Half of UK water customers feel like ‘just another number’

The figures were revealed in The Secrets of Better Billing, a study commissioned by utility billing software business Echo Managed Services, creator of Aptumo and RapidXtra. 1,000 UK customers were surveyed with regard to their water bills, their views of the sector and their relationship with their supplier.

Just 20% of billpayers said that they felt their supplier understood their needs, and a mere 12% said they felt actively engaged with their water supplier.

When it comes to billing practices, 18% of customers said they were not overly concerned about what their supplier does outside of billing them properly. However, this leaves more than four out of five people seeking a more personal and engaging relationship with their supplier – a significant figure.

Given Ofwat’s future strategy states that ‘companies should have customers at their heart’, calls for an inclusive and engaging approach and suggests that decision-making should be responsive to customers’ changing priorities and expectations, it appears that many water suppliers have a great opportunity for further improvement.