The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008

• (a) “an alternative means of communication” has the meaning given for the purposes of regulation 17D(7A);

• (b) “relevant communication”—

• (i) in relation to an English service provider, means—

• (aa) a complaint about the supply of water or the provision of sewerage services by the provider,

• (bb) a query about the correctness of an account for the supply of water or the provision of sewerage services, or

• (cc) a request for a change to payment arrangements;

• (ii) in relation to an English wholesaler, means a complaint about the water supply system or sewerage system of the wholesaler;

• (c) “relevant addresses”, in relation to an English duty-holder, means—

• (i) an address that may be used to make relevant communications to the duty-holder;

• (ii) a telephone number that may be used to make such communications;

• (iii) the relevant website (if any) that may be used to make such communications;

• (iv) the alternative means of communication (if any) that may be used to make such communications; and

• (v) the email address (if any) that may be used to make such communications;

• (d) “relevant website” means a website provided by or on behalf of an English duty-holder.

• (2) If an English service provider is aware that accounts to a customer cover the supply of water or sewerage services to other customers it must—

• (a) give the customer enough copies of the statement referred to in paragraph (1) to enable the customer to give a copy to each of those other customers; or

• (b) send a copy of the statement to each of those other customers directly.

Reference of disputes to the Authority

17O

• (1) In this regulation, “dispute” means—

• (a) a dispute between an English service provider and a customer as to the right of the customer to a payment or a credit to the customer’s account; or

• (b) a dispute between an English service provider and an English wholesaler as to the right of the English service provider to a payment under regulation 17K or the right of a customer to a payment or credit to the customer’s account.

• (2) If a dispute arises under this Part either party to the dispute may refer the matter to the Authority for determination.

• (3) The Authority may require an English service provider, an English wholesaler or a customer to provide information or other assistance for the purpose of enabling the Authority to make a determination under paragraph (2).

• (4) A requirement imposed on an English service provider or an English wholesaler under paragraph (3) is enforceable under section 18 of the WIA (orders for securing compliance with certain provisions) by the Authority.

• (5) If a dispute under paragraph (1)(a) is determined by the Authority in the customer’s favour but the English service provider fails to give effect to the determination, the customer may set off the amount in question against any liability that he has to the English service provider.

Review

17P

• (1) The Secretary of State must from time to time—

• (a) carry out a review of the regulatory provision contained in this Part, and

• (b) publish a report setting out the conclusions of the review.

• (2) The first report must be published before 1st April 2022.

• (3) Subsequent reports must be published at intervals not exceeding five years.

• (4) Section 30(4) of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 requires that a report published under this regulation must, in particular—

• (a) set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the regulatory provision referred to in paragraph (1)(a) above;

• (b) assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved;

• (c) assess whether those objectives remain appropriate; and

• (d) if those objectives remain appropriate, assess the extent to which they could be achieved in another way which involves less onerous regulatory provision.

• (5) In this regulation, “regulatory provision” has the meaning as in sections 28 to 32 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (see section 32 of that Act).

PART 4 — Revocation

Revocation

Editorial notes

Flooding from sewers – external flooding and flooding of non-domestic outbuildings

Domestic customers in arrears

17IA

• (1) This regulation applies where an English service provider considers that a domestic customer has failed to pay any charges due to them for which the customer is liable in respect of the supply of water to a premises falling within Schedule 4A to the WIA (such charges are referred to in this regulation as the “outstanding charges”).

• (2) The English service provider must, before taking a relevant step, give the customer—

• (a) a notice (an “outstanding charges notice”), and

• (b) an opportunity to make arrangements for the payment of the outstanding charges or to otherwise make representations in connection with them (including, but not limited to, disputing their liability to pay those charges or to correct an error in the information provided by the English service provider).

• (3) For the purposes of this regulation, an English service provider takes a relevant step in relation to outstanding charges if it does either or both of the following in relation to those charges—

• (a) gives information to a credit reference agency in relation to the customer’s failure to pay them;

• (b) begins legal proceedings for the purposes of recovering them (whether in whole or in part).

• (4) An outstanding charges notice must contain—

• (a) the amount of the outstanding charges, and how that amount has been calculated,

• (b) the period to which the outstanding charges relate,

• (c) the address of the domestic premises to which the outstanding charges relate,

• (d) where a meter is installed in relation to the domestic premises, the serial number of that meter,

• (e) a statement of how the customer may contact the English service provider to confirm that they have received the notice,

• (f) a statement of how the customer may contact the English service provider to make arrangements for the payment of the outstanding charges or to dispute, or otherwise make representations in connection with, those charges,

• (g) the period within which the customer must take any such step, and

• (h) the relevant steps that the English service provider may take in relation to the outstanding charges.

• (5) The period specified for the purposes of paragraph (4)(g) must—

• (a) not be less than 30 days beginning with the day on which the outstanding charges notice is given to the customer, and

• (b) in any event, take account of whether or not the customer is included in a Core Priority Services Register (see regulation 17ID).

• (6) If a customer who is given an outstanding charges notice—

• (a) neither confirms that they have received the outstanding charges notice nor contacts the English service provider to make arrangements for the payment of the outstanding charges or otherwise make representations in connection with them, or

• (b) confirms they have received the outstanding charges notice but does not contact the English service provider to make such arrangements or representations,

the English service provider must, before taking a relevant step, attempt to contact the customer about the outstanding charges and, where sub-paragraph (a) applies, the English service provider must use at least one means of communication other than that used to give the notice to the customer.

• (7) For the purposes of paragraph (6), the English service provider must, when contacting the customer, give the customer—

• (a) the information mentioned in paragraph (4)(a) to (d), (f) and (h),

• (b) the information mentioned in paragraph (4)(e), unless the English service provider is contacting the customer by telephone, and

• (c) a reasonable period within which to contact the English service provider to make arrangements for the payment of the charges or to dispute, or otherwise make representations in connection with, them.

• (8) If an English service provider—

• (a) before taking a relevant step, fails—

• (i) to give a domestic customer an outstanding charges notice;

• (ii) to make a second attempt to contact a domestic customer who does not confirm receipt of the notice;

• (iii) to make a second attempt to contact a domestic customer who confirms they have received the outstanding charges notice, but does not contact the English service provider to make arrangements for the payment of the outstanding charges or otherwise make representations in connection with them;

• (iv) when making a second attempt to contact the customer, to give the customer all of the information required under paragraph (7),

• (b) takes a relevant step before the end of the period specified in accordance with paragraph (4)(g) or given under paragraph (7)(b), or

• (c) takes a relevant step without taking account of any steps taken, or representations or payments made, by the customer in connection with the payment of the outstanding charges,

the English service provider must pay the customer £150.

• (9) In this regulation—

• (a) “credit reference agency” has the meaning given by section 145(8) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974;

• (b) “domestic customer” has the meaning given by regulation 17ID(10).

Moving to measured charging for supply of water

17IB

• (1) This regulation applies where a customer gives an English service provider a measured charges notice (an “MC notice”) on or after 1st October 2025.

• (2) The English service provider must give the customer a voluntary measured charging notice if the English service provider—

• (a) is not obliged to give effect to the MC notice (see section 144A(3) of the WIA), but

• (b) agrees to fix charges in respect of the supply of water to the MC premises by reference to the volume of water supplied.

• (3) A “voluntary measured charging notice” is a notice which—

• (a) sets out any actions which the customer and the English service provider agree must be taken by or on behalf of the customer to enable charges for the supply of water in respect of the MC premises to be fixed by reference to the volume of water supplied (each an “agreed action”),

• (b) sets out any payments which the customer is required to make towards the cost of installing a meter in respect of the MC premises,

• (c) if the customer is required to make any such payments, sets out whether any of those payments must be made before any work to the install the meter, or in connection with such installation, begins (each an “advance payment”), and

• (d) specifies the period before the end of which the supply of water to the MC premises will begin to be measured by volume of water supplied.

• (4) The period specified for the purposes of paragraph (3)(d) must begin with—

• (a) if there are any agreed actions or advance payments, the date on which the last of those actions is taken or payments made (as the case may be), or

• (b) if there are no such actions or payments, the day after the day on which the voluntary measured charging notice is given to the customer.

• (5) The English service provider must pay the relevant amount to the customer if the English service provider does not begin to measure the supply of water in respect of the MC premises by volume for charging purposes on or before the anticipated measured charging date.

• (6) But the English service provider need not pay the relevant amount to the customer if—

• (a) where the English service provider is not obliged to give effect to the MC notice (see section 144A(3) of the WIA), the customer notifies the English service provider, before the anticipated measured charging date, that they no longer want charges in respect of the supply to be fixed by reference to the volume of water supplied;

• (b) the English service provider was prevented from beginning to measure the supply by volume for charging purposes before the anticipated measured charging date by—

• (i) industrial action by any of its employees, or

• (ii) the act or default of a person other than—

• (aa) the customer;

• (bb) an officer of the English service provider;

• (cc) an employee of the English service provider;

• (dd) an agent of the English service provider;

• (ee) a person acting on behalf of the customer;

• (ff) a person acting on behalf of the English service provider;

• (gg) a person acting on behalf of an agent of the English service provider.

• (7) The “relevant amount” is a sum equal to the charges payable by the customer for the supply of water in respect of the MC premises for the period—

• (a) beginning with the day after the anticipated measured charging date, and

• (b) ending when the English service provider begins to measure the supply by volume for charging purposes.

• (8) The “anticipated measured charging date” is—

• (a) where the English service provider is obliged to give effect to the MC notice under section 144A(2) of the WIA—

• (i) the last day of the section 144A(2) period, or

• (ii) if earlier, the last day of the period of eight weeks beginning with the relevant date;

• (b) where the English service provider is not obliged to give effect to the MC notice under section 144A(2) of the WIA, the last day of the period specified for the purposes of paragraph (3)(d).

• (9) For the purposes of paragraph (8)(a)(ii), the relevant date is—

• (a) the day on which the customer gives the MC notice to the English service provider, or

• (b) if a dispute between the customer and the English service provider about the application of section 144A(3)(a) or (b) of the WIA is referred to the Authority for determination under section 30A of that Act, the day on which—

• (i) the Authority makes its determination, or

• (ii) if the party referring the dispute to the Authority withdraws their referral, the referral is withdrawn.

• (10) In this regulation—

• “MC premises” means the premises in relation to which a customer gives an MC notice;

• “measured charges notice” has the meaning given for the purposes of section 144A of the WIA (see subsection (1) of that section);

• the “section 144A(2) period” means the period determined in accordance with the English undertaker’s charges scheme for the purposes of section 144A(2) of the WIA.

Reading of meters

17IC

• (1) The English service provider must read a customer’s relevant meter—

• (a) at least once before the end of the period of 13 months beginning with the relevant date, and

• (b) at least once in each successive period of 13 months.

• (2) If the English service provider fails, without a reasonable excuse, to read a customer’s relevant meter in a 13-month period as required by paragraph (1), it must pay the customer—

• (a) £40, if it is the first time that the English service provider has failed, without a reasonable excuse, to read the customer’s meter as required by that paragraph;

• (b) £80, if it is the second or subsequent time that the English service provider has failed, without a reasonable excuse, to read the customer’s meter as required by that paragraph.

• (3) For the purposes of this regulation, an English service provider has a reasonable excuse for failing to read a customer’s relevant meter as required by paragraph (1) if, in particular, it is prevented from doing so in the 13-month period by—

• (a) the customer—

• (i) refusing it, or any person acting on its behalf, admission to the premises for the purposes of reading the meter, or

• (ii) obstructing it, or any person acting in its behalf, in their attempts to read the meter,

• (b) industrial action by any of its employees, or

• (c) the act or default of a person other than—

• (i) the customer;

• (ii) an officer of the English service provider;

• (iii) an employee of the English service provider;

• (iv) an agent of the English service provider;

• (v) a person acting on behalf of the customer;

• (vi) a person acting on behalf of the English service provider;

• (vii) a person acting on behalf of an agent of the English service provider.

• (4) For the purposes of this regulation—

• “relevant date”—in relation to a meter installed before 1st October 2025, means 1st October 2025;in relation to a meter installed on or after that date, means the day on which the meter is installed;

• “relevant meter” means a meter, other than a smart meter, for measuring the volume of water supplied to any premises;

• “smart meter” means a meter that is installed to record water supplied to any premises, that can be read without having direct access to the meter installation and that can record data at least every 24 hours.

Core priority services

17ID

• (1) An English service provider must keep and maintain a register (a “Core Priority Services Register”) of the domestic customers whose circumstances are such that they require one or more core priority services to be provided to them by the English service provider.

• (2) The “core priority services” are—

• (a) delivery of an alternative water supply during any supply interruption;

• (b) use of alternative formats of communication, such as braille, audio information or large print;

• (c) allowing a person appointed by, or on behalf of, the customer to manage their account on their behalf.

• (3) The English service provider must ensure that a customer can request inclusion in the Core Priority Services Register if they wish to do so.

• (4) But the English service provider must not make such a request a condition of inclusion in the Core Priority Services Register.

• (5) If, before 1st October 2025, an English service provider provides one or more core priority services to any of its domestic customers, it must—

• (a) include those customers in the Core Priority Services Register on 1st October 2025, and

• (b) give each of those customers a CPSR inclusion notice before the end of the relevant period.

• (6) If an English service provider receives a request from a domestic customer, on or after 1st October 2025, to be included on the Core Priority Services Register, it must, before the end of the relevant period, give the customer—

• (a) a CPSR inclusion notice, or

• (b) if it decides not to include the customer in the Core Priority Services Register, a statement of the reasons for its decision.

• (7) A “CPSR inclusion notice” is a notice which includes the following information—

• (a) a statement of the reasons for which a domestic customer is being included in the Core Priority Services Register,

• (b) the core priority services which will be provided to the domestic customer whilst they remain included in the Core Priority Services Register (each a “relevant core priority service”), and

• (c) where the English service provider indicates that it will provide a particular core priority service in response to an incident or type of incident (including emergencies), the latest time by which it expects to provide that service following such an incident.

• (8) The English service provider must pay a domestic customer £100 if—

• (a) it includes the customer in the Core Priority Services Register, but

• (b) does not give the customer a CPSR inclusion notice before the end of the relevant period.

• (9) The English service provider must pay a domestic customer £100 if it—

• (a) fails to provide one or more relevant core priority services to the customer in response to an incident, or

• (b) provides one or more relevant core priority services in response to an incident, but provides any of those services after the time included in the CPSR notice in accordance with paragraph (7)(c) for that service.

• (10) For the purposes of this regulation—

• (a) a “domestic customer” is a customer who is supplied with water or sewerage services (or both) at domestic premises (but excludes such a customer to the extent they are provided with any such services at premises other than domestic premises);

• (b) “the relevant period” is the period of 30 days beginning with—

• (i) in relation to a domestic customer who makes a request to be included in the Core Priority Services Register, the day on which the English service provider receives that request;

• (ii) otherwise, the day on which the domestic customer is included in the Core Priority Services Register.

Water quality notices: restrictions on consumption etc. of water

17IE

• (1) This regulation applies where an English wholesaler serves a notice (a “water quality notice”) on a customer on or after 1st October 2025 for the purposes of section 75(2)(b) of the WIA in relation to any premises which requires the customer to take one or more of the following steps—

• (a) not to consume any water supplied to the premises;

• (b) not to use for any purpose any water supplied to the premises;

• (c) to boil any water supplied to the premises before it is consumed;

• (d) to boil any water supplied to the premises before it is used for any purpose.

• (2) If the quality of supply is not restored by the end of the initial 48 hour period—

• (a) the English service provider must pay the customer an amount which is equal to the lesser of—

• (i) the sum of the water supply charges payable by the customer to the English service provider for the financial year in which the notice is served, and

• (ii) the water quality amount, and

• (b) the English wholesaler must pay the English service provider in accordance with regulation 17K.