As Universal Credit is set to decrease from 6 October, Southern Water is reminding customers of the support available to keep water bills affordable.
Rachel Ryan-Crisp, Southern Water’s Customer Services Vulnerability Lead, said: “Water and wastewater services are essential services and we are committed to making them affordable to everyone. Many customers remain unaware of the support we can offer and we want to change this.
“For example, a customer recently spoke with a member of the Customer Service team at a jobs fair. He was receiving universal credit but struggling financially as a result of ill health. Thanks to the conversation, he discovered he qualified for support, his tariff was reduced and he received a £450 credit on his account, in recognition of the entire period for which he would have been eligible.”
Rachel added: “This conversation and the help we were able to give is a great example of why it’s always worth contacting us to check if you are eligible.”
You could decrease your water services bill if:
- Your household income is less than £21,000 - discount of 20-90% off your bills
- If a member of your household is on pension credit – 20% discount for the household
- Other help is available depending on circumstances – capped tariff or debt matching schemes are available
- If you’ve been a wastewater customer of another supplier and have been accepted onto their social tariff, we will automatically give you a 25% discount
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) says: “Low awareness remains a major obstacle to many customers accessing help, with three-quarters of consumers unaware water companies have schemes that can reduce the bills of low-income households. Other help is available too, with more than 100,000 customers in the UK having signed up to payment breaks since the pandemic erupted and options such as payment-matching, crisis funds and debt-write off schemes also in place.”
Southern Water is currently supporting 127,000 households across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with bill payments.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
If you or someone you know needs financial help visit https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/help-paying-your-bill for more information.
Customers can also email [email protected] or call our free bill payment advice line 0800 027 0363 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)