30/11/09
Like companies, the main interest groups have been absorbing final price limits and giving their initial views.
The Consumer Council for Water has been most vocal – if not quite sure what to make of Ofwat's decisions. They scored Ofwat 7 out of 10 – not bad given the difficulty of finding the right balance between customers, the environment and investors – and recognised that Ofwat's draft determinations in July were "arguably unrealistic".
CCWater also expressed concern that Ofwat had been soft on efficiency, causing higher bills for some water customers. It was notably critical in some regional press notices, especially where bills would now increase rather than fall. There was less comment on the benefits for customers.
The Environment Agency hailed the final determination as a good deal for water customers and the environment, highlighting more than £4 billion to be invested in environmental improvements. Similarly, Natural England welcomed the multi-billion investment in the natural environment as a real step forward.
As The View prepared to publish, the Drinking Water Inspectorate had still to comment.
Contact: Rob Wesley
First published in The View from Water UK, 30/11/09
