01.02.2017
Providing clean, safe drinking water, recycling 100% of sewage into renewable energy and tackling the risk of sewer flooding are just some of the services Northumbrian Water customers receive for around £1 a day.
New charges for 2017/2018 are announced today, still less than the national average.
At the same time the company will continue a multi-million pound programme to invest in maintaining and improving the quality of drinking water and resilience of its pipe network.
Average daily charges for water and waste water services are just over £1 a day, an increase of 3p per day on last year. The average annual charge for water and waste water services is £390, an increase of £12 per year.
Yet £180 million is set to be invested in essential work including improving the sewer network in Whitburn and Sunderland and renewing 75km of pipework across the region.
To ensure customers continue to receive the best clean, clear and great tasting tap water, three major water treatment works will be updated at Horsley, Whittle Dene and Warkworth, as well as ongoing maintenance of all other water and waste water treatment works and pumping stations.
Work to protect homes from flooding continues to be a top priority. This includes looking at ways to slow down the amount of water making its way into pipes during times of heavy rainfall, using innovative and ground breaking approaches to sustainable drainage.
Added to this is a commitment to continue to deliver excellent customer service to 2.7million customers in the north east region.
This extensive investment programme not only brings major improvements for customers it also supports thousands of jobs and more than 1,000 local businesses that supply products and services.
From 2015-2020 we will invest £2.24 billion in the region. Analysis shows that for every £100 million of investment and expenditure we make, an additional £80 million could be generated in the regional economy.
Heidi Mottram, Northumbrian Water’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our household customers will continue to pay about £1 per day for all their drinking water and sewerage services which represents great value for money. We will continue to invest in schemes to provide clean, clear tap water that tastes good and to protect homes from flooding. We are also proud to be the only water company in the world that features on the Ethisphere Institute’s list of the world’s most ethical companies.
“We do understand that some people can face difficulties paying their bills and we are keen to help them. We offer many ways to assist people and also work closely with the debt charity StepChange. Anyone worried about paying their bill should get in touch with us as soon as possible.”
Customers who are facing difficulty in paying their bills can find more information at www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/your-account/Difficulty-paying.aspx.
• The charges for the five years from 2015 to 2020 were set to meet the 2014 Price Review rules defined by the water regulator Ofwat on 12 December 2014.
• Northumbrian Water will invest around £180 million on essential improvements in the year from April 2017 as part of its £900 million programme of works from 2015 to 2020.
• The average Northumbrian Water bill for 2017/18, which comes into effect from April, will be £390 compared to the average bill in 2016/17 of £378.
• Water charges vary from household to household depending on factors including water use and size of property and there are differing charges for metered and unmetered supplies.
• Charges for 2017/18 will vary from a £331 average for metered services and an average of £423 for an unmetered supply.
• The difference between metered and unmetered charges reflect the fact that, in general, metered customers use less water.
• Calculating the “multiplier” effect is a widely accepted theory that the net impact of an investment is greater than the original sum invested due to the circular flow of income. In other words, our expenditure is another’s income which stimulates more spending.