- Welsh Water marks a decade of below-inflation price rises
- Record £12 million of company surplus to help pay for social tariffs for low-income households in 2019-20
- Company also investing a record £430 million this year in capital projects to benefit customers and environment
- Customers rate Welsh Water highest for trust and quality of service in England and Wales
The only not-for-profit water company in England and Wales has announced its average customer prices are set to be held below the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation for the 10th year in a row.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s announcement also explains that its average household bill next financial year is projected to be £444– down £3 on the expected figure for 2018-19. This means the average household bill will be around £88 lower than it would have been, had water bills kept pace with inflation over the last decade.
The company also announced a record £12 million support from its financial surplus to help keep down bills for its most vulnerable customers – far more than any other water company. A record £430 million is also being invested this financial year in capital projects – amounting to nearly £1.2 million a day – to improve customer service and the environment.
Supporting this level of investment is the evidence that Welsh Water is delivering excellent customer service, with independent research from the Consumer Council for Water showing the company was highest-rated of all water and sewerage companies for trust and customer satisfaction.
Welsh Water Chief Executive Chris Jones said: “As a company owned on behalf of the customers it serves, I am proud that we are marking a decade of below-inflation price rises –delivering against our commitment, and helping to ensure our bills are fair and affordable for our customers.
“In addition, we are very pleased to be able to help many of those who are in genuine need of support. That’s why we are using a large part of our surplus each year to help finance our range of social tariffs, enabling us to help far more of our lowest income customers than other water companies.”