Ofwat has launched a short consultation on its updated Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) guidance – the GSS Regulations 2008 set out the minimum standards of service that customers should receive, and the minimum payments that customers should receive if the standards are not met.
Companies must meet the minimum standards, otherwise they are required to make a specified payment to the affected customers.
The most recent amendments were made by the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made updates to the GSS Regulations in England in June 2025. Resultant changes to existing GSS standards came into force on 2 July 2025, and Ofwat made a number of updates its GSS guidance to reflect these changes. The changes mainly covered increases to the payment amounts, but also some of the terms of existing standards.
New GSS standards will come into force in England on 1 October 2025, covering:
- Household customers in arrears;
- Moving to measured charging for supply of water;
- Reading of meters;
- Core priority services;
- Water quality notices.
Following a wider consultation on changes to the GSS in England in 2024, Defra proposed that Ofwat should also update its GSS guidance in the following areas:
- ]the organisation and definition of appointment time slots to provide clarity in areas of ambiguity, particularly in allowing for emergency appointments and allowing flexibility for companies to offer more specific timeslots for appointments where possible;
- how companies communicate the low pressure standard to customers
- how it should be implemented to ensure the best outcomes for customers.
The water sector regulator is now proposing to update its GSS guidance to:
- ensure that updated terms of existing standards are sufficiently clear;
- add new sections to cover the new standards;
- address the points raised in Defra's consultation on appointment slots and water pressure; and,
- make wider changes to increase clarity and understanding of the GSS Regulations.
Deadline to submit comments in response to the consultation is 26 September 2025 – click here to download the consultation document
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