At the start of National Customer Service Week today, Northumbrian Water is reminding customers that help is available for anyone struggling with their bills.
The company, which was recently awarded the Service Excellence Kitemark™ for its outstanding customer service, is encouraging families, pensioners and individuals to check whether they could benefit from one of its affordability schemes.
This includes discounts of up to 50% off annual water bills for households with a total income of less than £30,000 who may need extra financial support.
Other help available includes flexible payment plans, payment breaks and access to free, independent debt advice.
More than 126,000 customers across the North East are already benefiting from Northumbrian Water's affordability schemes, backed by a £100 million support package set aside by the company through to 2030.
The company is also encouraging more people to sign up to its free Priority Services Register, which provides additional help for customers who may need it because of their age, disability or illness, mobility issues, or because they have young children at home.
Over 180,000 customers are signed up to the register, which includes bills and letters in alternative formats, help during water supply interruptions and the option to nominate someone to manage an account on their behalf.
Together, the services are designed to make sure customers can access the right help when they need it most.
Mark Wilkinson, Head of Income for Northumbrian Water, said:
“A key part of excellent customer service is making sure people know what support is available to them before they ever need to contact us.
“We know some households are worried about paying their bills, while others may benefit from extra support because of their personal circumstances.
“Whether it’s help with payments, debt advice or signing up to our Priority Services Register, we’d encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible to get in touch and see how we can help.
“Our teams are committed to making sure every customer feels supported, not just during National Customer Service Week, but every day.”
National Customer Service Week, which runs from 5 to 9 October, is organised by the Institute of Customer Service to highlight the importance of customer service and the vital role it plays in successful organisations.
The easiest way for customers to manage their account is by signing up online at www.nwl.co.uk/register. For more information about the financial support available, visit www.nwl.co.uk/bill-help.
Near-real-time microbial monitoring of wastewater discharge and bathing waters is now possible thanks to the BactoSense ID solution created by Swiss-based bNovate Technologies.
ABB has launched AquaMaster+™, a digital platform for smart water network management, designed to help water utilities monitor, analyze and manage their water networks, preventing pipeline water losses and optimizing operations.
Craig Nienaber, Business Development Manager for Safe Access Solutions (SAS) at HUBER Technology, explores why the company is seeing a growing level of interest in its safe access solutions for critical infrastructure providers, including their application in wastewater treatment assets.
Albion Water, the first NAV (New Appointment & Variation) to have been established in1999 and now under the ownership of SDS Water Group, has appointed Andy Holland as its new Director of Business Development.
Southern Water has released film and images showing what it’s like to walk inside Hampshire’s expanded Yew Hill underground reservoir for the very last time, before it gets filled with water.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.