It's welcome that Southern Water are making amends to customers, especially at a time when many are experiencing financial issues. Update from Southern Water - making amends to our customers and providing additional support. The rebate is tied to our wastewater pricing. The Board is confident that the Southern Water business plan for 2020-2025 represents a step change in the company’s stated intention of becoming brilliant at the basics and sets out a pathway to a resilient water future for the South East, an area already categorised by the Government as being in water stress. However, the reduction to wastewater charges may be offset against the value of any outstanding debt. In June 2017, our regulator Ofwat started an investigation into possible breaches of licence conditions and our statutory reporting obligations relating to the management and operation of our wastewater treatment works. To make amends, we’ve agreed to give payments to people who were wastewater customers between 2015 and 2020”. Yes, if you continue to pay wastewater charges after 1 April 2020, you will receive a reduction on your wastewater charges from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025. Yes. We have worked with the Institute of Business Ethics to develop training material which we have used at workshops. Your overall wastewater bill includes a retail charge (a set price) along with a wastewater charge (based on what you use). Will I receive a rebate? Why does the number of free days vary in the examples provided? As you use more, the retail charge stays the same while the wastewater charge goes up. Southern Water is responsible for the public wastewater collection and treatment in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. I’m eligible, but have debt on my account. New management has worked with Ofwat closely on this issue since 2017. So the number of free days increases. I’m changing address after April 2021 – can I get all of the money off my bill in 2020? While there is still a lot to do, we are making good progress, A restructure of the Executive Team and Board, Appointment of a new Director of Risk and Compliance to challenge front-line teams, Introduction of an industry-standard ‘three lines of defence’ model for regulatory reporting, Increased reporting to Ofwat for greater scrutiny, Strengthened whistle-blowing policies and appointment of an independent adjudicator so that any colleague with concerns feels confident that they will be listened to, Enhanced compliance across all wastewater treatment works including compulsory compliance and Code of Ethics training for all relevant colleagues, Refreshed company vision, values and purpose which support and align to a modern compliance framework, More than £100m invested in IT systems and processes and £26m invested in wastewater assets, Ofwat proposes a £3m penalty, which Southern Water accepts, Southern Water will make rebates totalling £123m*, Customers will receive the rebate in bills over the next five years, This will mean the rebate will be at least £17* per customer to be rebated in 2021, and at least £11* per year for the following four years, Customers will bear none of the costs of the proposed fine or rebate, A robust and challenging Action Plan has been agreed with Ofwat and is now in place to ensure the Company’s technical compliance levels meet the highest standards. New ethical processes – We have also put new systems in place to safeguard our services, our whistle-blowing procedures have been enhanced, and a revised set of company values have now been embedded. These actions, along with a modern compliance framework, are already successfully changing the culture in Southern Water. Registered in England and Wales - Company number 2366670. plans to provide greater transparency on our environmental performance. The final amount that will be available for rebates to existing customers will depend on how many former customers apply for and receive a payment and how much your wastewater charges are during 2020-25. All Rights Reserved. Find out more about Southern Water: www.southernwater.co.uk, Copyright © 2020 Southern Water. So we use the ‘Recite Me’ bar to make our site as accessible as possible for our customers. We'll be working closely with South East Water to ensure each eligible household receives a reduction on their wastewater charges from April 2020 until March 2025. Why have the amounts changed from the sum of £61 mentioned previously? If you are a water and wastewater customer, the total shown on your bill will include both charges. All Rights Reserved. I’ve changed address in the last few years, but I’m still a Southern Water wastewater customer – will I get a rebate? •      We have visited all of our wastewater treatment sites to identify compliance issues and developed plans to fix and resolve these. I'm a current customer – why can't I get a full rebate now? Why is the amount I'm due to receive as an existing customer dependent on how many former customers come forward – why can’t you just increase the pot of money? Anti-Harassment, Bullying & Dignity at Work Policy. Southern Water has admitted falling "far short of the expectations and trust" of its customers, in its first annual report since being fined a record £126m for sewage spills. + The total payment amount was agreed with Ofwat, and this has not changed. Will I receive a rebate? Household bill payers that continue to pay wastewater charges after 1 April 2020 will receive a reduction to their bills, linked to their usage levels. your wastewater charges during 2020 to 2025. how many payments are made to former customers. 3 - Based on an annual wastewater bill, the rebate is equivalent to approximately this many days’ free wastewater services. To find out more about why we're making amends, read the additional information below. It will also be subject to inflation. The rebate is tied to our wastewater pricing. If you were a Southern Water customer and paid wastewater charges between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2020, but no longer from 1 April 2020, you may be eligible to apply for a payment. Click here to find out more and to manage cookies on this site. Southern Water began investigating issues at its wastewater treatment sites in July 2016 before alerting Ofwat to deeper issues in March 2017. + No. +  No, because reductions will only be made to wastewater charges for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025. Southern Water is pleased to agree with Ofwat a comprehensive agreement which encompasses penalty, reparation for customers and assured improvement. On average, this rebate will be approximately £14 in the first year. Will I get the total rebate if I move out of Southern Water’s area during the next five years? IMPORTANT: This table makes standard assumptions to estimate your bill reduction. Instead, we’ll provide reduced wastewater charges to customers spread over a shorter period of five years, 2020 to 2025. I paid wastewater charges from 2015, and I still do – why won’t I receive a payment and a future rebate? Ian McAulay, Southern Water’s Chief Executive, said: “In 2017, I was brought in to drive change and transformation. Southern said: "There are no excuses for failings between 2010 and 2017.". Our progress +   On 8 October 2019 we signed the formal undertakings pursuant to Section 19 of the Water Industry Act 1991 relating to the numerous changes we have put in place, and are putting in place, to ensure that the issues identified in the Ofwat investigation have been stopped and cannot be repeated. These are external links and will open in a new window. Its purpose is to provide water for life to enhance health and wellbeing, protect and improve the environment and sustain the economy. We'll be working closely with South East Water to ensure each eligible household receives a reduction on their wastewater charges from April 2020 until March 2025. Greater transparency on our environmental performance – Information that is available on pollution incidents, flow and spill reporting, wastewater treatment works compliance, regional bathing water compliance results, emissions and river levels will be published on the company website (this is subject to any constraints on reporting environmental information or data that is provided to us by the Environment Agency). Copyright © 2020 Southern Water. Southern Water is substantially different today and has already made a number of fundamental improvements which have been recognised in the Ofwat report, including: Southern Water failed its customers and is resolutely committed to the agreed package of measures agreed with Ofwat to deal with these failings and ensure that the ongoing improvements and investments we need to make are being implemented in a timely way and with the right level of assurance from our regulator. If you pay wastewater charges for some of this time, you’ll receive a reduction on the charges you pay. Please refer to the wastewater section of your bill for your separate wastewater charges. We anticipate the reduction will be, on average,approximately £9 a year until 2025. It’s a future of more people needing water and wastewater services, with less water to go around. Copyright © 2020 Southern Water. Does the cost of all this mean my bill will go up? To make amends, we’ve agreed to give payments to people who were wastewater customers between 2015 and 2020”. Only those that pay wastewater charges are eligible. Today’s proposal from Ofwat includes a bill rebate to wastewater customers over the next five years totalling £123m* and a £3m fine. The payment of the penalties that have been avoided would normally be made over an extended period of 50 or more years. If you are still paying wastewater charges at 1 April 2020, you are eligible for a bill rebate. I’m renting – am I eligible for a rebate? In its report, it promised to "make amends" to customers and included figures showing customer satisfaction steadily increased over the last year, with a 27% reduction in written complaints. However, the South East’s water supply faces big challenges. Only those that pay wastewater charges are eligible. The findings of our own review have been shared with our regulators. We made mistakes and are working hard to stop this ever happening again. I’m renting – am I eligible for a rebate? Why is the amount I'm due to receive as an existing customer dependent on how many former customers come forward – why can’t you just increase the pot of money? At Alexandre Boyes we have a team of staff for whom property is not just an industry it is a passion. We immediately started our own internal review and discovered a problem with sampling processes at some of our sites which meant that we needed to restate our wastewater performance for the period 2010–17. No. Does the cost of all this mean my bill will go up? The Community Foundations are making sure funding quickly gets to where it can make the most impact in boosting local resilience. The first and second rounds of assurance confirmed our compliance with the undertakings, and that we had made good progress so far against our plans and in delivery of the undertakings. If I become a new Southern Water customer between 2020 and 2025, will I get a rebate? From 1 April 2020, we will reduce wastewater charges for existing customers and make payments to eligible former customers - totalling. Southern Water: Supplies 'half of demand' by 2030 What exactly did Southern do wrong? We’re making amends for past failings in the management and reporting of compliance at our wastewater treatment works.