Thames Water is rolling out a new money-saving scheme where struggling households will have their bills cut automatically. A pioneering new partnership between the water provider and 17 London Borough Councils and data analytics company Policy in Practice will mean about 33,000 households will save on average more than £300 a year – a total of £10million. Thames Water launched the scheme to ensure customers in financial difficulty automatically receive the assistance they are entitled to, even if they are unaware of their eligibility.
The water company successfully piloted the scheme in Wandsworth and Richmond Upon Thames earlier this year and is now rolling it out across 15 more London boroughs. Almost 15,500 households have already been enrolled in Thames Water’s WaterHelp programme to receive financial support, with thousands more set to save money on their bills.
Simon Hogg, Wandsworth Council Leader, said: “It’s important that residents receive the help they are entitled to. Over 1,000 households in Wandsworth will now automatically see cheaper water bills, offering a crucial lifeline to those facing economic hardship and struggling with rising bills.”
Under innovative data sharing agreements, the scheme can identify customers whose water bills exceed 5%t of their equivalised net income and automatically enrol them in its WaterHelp scheme.
Under WaterHelp, customers will have their bills cut by a staggering 50%.
Thames Water, the Borough Councils and Policy in Practice are also identifying other customers who should be on its WaterSure social tariff, or who are eligible for Extra Support Scheme assistance of up to £700.
Thames Water is rolling out the scheme in:
- Richmond Upon Thames (original pilot)
- Camden
- Wandsworth (original pilot)
- Hackney
- Tower Hamlets
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Haringey
- Enfield
- Lambeth
- Kensington & Chelsea
- Islington
- Westminster
- Lewisham
- Ealing
- Brent
- Greenwich
- Southwark
Households outside of the designated areas are still eligible for financial assistance, yet the enrollment will not be automatic. Customers will then be automatically enrolled for either WaterHelp, WaterSure or Extra Support Scheme help.
Houses whose water bill is more than 5% of their equivalised net income will qualify for WaterHelp, cutting their bill in half.
The criteria for the WaterSure social tariff are a household with a water meter where someone is receiving means-tested benefit and either has a medical condition that requires extra water or three or more children under the age of 19 living at the property also making them eligible for Child Benefit.
Their bills are capped at the average of what other customers pay.
Nina White, Director of Income at Thames Water, said: “Our purpose is to deliver life’s essential service and we are determined to support those customers who are struggling to pay their bills. This partnership with the local authorities and Policy in Practice allows us to reach thousands of customers who previously may have been unaware that our WaterHelp scheme can help them. We’re looking forward to the rollout extending to more boroughs across London, with customers enrolled on the scheme automatically if eligible.”
Deven Ghelani, from Policy in Practice, said: “With rising water bills putting more pressure on struggling households, this scheme delivers real help to households who need it most by automatically reducing their costs. Thames Water is leading the way as the first water company to offer automatic enrolment onto a social tariff, worth millions of pounds, across London. At Policy in Practice, we want to bring more water companies and local authorities together by connecting data to make life easier for them and their residents.”
