical recommendations and examples of good practice to help retailers review their billing communications and better meet customers’ needs.

Download the good practice guide to find out how retailers can make bills clearer, more accessible and more useful for business customers.