Water Companies: Environment Protection

(asked on 7th February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason his Department’s Strategic Priorities for OfWAT require support from the customers of water companies to deliver wider environmental benefits in the course of carrying out their functions.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 14th February 2022

Water companies are regional monopolies and their investments are ultimately paid for by their customers. Customer engagement allows water companies to ensure their investments reflect customers' needs now and in the future and provides scrutiny of business plans to deliver good value for money.

We set out in our Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, the expectation that Ofwat should promote efficient investment, ensuring it is made in a way that secures long-term resilience and protects and enhances the environment, whilst delivering value for money for customers, society and the environment over the long-term. The industry will need to provide intergenerational value and improved services, and Ofwat should also challenge companies to meet the needs of vulnerable customers, including the ‘transiently’ vulnerable.

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