The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 1989 (“the 1989 Regulations”), which provide for customers of water and sewerage undertakers to be entitled to a payment or credit where the undertaker fails to maintain certain minimum standards of service in connection with the supply of water or sewerage services to domestic premises.

Regulation 2 makes the following amendments—

(a) it makes regulation 3 of the 1989 Regulations (keeping appointments) apply to appointments made over the telephone, and allows customers to specify a two-hour time-band for an appointment;

(b) it reduces the time limit for responding to requests under regulation 4 (account queries and requests about payment arrangements) to 5 working days (formerly 10) for requests to change payment methods, and to 10 working days (formerly 20) for written queries about the correctness of an account;

(c) it reduces the time limit for responding fully to all written complaints under regulation 5 (complaints about water or sewerage services) to 10 working days (formerly 20);

(d) it increases the notice undertakers are required to give of planned interruptions of supply under regulation 6 (notice of interruption of supply) to 48 hours (formerly 24);

(e) it reduces the period for restoring the supply under regulation 7 (entitlement to a payment or credit where supply not duly restored) to 12 hours (formerly 24);

(f) it increases the payments for household customers for standards relating to appointments, billing queries, complaints, warning notices and interruptions of supply to £20 for the first 24 hours and £10 for subsequent periods. The corresponding payments for business customers are raised to £50 and £25 respectively; and

(g) it requires companies to make payments automatically to customers affected by standards relating to interruptions of supply, warning notices and sewer flooding (regulations 6, 7 and 7B), including an additional penalty payment in the event of a claim of £20 for household customers and £50 for business customers.

Regulation 3 revokes regulation 7A (installation of meters) in consequence of amendments made by the Water Industry Act 1999 (c. 9).