The water companies have made the headlines this morning on the BBC which is reporting that “more than half the UK's water suppliers have been sending their customers "unacceptable" debt collection letters."
The letters, which are actually from the water companies themselves, appear to be from an external debt agency – the BBC refers to the issue as news which “follows the revelation of similar practices in banks, energy firms and the payday lender, Wonga.”
The BBC says the name of the debt collection company typically appears in large print at the top while a link to the water company is often only contained in the small print, and sometimes no link is made at all.
The BBC’s You and Yours consumer investigation programme on Radio 4 was told by twelve of the UK's largest water suppliers that they had taken part in the practice, with five saying they are currently still doing it or might continue to do so in future. Thames Water is among those flagged up by the BBC as continuing with the practice.
According to the report, Ofwat has told the BBC it “still had concerns about the practices of two water companies” but declined to name them.
Click here to read the BBC report
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.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
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.