Do you want to be able to choose your water company?

Clive_Woody

Competition in the electricity/gas market has hardly worked in favour of the consumer; with little or no oversight from a regulatory body they push prices up at every opportunity. When wholesale prices go down that is never passed on to Joe Public but as soon wholesale prices go up they are passed on with no hesitation.

I can't see an open market for water suppliers working out any differently. Prices will continue to be pushed up disproportionately and the only difference will be that we get to hand over our money to a different company if we choose.

The change I would prefer to see is a regulatory body, across all suppliers, that stamps down on companies who are treating customers badly, who encourage genuine competition, who has the power to issue significant fines and force companies to improve, who puts customers first and is genuinely committed to ensuring consumers/customers get a better and fairer deal.

reeac

OK, if bundling together of services is such a big deal then maybe we should include other services such as phone, broadband, waste collection, policing, the weekly supermarket haul, car and house insurance .... Where should we stop? Think of all the lovely additional admin. entailed.Maybe change from monthly to weekly payment of the bill.

Norman_Castle

I think it would be a pointless exercise only welcomed by marketing executives who would get exited about "living in innovative and exciting times". It would over complicate the market for very little gain.

I want water companies to focus on supplying water. I don't want to buy my water from bt or car insurance from Severn Trent and I certainly don't need an app to pay my water bill.

Smodlet

Yes, Mr. Castle, exactly what you said. This whole thing sounds like yet another opportunity to make the fat cats even fatter and squeeze the consumers even more.

dabbit

I think competition is a good thing, like it was for gas and electricity

MilkyJoe

I don't get it. It sounds like you get your water from one company but pay another. Like shopping in Tesco then paying Asda.

ducksbottom

Competition would allow people to pick who bills them, this gives them a choice on price and customer service. Where your water comes from won't change.

Those who argue against metering, do you think you should have your electricity and gas meter taken out as well, or should everybody pay for what they actually use, therefore encouraging people to be careful with their use. Yes, some people with large families will pay more, but they will use more, surely that's fair. You wouldn't go to Asda and buy a large bag of pasta for the same price as a small one?

There is a downside to combined bills which OFWAT gives as a benefit. A lot of the best savings rates are available on current accounts where you have two or more active direct debits. While one bill for all household services would be more convenient for some, it would reduce the ability to hold these accounts.

Overall you would expect competition to drive up customer service, however, this has not really been seen in other sectors, banking, power companies, broadband, as people often see headline prices and go for it anyway, regardless of service.

kazt2006

I think competition can for most people only improve the market and give people a choice. At the moment we have no say in what United Utilities charge us every year. They also give extra discounts to those on the old rateable value, while the charges for those on a water meter continue to increase.

Perhaps one solution is everyone on a water meter so that we all have to think about what we use and are treated fairly with charges.

However, I think there needs to be serious consideration for vulnerable customers, like with gas and electric, to ensure they aren't treated unfairly.

emmakelley

I'd love to be able to change water supplier. Living in Cornwall under South West Water, we are (I believe) in the most expensive area in the country for water bills. Despite this, we regularly receive a printed newsletter called Waterlevel with goodness knows what useless information in it. We're not given a choice to refuse this or to have it delivered by email instead. I'd like to know exactly how much of OUR money it costs for SW Water to print and distribute this to every household in the south-west, when I'm sure that the vast majority of them end up in the bin (as does ours). On principle alone, I'd like to be able to register my disgust by choosing another supplier - and any financial saving would be a bonus.

antbarson

Yes, I think this is a great idea. I'm on a meter and am careful with my spend, so to compare who would charge me the least would be awesome.
Also, if someone can explain to Severn-Trent that water should not have a flavour and that ours tastes awful (that goes for most of Nottinghamshire) that'd be even better.