South West Water Trial Participants Express Relief After Being Allowed to Opt Out

Customers enrolled in a contentious water tariff trial by South West Water (SWW) have expressed relief after being granted the ability to withdraw, a possibility they were initially informed was unavailable. Participants in the seasonal tariff trial incur higher water costs in the summer months and receive a reduced rate during winter. Torquay resident Jacqui Rowe stated, “Finally we’ve been allowed to opt out”. SWW commented, “The trials are not compulsory for household customers and we will of course listen to any customer who may not want to take part.” The trial involved 3,500 SWW household customers selected for two new tariffs across locations including Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, and Bournemouth. Ms. Rowe reiterated, “It’s a huge relief”. The Torquay resident reported contacting SWW multiple times regarding withdrawal from the trial before receiving an email confirming her removal “with immediate effect”. She explained her concern: “It was definitely going to cost us more. My family come down on holiday in the summer, there’s more showering and washing.” Participants in the seasonal tariff scheme will receive a reduced water rate from October through the end of March, with the cost becoming three times higher for the remaining period of the year, encompassing the summer months. Customers on the summer peak tariff will benefit from a base price for water that is lower than standard, which subsequently rises upon reaching a specified usage threshold. Torbay councillor Hazel Foster remarked, “People are over the moon”. She added, “SWW have now done a U-turn and they are now saying residents can come off the trial.” Foster indicated that the residents she had conversed with were “happy to try and save water” but expressed anger at being informed they could not withdraw from the trial. She quoted, “To be told you’ve got to go on it. That’s what’s got them angry”. She also noted that 11 residents who had contacted her have since been informed of their ability to opt out. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and Ofwat are providing support for the trial. Ofwat, the regulator, previously stated that “most customers” participating in the trial would experience financial benefits. SWW clarified that the scheme is intended to be revenue neutral, meaning that while a minority of customers might face a slight increase, the majority are expected to achieve savings. Steve Darling, MP for Torbay, commented, “We’ve gone from a red light for people to have choice over this, to a green light where people can choose their own destiny.” He further remarked, “It’s important that we all play our part in protecting the environment and reducing water usage but this is a sledgehammer to crack a nut”. Clive Asher, a 78-year-old resident of Torquay, explained his decision to opt out: “My main reason for opting out was that I live in a flat and my water usage is constant throughout the year. I can’t save water”. South West Water stated: “Our customers have told us they want us to find new ways of charging and we want to make sure that the bills our customers pay are fair and reflect their usage. As part of this work we are trialling two new innovative tariffs to understand what works well and what our customers consider to be fair ways of charging. The trials are not compulsory for household customers and we will of course listen to any customer who may not want to take part in the trial. All feedback is valuable feedback. We hope that our customers will want to remain part of this so that we can help people to only pay for the water they use.”