Ofwat publishes Paying fair guidelines on supporting residential water customers

Ofwat published guidelines on 25 May 2022 setting out principles and minimum service expectations for water companies in supporting residential customers in England and Wales to pay their bills, access help and repay debts¹. The document, titled Paying fair, applies to water only and water and sewerage companies¹.

The guidelines cover support for all residential customers in England and Wales paying their water, wastewater or combined bill, as well as specific groups: customers in vulnerable circumstances, including those at risk of falling into debt; customers whose accounts are managed by agents such as local authorities and housing associations; customers in debt; and customers in debt and facing debt recovery action by water companies and third parties¹.

"This document sets out our guidelines for water only and water and sewerage companies in supporting residential customers in England and Wales pay their bill, access help and repay debts."

Ofwat, Paying fair¹

Ofwat states the guidelines apply to all residential customers, including customers in mixed-use premises with a shared supply where the principal use of the premises supplied is as a home¹. The publication is a PDF document of 722 KB, classified by Ofwat as a publication and as a document or guidance¹.

The guidelines do not set out specific figures, such as payment amounts, repayment periods or service deadlines, in the material published alongside the document¹. No date for implementation, compliance deadline or enforcement timetable is given in that material¹.

Why it matters for households

The guidelines concern how water companies in England and Wales deal with residential customers on billing, access to help and debt repayment¹. They cover households in vulnerable circumstances, including those at risk of falling into debt, and households already in debt, including those facing debt recovery action by water companies and third parties¹. They also cover households whose water accounts are managed by agents such as local authorities and housing associations¹.

The scope extends to households in mixed-use premises with a shared supply where the main use of the premises is as a home¹. The document sets principles and minimum service expectations for companies rather than individual entitlements for customers, and it does not specify amounts, timeframes or remedies in the published material¹. Ofwat's wider work on the water sector sits within its regulation and policy remit.