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Water companies in England and Wales are continuing to deliver year on year efficiency improvements, according to a new report published by Ofwat today. The 'Unit costs and relative efficiency 2005-06 report' compares all 22 water and sewerage companies on the basis of how efficiently they run their day to day businesses and how efficiently they spend money on the maintenance of pipes, sewers and treatment works. Ofwat set companies a stiff challenge to become more efficient when it determined the price limits from 2005-10, it also provided incentives for the companies to become even more efficient in future. The report shows that three companies - Yorkshire Water, Portsmouth Water and South Staffordshire Water - were assessed as being in the top band for both operating and capital maintenance expenditure efficiency. Ofwat's Director of Network Regulation Dr Melinda Acutt said: "Our role is to ensure that customers receive a good-quality, efficient service at a fair price. It is still early days but our findings suggest that companies are responding to the efficiency challenges we set in their price limits in 2004. "We want to see companies doing better than the efficiency targets we have set for them so that we can pass on the savings to customers when we review price limits again in 2009." Notes to Editors: 1. The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is the economic regulator of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. It exercises its powers in a way that it judges will allow companies to carry out their functions properly, and finance them. Its duties include protecting the interests of consumers, wherever appropriate by promoting effective competition. 2. The report, "Unit costs and relative efficiency 2005-06 report", will be available on Ofwat's website on www.ofwat.gov.uk or from the Ofwat library on 0121 625 1373. Media enquiries to Ofwat Press Office on: 0121 625 1416/1496/1442. Out of hours enquiries to: 0121 625 1300.  | ||||||
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