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Consumer issues
Your water company There are 24 water companies in England and Wales which we regulate. Ten of these provide sewerage services as well. Who sends you your bill? If one company provides both your water supply and sewerage services, you will receive one bill. If your water is supplied by one company and your sewerage services by another, you will usually receive two bills. However, some water companies bill customers on behalf of the sewerage company which operates in their area, so those customers will only receive one bill. Can I change my water supplier? Domestic customers Under the current legislation, you are not able to change your water or sewerage supplier. In 2002, the Government said that it would not introduce competition for domestic customers. While they recognised that extending competition to the domestic market could deliver benefits to customers, such as keener prices and improved service quality, they felt that the cost and complexity of the regulatory regime that would be required would outweigh any benefits. Business customers The Water Act 2003 extended the opportunity for competition for business customers of water companies. Since December 2005, the new regime has allowed business customers who use 50 million litres or more a year to buy water from either their existing water company or from a water supply licensee. Our competition section provides more information. Water supplies and sewerage systems which we do not regulate Water supplies Some customers get their water from private water supplies, which we do not regulate. Unregulated water supplies can include: There are about 50,000 self-contained water supplies in England and Wales supplying more than one property. Local authorities test the quality of unregulated water supplies in accordance with legal water quality standards. Each local authority keeps a register of all unregulated water supplies in its area, including information on water quality test results. For advice about the law governing your private water supply you should contact the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). For advice about the quality of your water – the Environmental Health Department of your local council. Sewerage systems  |
Your water company
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