Strategy and Forward Work Programme 2026-27

To meet our overall strategic objectives, CCW’s Forward Work Programme contains the deliverables we will focus on achieving in 2026-27. These are over and above our business-as-usual activities – dealing with complaints, challenging companies, generating insights and communicating with customers. CCW’s day-to-day work helping customers resolve disputes and save money is regularly measured and scrutinised by our Board.

CCW constantly engages at all levels with all the water companies in England and Wales. In 2026-27 we will continue to liaise with them on a regular basis to scrutinise the service they’re delivering to customers – sharing data with them and comparing their performance in various areas against the other companies. We will also keep working with companies individually, in groups and across the whole sector to share good practice and drive up standards.

CCW will also participate in water sector and wider utilities events – eg conferences – to bring the consumer voice into the conversation and drive the agenda forward on billpayers’ behalf. We are the customer representative on both the Strategic Panel (the most senior governance group in the business retail market) and the Code Change Committee (which makes recommendations about changes to market rules). We will continue to work with the National Drought Group and the Wales Drought Liaison Group to support water companies with their communications to customers on what everyone can do to save water.

As well as the specific items of new research detailed below, in 2026-27, CCW will continue to carry out our regular tracking research – our annual household and business customer complaints reports; Water Matters; and Water Mark.

In July 2025, the Independent Water Commission published its final report (pdf). As governments in both England and Wales take forward these recommendations, CCW will represent customers throughout that process. We will also implement the recommendations that directly affect our organisation, as well as working with partners to help them implement the recommendations that relate to them.

CCW’s core commitments

• CCW will use the lessons from the 2024 price review to make clear, evidence-based recommendations to Ofwat and other stakeholders on how the next price review should better reflect customers’ needs and priorities.
• All customer complaints to CCW will be acknowledged and allocated for review to a case advisor within two working days.
• 80% of cases will be resolved by 20 working days.
• 95% of cases will be resolved by 40 working days.
• CCW will carry out at least one assessment with each water company in England and Wales.
• CCW will carry out at least two complaints assessments with water retailers.
• CCW will audit, via a third-party auditor, water companies’ adherence to complaint-reporting guidance when recording enquiries.